Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-27

ttAtS NSIc FJt' ttO NtNi'NhN vi thnOO
ego coupons. The agent receives from
the taxpayer ssl, leaving him 90, or 10
per cent. With this ISL he purchases
three $50 coupons at, say, $40, pays
them for the taxes and retains, as the
share Of himself and his lawyer, ell,
being to each considerably more than
double the taxpayers share.
1t is hardly to be supposed that, with
such experience, these taxpayers will
again lend themselves to such an odious
scheme. Why should they? The
game. to them at least, is not worth
the candle.
NOT UNTRUE To THEIR WORD.
This leaves about one hundred and
fifty taxpayers, who are supposed to
have paid, under other influences, some
Sl2,500 face value of coupons into the
Treasury, gaining their suits under the
instructions Of the two Republican
judges who have recently presided in
the Hastings Court of this city. OF
these one hundred and fifty, we know
Of some Of the largest taxpayers who
had brought their suits before the pub
lie meeting above spoken of who took
the pledge" at that meeting, and who
will not break their word. We pre-
sumo there are others who will not
DO again what good sense, not less than
patriotism, tells them is wrong and
foolish.
OF course there will be few left
who will not listen to reason some be-
cause they are obstinate, but more be-
cause they are sordid; men Of that
class which perjuriously cheats the
State by false returns of personal pro-
perty whilst crying out against the dis
honesty Of the Riddleberger bill-:he
John Hookes Of this day hoarsely
bawling Beef, beef, beef "
THE FEW FALSE ONES.
This much l have thought proper to
say in order to protect the reputation of
the solid businessmen of Richmond
against the imputations to which the
acts of a few have lent some faint color
of justice.
But think the meanest of the men
who have profted by the conduct
of these two Judges can be foiled
by an enforcement Of the law I'M
der an unprejudiced and competent
judge, and by a proper understand
ing of the rights with which twelve
citizens become invested when they are
as a jury. These adyan-
tages, up to this time, the State has
not had for | do not hesitate to de-
clare that, in my opinion, not one of
these cases in Richmond has been tried
before an impartial judge or by juries
informed as to their rights, as | now
proceed to show:
HISTORY or THE COUPON CASES.
Before the trial Of Cluyerus several
Of these cases were tried in the Hus-
tings Court-Judge Atkins. Feeling
that was officially bound to protect
the interests Of the State, which | saw
were being sacraficed, had myself sum-
moned as witness and on the first day
of my testifying the jury was hung three
times, in as many trials, upon an exhibit
ton of bonds and coupons, which proved
the impossibility Of distinguishing =
genuine from counterfeit, or spurious.
detached coupon. Thereupon Judge
Atkins discharged the jury. Then an
other jury, under Judge Holiday sit
ting for Judge Atkins, found, in several
cases, for the plaintiff; the Common
wealth having no witnesses.
THE INDIsPUTABLE TESTIMONY oF
THE STATE.
On the ODD Of June Judge Atkins re-
sumed his seat and the same jury APP
pearing as under Judge Holiday. Mr..
Wyndham Meredith, the States coun-
sci, moved for new jury upon the
ground that the one then serving
had, in previously deciding the cases
under Judge Holiday, committed it.
self to similar decision in all
the cases; since all, almost depended
upon the same testimony. In refusing
to grant this motion the Judge took pc
casion to say openly and contemptu-
ously, from the bench, that he had dis
charged the hung jury" because one Of
them was a crank in fact, there
were two dissentients-and that "aS
the findings of the jury then serving
had been right, he saw no reason for a
change" Upon this, additional and
stronger evidence was produced by Mr..
Meredith. Mr.. Quarles (of Warren 4
Quarles), leading broker, and who, as
cashier Of the Planters Bank. had
handled coupons for thirteen years :;
Mr.. J. c. Williams, broker
Of equal reputation and expert
ence; Mr.. j. s. Rady, who had
been clerk in the Treesurer's Office
for twenty years, and had himself
lSShCu lCol ~ all Vi luCSc COuSOl JULIUS =
Major r. W. n. holland, for several
years the funding clerk Of the State
Treasury, and there frequently hand
ling thousands of these coupons in a
week ; Mr.. W. L. Simons, an expert in
engraving, and myself, who had closely
examined the subject-all testified that
it was impossible, in the case Of these
detached coupons, to tell whether they
were genuine or spurious, because Of
their having no Critten signature upon
them, but only a facsimile, which itself
was only an imitation, or counterfeit, Of
agenuine Signature-whereaS the bonds,
to which they protested to belong, did
have two genuine written signatures,
cOunterfeits of which could be almost
certainly detected. And Mr.. Simons
testified that for $3.50 he could produce
a thousand duplicates of the coupons,
face value at s30--that is. other coun-
terieits or limitations of the signature.
which could not be told from the eX-
isting coupons, or first limitations or