The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-08-15


Too HANDY WIrH HIS PEN. w
S. BOWMAN COMMITTED FOR FoRGER,
-HE BoRRows sl75 FROM THE MEX
CHANTS NAT. BANK.-Two or tire,
years ago a man named j. w. 5
Bowman came to this county from
Preston and located near Hagcdorn'i
mill. He was a quiet and rather de
cent fellow in appearance; goot
talker and soon had a considerable,
circle of acquaintance. AT first h,
canyassed a portion Of the count,
for map Of which he sold a consid
cradle number. or late he has beer
farming we believe. His conduct AZ
rule was circumspect and nothing
was heard against him until few
days ago when Officers Odbert anC
Bailey brought him to town ant
lodged him in Jail on charge o
forgery. He waived an examina
ton and was committed to await tho
action of the Grand Jury at the DC
tober term Of the Circuit Court. II
seems that the culprit had beer
guilty of the same crime severa
times as set forth in the warrant
which reads thus:
MoNoNGALIA COUNTY, To-wrT:
TO the Sheriff or any Constabie}
Of the said county;
Whereas, w. Wagner, of the said
county, has this day made complaint
and information on oath before M
Hayes, a Justice of said county
that j. w. S. Bowman, on the 18th
day of December 1883, in said
county, did feloniously forge a GER
tain note for the payment of one
hundred and seventy-five dollars,
purporting to have been signed by j,
w. S. Bowman, Solomon Walls, j. f.
Ormond and w. w. Gribble, and
purporting to be dated December 10,
1883, and payable to the Merchants
National Bank of West Virginia, OF
Morgantown; also that on the Sth
day of June, 1884, in the county OF
Monongalia, the said j. w. S. Bow
man did feloniously forge a certain
note, commonly called a promissory
note, for the payment of one hun
dred and seventy-five dollars, pur-
porting to have been signed by j.
W. S. Bowman, j. +. Ormond, W.
w. Gribble and Ezra ID. Walls, and
purporting to be dated the 9th day
of June, 1884, and payable to the
Merchants National Bank of West
Virginia, of Morgantown; also that
on the 8th day of December, 1884,
in the county of Monongalia, the
said J. w. S. Bowman did felonious-
ly forge certain note, commonly
called promissory note, for the
payment of one hundred and seven
ty-five dollars, purporting to have
been signed by j. w. S. Bowman, j.
E. Ormond, w. w. Gribbie and
Ezra d. Walls, and purporting to be
dated on the 9Th day of December,
1884, payable to the Merchants
National Bank of West Virginia, at
Morgantown; also that on the I'd
day of June. 1885, in the county of
Monongalia, the said j. w. S. Bow
man did feloniously forge a certain
note, commonly called a promissory
note, for the payment of one hun
dred and seventy-five dollars, pur-
porting to have been signed by j.
W. S. Bowman, j. f. Ormond, w.
W. Gribble and Ezra d. Walls, and
purporting to be dated June 2, 1885,
payable to the Merchants National
Bank of West Virginia, at Morgan
town, with intent to defraud.
These are therefore in the name of
the State of West Virginia, to com
mand you forthwith to apprehend
and bring before me, or some other
Justice of the said county the body
of the said J. w. S. Bowman to an
swer the said complaints, and to be
further dealt with according to law.
Given under my hand and seal
this Sd day of August, 1885.
M. HAYES, Justice. SEAL.
In June last, when the note was
renewed Bowman failed to pay the
discount, and the matter stood for
several weeks, until one of the alleg-
ed securities was in town, when his
attention was called to the matter.
OF course he was surprised, and an
nounced that he had no knowledge of
any such note. Officers of the Bank
called upon all the gentlemen whose
names were upon it, and each made
affidavit that they had never signed
it. A warrant was Immediately is
sued and Bowman arrested. The sig
natures are pretty well executed, and
are all very nearly alike.
Bowman maintains that he is in
nocent, and that the securities are
genuine, each one having put his
own name to the note.