The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-02-26
GUILTY,
Captain FSTgaSOD, the Cambridge Attorney,
ConVlGtod Of FFand.
NDseioI DEsndIrb IN m, bisLlGns,,ner

Convicted Of Fraud.
Special DiSpdich 10 TIC httlliGaleF.
CAMBRIDGE, o., Feb. g5.-All Of Wed
nesday was occupied in completing tn
evidence for the defense, in rebuttal b,
the prosecution and in the argumentS O
counsel, The court room was crowded
all day and evening, the mother and Biste
0f the accused being present all day
Prosecutor Patterson concluded tho argu
ment for the State OF 10 o'clock this morn
ing aud the case was given to the jury a
l0:SO, the Judges charge, which wa
lengthy and exhaustive, occupying hal
an hour. The Indictment against Captain
Ferguson Coutsined six countg, the hrh
two charging bin with grand larceny, thu
second two with embsGzlement and thu
tWo remaining counts with obtaining
money under false pretenseP, all relating
to the same oileDSe.
In December, 1884, Mrs. A. B. Herring
Of this place, entrusted to Captain Fer
guson the collection Of a life-pollcy fol
$1,000 held by her late husband in the
Ohio Valley Protective Union OF Wheel
lug. Mrs. Herring testified that she gave
himno aIthoIityto settle for lees than the
full amount OF the policy, but after somt
months negotiations, in February, 1885
he settled with Mr., Handlan, secretary o.
the Ohio Valley, for 81. 800, claiming that
he had authority to settle for that amount
That was during Mrs. Herings ab2enct
from town. She returned on the 18Th o.
March, and sent for Ferguson to inquire
as TO the progress Of negotiations, He
came, and In response 10 her inquiry SAID
he thought he no could get $4,000, con
css!iug from her the fact OF tnlS settle
ment. de kept up the ConCealment Until
Mrs. Herring found out his duplicity
and accused him OF II. Thus con
fronted, he acknowledged his erroI
aud promised to make restitution
pleading drunkenngss az mitigating cir
cumstanCe. Mrs. Herring refused to TAXI
the money at his hands, and the ilsur
auSs company declined toreceiyeit. How
ever, demands were made oil him by boil
sides during the ten months following
and he failed 10 show up q cent Of 1t unit
indicted Tor the second time, at the pres
ent term. On tho 2lst OF January he pait
into the hands Of the attorneys OF the 0hit
Valley $1,000, dGduGting $500 Tor his at
terney fees. Some 5000 OF this was paiC
by MIN; presumably part Of the embeEzlet
81 500, and the remainder, over 81 COO
was loaned to him by his brother, Valns,
Ferguson, ali honest, Woodworking car
penter, who hoped thus 10 save his broth
or from the penitentiary. But this dit
not stay the prosecution.
| IL. NJ nd n
to the third count, that OF obtaining none!
from the insurance. company under falls
pretenceb, at O'Clock this afternoon. Fer
guson was present when the verdict wa
solemnly announced by the foreman o
the Jury, and the brp7en assurance tha
has characterized him since his indint
msnt and throughout the trial did not de
ssrt him. In response to the inquiry o
the court rs TO whether the defendant
counsel desired the polling OF the Jury, th
defendant Ooolly shook his head. A mo
ton fora new trial will be heard to'morrov
morning by Judge HanCe. The motlol
will undoubtedly be ovsrruled. Fergusol
could gain nothing by a new trial; Will
thereis considerable sympathy here 10
Ferguson's aged lather, for many years
prominent aud honored member OF thi
bar, there is little or none for him person
ally, His brother, who has sacrificed tn
hard. earnings Of all his earlier years 70
his brother'i sake, is the object Of mucl
Captain Ferguson Is handsome, sta
wart man Of forty, unmarried, ndrspute
to be Of unusual ability. He was bray
soldier for the Union, promoted fo
bravery, and has been meeting with fai
GuCcCBS as q lawyer. His downfall can b
attributed to q naturally perverse dlsposi
tion and TO iutemperanCe,