The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-12-23

agreed to sell Miller two walnut trees for SO;
that Miller offered to pay him the $40 cash,
but that he refused to take it until the trees
were cut, but that afterwards he did take it;
that Miller wanted him to sign an agreement
and he refused at first, but John Greider said
damn it, he is only an agent for another party;
there is nothing in it; l will sign my name,
too; here's Gettier's, he signed it; there is
nothing in it; that he then signed his name
and Greider witnessed it; that Miller then
handed him another $40 note, and that he
said he did not want to be paid twice, and
handed it back, and Miller said: .'I'm too
drunk to do business to-day" and he told him
that he wanted nothing to do with drunken
man; that he should come the next day when
he was sober; that Miller and Greider went
away in the buggy and took the paper with
them; that some time afterwards he learned
of Phanuel Wantz that Denison held a note
against him, and that he cameto Westminster
to see Judge Smith, with Wantz, Yost, Get
tier and Peterman; that after Judge Smith and
Wantz returned from Denison's, he (Schaef-
fer) went with the others to see him, and went
with him to his room at Cootes' Hotel, where
Denison showed them the notes he held against
them. The witness then said: 81 read the
note against me and said, Mr.. Denison, l
never saw this note before; looked on the
back of it and saw that it was assigned to
Denison by Samuel D. Miller; l told him that
this paper was not worth five cents; he said
that he had seen John Greider on the Satur-
day before, and that he said we signed these
papers, and that it was all right; | said, if
John Greider says signed it he will swear to
a lie; then he said if John Greider goes back
on me | won't have anything to do with him
any more; Yost, Gettier and | each told him
that the notes held against US were fraudulent
and forgeries; he said he did not buy Peter
mans note because it had a cross mark in his
name; Denison took the notes after we looked
at them and put them back in the pocket of
the pantaloons did not sign my name to the
paper Denison showed me as my note; we
all left the room together, and on the way
down the street | asked DeniSon, how could
you Just drop your hands on SIC, 600 in so short
a time; and he replied, can get 100000
from Lancaster bank at any time | want 1t;
| told him thought it ignorant to buy SlO,-
900 worth of notes all of one date and against
men in one neighborhood, without security,
from a man | did not know, and he said he
thought it was all right because Cornelius
Wentz brought him. think he said he did
not known Wentz when Miller brought him.
l asked him if he would lend me three thou
sand dollars without security. He made no
reply. Denison never demanded payment of
the note after that never talked with him
on the subject since. The paper he showed
me was part in print and part in writing. l
never signed any other paper to Miller except
the one at my place. When L signed that
paper Miller gave me paper, which he said
was a copy of the receipt | had signed. -
Witness then testified as to the demand made
by Judge Maulsby upon Denison at Manches-
ter for the surrender of the notes.
Cross examined, witness testified that he
went with the others from Denison's office to
his room at the hotel; that they were in the
room 8 or 10 minutes; that Gettier said he
never signed the note held against him; that
Yost had no more conversation than witness
then the other talked; that he did not know
whether Peterman asked if Denison had his
note.
Ferdinand Peterman testified lin the
latter part of May, signed an agreement to
Samuel D. Miller for walnut logs. John
Greider witnessed it. | sold the trees for ST..
l never signed any note or single bill to Mil
Ter for $500. | made my mark in the agree
ment Miller wrote my name. Denison said
Miller had my note for $500, but he did not
buy it. live near Melrose, about one mile
from Schaeffer, three miles from Yost, three
quarters of a mile from Wentz, and half a mile
from Gettier always speak German. Mil
Ter spoke German when he bought the logs. :"
Christian Rother testified - live about
half mile from Manchester on the turnpike
between there and Melrose. In the latter part
of June, the day Yost and others went to
Westminster, Denison came to my place about
seven o'clock in the morning, and in a con-
versation we had he told me he had gone into
the broker business. The same day, between
: = - IL tba he N
to nv place in buggy from the direction of
Melrose. I asked him what brought him into
that country again, and l think he said he had
been out to see Phanuel Wantz. He told me
he had bought lot of notes against 1ost,
Schaeffer, Wantz and Gettier and they said
they werefor ged, they were of ne account and
he would have to lose them, and it was pretty
hard for him to lose the money he had paid
for them. I asked him what these notes were
made for and he said for Bachman's Valley
Railroad Stock He said he bought them
from a man named Miller, who Cornelius
Wentz had brought to Westminster and iden-
tilted to him. | asked him whether he did
not know better at the time than to buy them
from man he did not know, notes on stock on
a railroad where there was no building going
on. He said that he had done no more than
any bank would have done, that he examined
the records at the Court House and they were
all of good standing. l told him thought he
had done more than bank would have done,
in taking the notes without good endorser.
/ told him / was sorry he had to lose the mon
ey. After the warrant was issued / saw him
in Manchester and he said that Yost ought
not to have had him arrested. l told him |
supposed these men wanted to get their notes
and be free. He said he never would have
asked these men for money if things went on
as well for him during life as they were going
them
Noah Buchanan repeated the circumstances
related by Cornelius Went in relation to Mil
Ter comming to Mr.. Wentz to be taken to
Westminster, and described Miller in the same
way he had been described by the other wit
nesses.
BENJAMIN w. Buckingham testified that
Mr.. Denison has occupied an office with him
since August, 1881; that some time in June
last he saw man of whom Denison said he
had bought $40, 900 worth of notes; that prev
ious to that he had never seen Miller at the
office.
A. H. Huber was then called but was not
examined.
VIM. B. Thomas testified 81 have follow
ed business as broker in Westminster, since
1867. l keep public office and have sign.
Prior to about two years ago Frizell Manning
and myself kept the only two brokers' offices
in Westminster; since that time mine has been
the only public brokers' office. In the early
part of last summer heard that Mr.. Denison
had opened brokers' Office. Hooked on his
office for sign but did not see any. l have
done large business as broker and my of
fee is we'll known to the public
Judge Maulsby then asked he the witness
-''During the month of June last, was there
any application made at your Office by man
calling himself Samuel D. Miller or any other
person for you to buy note or single bill
against Philip j. YostF
The traverser objected to the question, the
court overruled the objection and the traver,
ser reserved an exception.
Witness then answered the question: No. "
Albert D. Grove testified: az have kept a
hotel in Manchester for the past six years.
Samuel D. Miller came to my house and reg,
istered on the End of May and the 22nd OF
May, 1882 l saw him register on both occa-
sions. requested him to do it." Witness
produced his register and showed it to the
court.