Daily Republican., 1883-11-17
FIFTH EDITION,
A SERlOUH CHARGE.
A COIOred Man Charges Hls White
Partner with Opening Private

Yesterday morning II Young man
named Charlie, Richards was given a
preliminary hearing before U. s. Cir.
emit Court Commissioner j. Redmond
Smith, charged with opening letters ad.
dressed to Clayton Earl, an aged colored
man. BY special request U. s. Dis.
trict Attorney John g. Patterson was
present and conducted the hearing,
when 1t was shown that Richards and
Earl entered into a partnership for the
burning of charcoal near Green wood, in
January, 1883, Earl furnishing the
manual labor and Richards conducting
the bdsiness management.
Earl claimed that his partner appro.
priatsd letter addressed to him (Earl)
personally from the Belts Machine
Company Of this city, dated January
9, 1883, and after reading the same sent
him the empty envelope by u
messenger, Thomas Green. Tan days
after ward, the Belts Machine Comp any
sent Earl q postal card, asking him
why he had not answered the letter,
when Earl at once concluded that the
letter had been taken by Richards.
The postal card and soiled envelope were
| HlVuCCu no tiho
Thomas Green testified that he carried
IN empty envelope from the defendant
to the complainant, with Instructions to
tell Earl that letter had been received
In reference to the price Of some char.
coal, and that Earl should furnish a
reply. The witness being unable to re-
member the firm's 4 name, he was handed
a printed envelope with the name 10
one corner. The envelopes produced
differed in color.
The above was corroborated by Sam.
johnson and William Richar dson.
The Postmaster at Green wool stated
that all letters addressed Richards &
Earl he gave to the former, but never
any addressed to Earl personally. The
District Attorney watched the case
closely, and upon examining the postal
card noticed discrepancy, and began
to cross. question Earl, who stated that
he had not known Richards previous to
the early part of January, when the
partnership WAS formed. Mr.. Patter.
son then showed that the postal In ques.
tion was dated January 10, 1882.
| William Belts, of the Belts Machine
Company, produced the firms letter
book, which contained certified copy
Of the letter mentioned on the postal,
and which was alleged to have been
taken by Richards. The letter was
dated January 9th, 1882. Mr.. Patter
son then made a scathing review Of the
evidence, during which he showed the
complainant TO be perjuret and un-
worthy of belief, after which the case
was adjourned until this morning.
As Earl was leaving the Custom
House, he was met at the door by con
stable from reenwood, who attempted
to arrest him on charge of threatening
to shoot Richards and using abusive
language. The constable was soon aid
ed by Richards and others, when the
prisoner resisted and lively scrim.
mage occurred. The police were sum
moned and Earl was locked up in the
hall. The case will no doubt be com
plcated one under the present circnn
stances, but AZ Earl is a noted charac
ter, and in the hah!t Of making false
accusations again-t parties who have
dealings with hin, there will bs LITTLE
difficulty in Mr.. Richards vindicatine
himself. Earl has engaged Edward 6,
Bradford, Jr,, as his counsel.
The case was again called this morn
ing, when it was dismissed without ar
gument, W whereupon Earl who was locked
up last night in the police stati on, wa,
taken in custody by two constables, and
conveyed to Greenwood, where he will
be tried for using threatening Language
towards Richards.