The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-07
THH CNOOKs

hAVtTly lAhL Saturday, tue ll1epeIlush
thought 1t best to defer the publication o
the proceedings until a full report coult
be obtained from theinside, The following
Is claimed to be correct, The exRmina,
ton was held before Justice W, j. Hav
eFly, and the charge sgIinst DIR, Crook
was given as "obtaining property anC
money under false pretenses":
Court opened at 10 o'clock A, N. Mr., j
Doulton being first sworn in as otiiCia
stenogTspher. The room was filling ~
rapidly when the Judge read q written 70
quest Of the defendants attorney that the
examination be held in private, which
right Is given q defendant under Section
S6S OF the Penal Code.
The prosecuting witness, Mr.. Fl. L, vii
liams was the first witness placed upon
the stand by the District Attorney. Ills
testimony was substantially the same a.
stated in the complaint sworn TO by him
and which was published in due tune and
was briefly as follows: That DR.. L. w.
Crooks came to him about October / and
represented that his uncle, W. A, Cooper,
OF Parkersburg, w. Va, who was a
very wealthy man,:Worth over $1,000, 900,
had authorized him to look up about 1000
acres OF land near Santa Barbara, as he
wished to purchase 1t and lay out a town
In 1t and he wished to know what witness
would take for his ranch. To which he
replied, he would take $4,000, and all the
doctor received above that should be his.
The doctor agreed TO this and left,
stating he would telegraph TO his uncle.
Upon his producing a telegram from his
uncle, reading: 1--WE rely entirely upon
your judgment. Buy il satisfactory at
sixly.hve," had some conversation with
him. The doctor agreed to purchase the
property for his uncle, he to receive the
$4,000, being the amount above the wit.
ness price for his ranch. Witness then
requested the payment Of some money,
and Judge Hall was requested to draw up
o receipt for same, who objected to the
doctor making 30 large a purchase upon a
single telegram. The doctor then wrote q
telegram to W. A. Cooper, at Parkersburg,
stating: VI have closed the purchase. In
whose name shall the deed be made !" and
reported next day to Mr.. w. that he had
sent the same. On October D he exhib.
tied to Mr.. W. an answer, reading as fol.
lows: Every well. Let party deed to you
as my agent"
MI. Williams stated that he had great
confidence in the doctor that he had been
his family physician for about FIVE years,
and relying upon the truth OF the genu-
ineness Of tho telegrams and representa-.
tons, on October 18th gave him a deed for
his property, taking notes aud q mortgage
to secure the same.
The doctor had verbally agreed with
Mr.. W. to have two OF the notes cashed by
another uncle in San Francisco. But he
refused to do II and thesdoCtor finally pro.
duCed three drafts OF w. A. Cooper upon
the Camden Consolidated Oil Company,
and by 1t accepted, to substitute for the
mortgage notes in payment Of the land.
And again relying upon the representa-.
tons OF their %genuineness, he had two Of
these drafts discounted by the First Ma.
tional Bank Of Santa Barbara, depositing
the mortgage notes as collateral security,
and paid Dir. Crooks $4,000, in a draft
upon the Bank OF California In San Fran.
cisco, and produced the paid check he
had drawn to purchase the draft. He
also produced the third forged draft, call.
ing for $34,245 80.
/. s. Hall examined.-stated that be
was an Attorney t-law, residing at Ven.
tura; that be had sent both OF the tele.
grams mentioned by Mr.. Williams to DR.,
Crooks, at the latter's request as evidenced
by his letters, the first Of which Is as fol.
lows;
"SANTA BARBARA, COL, Oct. 8, 1885.
Private: Do not mention this to any.
DEAR ELwIN:-I am in the midst OF a
trade which l do not care to make very
particularly, for Uncle Lou. Cooper. You
may remember him at Bellyllle when you
were there. He Is now on his way from
Florida TO Petersburg and l can't get
word from him by telegraph, and asI know
what his views are by letter, / send you
a make believe telegram from him to me,
which | wish you would send me Monday
morning early. There 10 no harm In Il
and 1t will satisfy tho party who wants TO
sell, but who wants more than Lou Is will.
ling to give. Your man Antonio Is still
here all o. X. IhaVe ordered the book,
hope you are all we'll.
With kind regards, truly yours,
Z. w. Crooks.
Send telegram 9. o. D.
[Notei Words underscored are 50 done in the
original
This letter inclosed q slip Of paper upon
(which was written the make believe tele-
gram" and was as follows:
"E. W. Crooks, Santa Barbara, Cal. We
rely entirely on your Judgment. Buy
II satisfactory at 05. w, A. CooPER.
II will be seen this is the wording oil
the irst telegram exhibited TO Mr.,
williams. The second letter Is In words
az follow.
SANTA BARBARA, CAL, Oct. 9Th, 1885.
Ettin S. Hall, Esq.
DEAR ELwfS !-Your announcement
came all right and had the desired effect,
now II you will send me one more'we will
DO done with the matter, and when We
finish this matter Of business, l will be
able I oCompensate you.
AZ a prominent actor says: "There ID
millions In H."
Hope you and RObsy are we'll, also
Edwin.
win you please pay for the sending
Truly Yours,
E. w. CRooKS.
The clip Of paper enclosed in this lsttei
had written on Il.
"E. W. Crooks, Santa Barbara, Calf
Very well. Let party deed 10 you % my
agent - COorEA,p
This corresponds with the second tels'
gram shown MI. Williams.
Mr.. Hall stated the "book" named ID
the first letter was one ordered through
Dr. Crooks and had since been delivered
but declined 10 state any explanations The
Doctor had since made relative 10 the mat
Ter, Upon the grounds that he had beer
retained by the Doctor az an Attorney buI
as yet had received no. retaining lee
Upon The completion Of Mt. HALF testl
mony The Court adjourned until 1880 r. n
,Upon Resembling, Mrs. II. L. vii
liams, wife Of the prosecutor, was ex
amlmd and stated that while the nsgolia
lions were pending, eatly In October, shl
had been requested BY her husband I,
call on Dr., Crooks and Gee II he had heart
from bis uncle. She met him near Mi