The daily gazette., 1883-11-17
GENERAL LOCAL NEWS.
A HEARING REFoRE coMMls.
stoNER SMITH.
IN THE MUNICIPAL COURT
Clayton Earle Futile Attempt TO Make
= Case Against Ass Late Partner. Charles
RlokArdE.

Before United States commisAsonef Smith
yesterday afternoOn Charles Richards, =
white man, was given o preliminary hearing
charged with opening letters addreased to
Clayton Earl, and old colored man. United
Stairs District Attorney John C. Patterson
conducted the hearing by special request,
and II was shown that RIehar o and Farl
had effected partnership for burning char
coal near Greenwood, this State, on Sanu-
ary Q, 1883, Earl furnishing the manual
labor and Richards conducting the business
management.
Earl claimed that his partner appropriated
letter addressed 20 him personally
from the Betts Machine Company, Of
this city, dated January Q, 1888, and
after reading II sent him (E4rD the empty
envelope by messenger, Thomas Green.
Ten days afterwards the Belts Machine
Company sent Earl q postal, asking him
why he had not answered the letter, when
Earl concluded that the letter had been
takeL by Richards.
Both card aud envelope were produced as
the ones designated In the charge and Thos.
6reen testified that he carried an empty en-
velope from the defendant to the complain
ant, but said that Richards had instructed
lin to tell Earl that letter had been re-
ceived from the HaIlsn a HolliDgsworth Co.
asking the price Of some charcoal, and
that Earl should furnish the reply, but the
witness was unable 10 remember the firms
name when Rlckards gave him the envelopt
with the name Of the firm on the upper lett
hand corner. The envelope was OF bu Il,
while the one shown by Earl was white
Part OF the above testimony was corrohora
ted by Samuel Johhs0H, and William
Ri kardson, postmaster at Greenwood,
testified that all letters addressed to the
firm Of Richards & Earl, he gave to
Richards, but never any addressed personal
ly TO Earl.
Alter examining the postal carefully
Dis rict Attorney Patterson noticed a
discrepancy and to direct ques.
tion Earl testified that the pa tnrrsiip was
formed In the early part OF 1888 AMI tn 1t
he had hat no acquaintance with Richards
before. Mr.. Patterson then showed that the
postal card in question wa, dated January
10, 1889, almost year before the partner
ship was formed. William Bette, OF he
Belts MachiBe Company also produced
certified copy from tue firms letter book of
the letter mentioned Oh the postal card
which he admitted having written aud
which was alleged to have been taken by
Richards, which was dated January 8, 1882
Mr.. Patterson then reviewed the case
showing the complainant to be a perIurrr
and unworthy OF the slightest credence as
10 truthfulness. At 4.30 o'clock the case
was adjourned until this mOruing when 1t
was dismissed without taking further testi.
mouy.
Earl is q we'll known character In this
ueighborhood and in Christiana Village,
where he lives. He has appeared as the de
fendant In cases OF litigation before aud q
few years ago was almost constantly In the
United States Court trying to push trumpted
up cases against farmers In his vicinity who
he accused of steaiing articles OF various
kinds from him.
During Lewis r. ARMSTRONG; term as
Sheriff, Earl was whipped with 90 lashes !,
having been found guilty of the larceny OF
some corn from a neiRhbor. He
Is q hard case and has time and
again been proved perjurer Of the worst
kind. As he was leaving the court yebter-
day he was stopped by George Wiley,
constable from Greenwood, who attempted
TO arrest him on q charge OF threatening to
shoot Richards and using other threatening
language. Notwithstanding the tact that
the constable was aided by Richards, john
son, Green aud others he was unable to
move Earl, who is large and powerful
man, although well advanced In years.
-Four policemen At last made their appear
ance aud at last succeeded, with hard work,
In landing the stubborn prisoner In the City
Hall, where he was accommodated with
lodging and this morning was taken to
Greenwood by two constables where he will
be given hearing.