Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-05-04
TIE EXroRTIoN CASE,

Some time since j. NJ. Green!sw, of this
city. was arrested upon warrant issued in
San Francisco. and charged with extortion.
The complaining witness is II. j. Eggleston,
who some time since left the State under ON
assumed name, apparently to defraud his
creditors. The San Francisco Call of yester-
day says:
In Department Ne. of the Police Court
yesterday afternoon, the case of W. b. Hay
ford, of ColfaI, Placer county, and james NJ.
Greenlaw. OF Sacramento, charged. on COM
plant of H. J. Eggleston, with extortion,
was on trial. Hayford is merchant at Col
fax, and Greenlsw ia detective of Sscra-
mento. The complaining witness formerly
resided at Colfax. Gold Run and other places
along the Central Pacific Railroad, and en-
gagged in business as contractor for cutting
wood The facts of the case. as brought out
during the examination of Eggleston yester-
day, and in the opening addresses of the at
torneys, are somewhat as follows: Eggleston,
ia November. 1881. suddenly left the State,
as he admitted, under the name of Lynch,
taking with him his wife and daughter, and
leaving about $40 900 worth Of debts behind
him, due to Cinnamon and whites who
had worked for him and furnished
him with supplies. He went from here to
England, and on his return met Greenlaw at
Freeport, H., where that officer had been
sent by the ere iitors to find him. Eggleston
testified that shortly after he saw Hsyford,
who had a warrant and requisition for him,
he came with the detectives to Sacrsm into.
There he says he brought him to face one Of
his creditors told him that he had committed
a great crime in fleeing from the State, one
which would send him, his wife and daughter
to the State Prison for five years, and subject
them to 4 fine of 5000. and they advised
him to give up the money in his possession,
consisting of two drafts, one in his own name
for IS, 900 and one in his wife's name for ST..
500, and if he did 80, Hayford and Greenlaw
would pay his creditors. Eggleston further
says he came to San Francisco and here met
his wife and daughter, who were told by
Greenlaw the same thing. Frightened out Of
his wits, he gave up the checks. He says
that Greeulsw and Hsyford then took him to
Colfax, from which place the warrant had
been issued, told the Justice of the Peace
there that the matter had been compromised,
and the case was dismissed. Egglest n
then says Greenlsw gave him 500 and told
him to make for Oregon, and that unless he
did so 1t would be impossible to settle with
the creditors, and probably that if he re-
mained in California some Of the Chinese
creditors would get after him. Eggleston did
start for Oregon. got as far as Yreka, con-
cluded he had been swindled-in fact some
one to whom he related the story told him
so-and he returned to this city and brought
the charge now under examination. On his
cross. examination, Eggleston admitted that
he had left the State to get rid of his credit.
ors that he carried away with him some
S11, ,000-more than enough to pay sll his
debts, but calculated to settle some time for
less than the value Of the claim. The case
was not completed and goes on this morning
The defendants claim that Eggleston gave
up the checks to avoid an expose, and that
he made arrangements with them and George
w. Chesley, Of Sacramento, to compromise
with his creditors. The question of jurisdic-
ton arises in the case, and will be argued by
the lawyers engaged. the offense, if any,
having been commenced and completed in
two different counties.