Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-03-16
Ill, RIl(D[] F.! |!
DOTH CLINEDINST STAND BODELL
SET AT LIBERTY.

DO IL CLI ~ EDIN . Il ~ IL BOOELL
SET AT LIBERTY.
TRIAL OF C. e. CL1NEDINsT FOR FORG-
ERY-THE JURY STANDS ELEVEN FOR
ACQUIITAL TO ONE FOR CONVICTION
THE COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY
ENTERS A NOLLE PROsEQUI IN THE
CASE OF CLINEDINST, AND ANOTHER
IN TIE CASE OF HIS PARTNER, GEO
NJ. BODELL-BOTH MEN SET AT LIB.
ERTY.
&C., &C.. &C.
On Monday morning last in Judge Graf
tan's court, the third case growing out Of
the widespread issue of bogus paper by the
firm of Clinedinst & Bodell year ago
aggregaJiLg it is estimated about -$25, 600
in amount-was called. This time it was
the trial of g. E. Clinedinst, one Of the
partners in the firm, who escaped to Can
ada and was eXtradited by the Canadian
ton. He stood accused of passing to Alex.
F. Robertson. an attorney at law, holding
an execution against the finn, and in part
payment of this execution, a note for sos
ninety days to rur, signed by John I.
Runkle and endorsed by Jas. K. NcComb.
he knowing at the time that it was a
forged paper and that DO such person as
John T. Runkle existed. Tie case was
continued over Monday to await the arri-
val of Judge Calvert of Shenandoah, who
was to take part in the defense, but be was
sick and could not come. Ga Tuesday the
case was taken up, the Commonwealth
being represented by A. c. Braxton, and
the accused by Geo. M. Cochran. Hudson
& Patrick and MIR. Geo. S. Lightner.
The following jury was inpaneled-J.
A. Hutcheson, J. M. Southards. E. w.
Stewart. B. B. Eskridge, Caspar Zirkle,
R. H. Glllock, D A. Trice, John R. John
son. Selig Cohen, D. q. Barkman, Ed.
H osey and G. Bargamin.
THE EVIDENCE FOR THE PROSE-
CUTION.
Alex. F. Robertson sWorD.-Am an at
torney at law. In June, 1856, l received
claim of Murphy & Co., Of New York
against Clinedinst Il Bodell for collection.
Suit was brought against the firm, judg-
ment obtained, and a forthcoming bond
was given On which was the name of J. X.
McComb. Clinedinst came to my office
several times to see about it. AS the
time was shortening in which he could
pay the judgment he came and said be
had a part Of the money. and this note, for
the utterance of which be is now on trial
7 recommended to him several persons
who l thought might discount the note
for him. did nothing of the sort myself
but named to him persons who l thought
would do it. AS each person was named
he gave some reason for not going to him.
l recommended him to go to Mr.. T. A
BledsGe. Cashier of the National Valley
Bank, and see if that bank wouldn't dis
count it. He said Mr.. Bledsoe wouldn't
do it. then went to Mr.. Bledsoe myself
but he declined discounting it, On Sat-
urday evening he again came to my office
and took this note in part pay ment of
the judgment, and the rest in money. It
was question whether l would 60 on and
sell the firm out or take this note, and [
sympathiZed with him in his trouble and
took the note. He told me that he had sold
buggy to Runkle and accepted this note
in payment; that he had made inquiries
about the maker of the note and he was i.
Il. Runkle of Rockbridge, and he was
good for the money. One Of the last
things he said was: There will be no
trouble about the note it will be all right
He said he had made inquiries about
Runkle and was so well satisfied about
him that he had let him have The buggy.
The amount of the debt was $217, II, and
Clinedinst gave lie S115 in money and a
check, and this note for $105. The interest
on the amount for 80 days made the sum
up. paid my New York clients out of my
private funds the full amount. { have
never gotten my money back for the note
or any part of it. Clinedinst spoke to me
of Runkle's reliability as of his own
knowledge and not as of hearsay. | would
not have taken the note on any account if
[ had suspected it was bogus. Clinedinst
ran away in March. After he ran off there
was much talk about the bogus paper.
asked Mr.. Bledsoe of the National Valley
Bank, where | had placed the Tote for col
lection, to write to Runkie and find out
about this note. After Clinedinst Il Be-
dell ran off [ met ]. K. McComb on the
street and asked him about the uote. He
said he had made a list Of those notes that
his genuine signature was Oh, and had
them in book. THIS note was in the
Greek, RockbriGge. | wrote two letters
to Runkle at Moffatt's Creek, but they
were returned. [ did not succeed in fin =
ing out the man or anything about him
l afterwards asked Judge Mclaughlin of
Rockbridge, if he knew such a man.
defense here objected to witness say
ing What Judge Mclaughlin said.
The court ruled that witness could no
report what Judge Mclaughlin said. but
could say whether his enquiry had gotten
any Information about Runkie.
The counsel for the defense excepted I
Witness went on to say that he got NJ
information from Judge Mclaughlin
Afterwards applied to MI. Moore, fol
many years Commonwealth Attorney
for Rcckbrldge, and to Judge Houston
Judge of the RCckbridge county court
but could get no information. l ther
searched the records of the clerk 8 office
of that county, the Real and Personal
Property books, with the assistance OF a
Deputy Sheriff, but could get no informa-
tion about John u. Runkle. defense
excepted to all this evidence | have
made many other Inquiries of people in
Rockbridge, but up to this time have