The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-22
HARRIsoN's TRIAL FOR FORGERY.
The Testimony Against the Colored Eugwump
Statesman Elected Last Evening.

A large and interested audience crowded the
Mayors Court last night, attracted by the pre-
liminary examination of Alfred Harrison, the
colnred mail-carrer, arrested on Saturday on
the charge of forging the name of Frank Bird to
a check for 800. The audience, as to color, was
about equally divided 1t was thought that a
number of prominent Democrats headed by
Postmaster Jones himself, would certainly be on
hard to give aid and comfort to Mr. Harrison,
but they came not, W. f. A. Bernhamer alone
having the manliness to appear and
stand as the only friend in time
of need on behalf of the great party
The trial was before Squire Smock. acting May
or. Harrson's counsel were William B. Walls
and John G. Green, the State being represented
by Prosecutors Harding and Hug The chief
witness was John Wheat, the colored man ar
rested at tho First National Bank in the act of
trying to realize upon the forged paper, and who
charged Harrison with having made and given
it to him.
Thomas t. Cobb, book keeper for Branham 6
Co., coal dealers in Baldwin's block, testified to
having given blank check to Wheat, whom he
recognized in the court, on last Saturday morn
having asked for it. He said the blank was on
the First National Bank
Wheat was then brought in and placed upon
the stand. Hs told a remarkably straishtfor-
ward story, minute and circumstantial. He was
the States witness, and the defense failed to
shake his testimony in any particular, the only
material point of difference between his state
mont and that of other witnesses was in the
matter of the time at which the check was given
him by Mr.. Cobb Wheat said he met Harrison,
IN not Safn rd mo- inn hnfu = MD e
o'clock, on Delaware street, as Harrison was
going to his work at the postofice After pass
ing the salutations of the morning Harrison
wanted to know if Wheat would do him II favor
and then asked him if he knew where he could
get him blank check Wheat said he thought
he could get one of Mr.. Cobb He got the cheek
of Mr. Cobb, he thought, about O'clock
folded it once, and then, by prearrangem
with Harrison, carried it to the postofice. He
handed II in through window near the elevator
to Harrison, who asked him to come back at II
o'clock. He went to the postofice again-be-
tween ii and IL o'clock, but Harrison was not
there. After visiting several places in search of
Harrison, he went to Reeds restaurant, on Della
aware street. opposite the City Hall Harrison
was in there, near the door, eating his dinner
he got up, stepped into the shoe shop next door,
and finally came out Harrison and Wheat
walked to the postofhce. Harrison went in the
back way, and Wheat took up
e DosGn h the. sas , TaHg outside the
to the window and asked him for chew of
tobacco. He only had small piece but gave
him half They talked awhile. Harrison had
the check in his left hand, but so that no one
could see it. AT the window he passed it into
his right hand, and said John, 60 and get this
cashed, and if asked who gave it to you, say Mr.
Bird, over at the When Clothing Store" The
witness detailed that he had an understanding to
meet Harrison at o'clock in the afternoon, and
give him the money drawn the check
Ell of,,ro 4ha hoof- 80 l.-
Wheat said that he made to show that he
couldn't write, was most remarkable scrawl.
Like Horace Greeley's hand writing it could be
made to read almost anything. he'd one way,
1t cams near being 'Gilhooly," in another sNeb-
uchadnezzar,n and in third It looked some
what like the legend ''Bier und Schweitzer'-in
fact, 1t could be made to read almost anything.
At one point in the proceedings this able
check mad seen passed from the prosecutor over
to the LAWYERS for the defense, and ia some way
had got out of their aS1ds and was going from
hand to hand among the audience, with fair
chance of getting out of the door or window.
The eagle eye of Captain Colbert saw tta danger
and captured the paper before il uiew away
Captain Colbert testified TO having, with Officer
Boylsn, arrested Harrison, who seemed much
surprised. Harrison told him he had met Wheat
twice that morning, once at o'clock and once at
III o'clock at the postoffice. The witness asked
Harrison if he had written a check and given II
to Wheat He denied having done so.
Milford III. Miner, mailcarrier; Patrolman
Boylan, and Mail-carrier Henry A. Crane testi-
fed. The examination will be resumed this
evening at O'Clock.
One of the interested spectators last night was
Lawyer Perrin. Mr.. Perrin is said to have re-
ceived letter in the Swannegan divorce case,
in which Alfred Harrison represented an OPP
posing interest. The writer of this letter offered
to remain absent from court and suffer default
to be taken il he were paid $40 in advance.
WA
missed without the lette coming to light,
though Mr.. Perrin had intended it should do so.
This letter will probably appear in this examina-
ton of Harrison, along with other manuscript,
in order to compare tho handwriting on the
risons. There will probably be considerable de-
mand for experts in chirography before the case
is terminated.