Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-03-16

|
I j. Ii. Waters, Chief of Police of Staun-
ton, sworn-I brought Clinedinst from
! Canada. In Jail in Canada, Clinedinst said
he knew of the fofgeries and they hadbeen
going on for two years before he knew OF
| them. He said that he knew all about the
IN. S. Strain forgery. don't know that
he said how long before that forgery it
! was that he knew forgery was going on.
By Mr.. Observation-Disclosures did not
locate the time Of his knowledge of the
forgeries. He was speaking through his
lawyer. who was present in the jail with
US. Nothing was said at that time about
tbe Rurkle note.
By Mr.. Braxton-That interview in the
jail with Mr.. Braxton was held at Cline
dlnst's solicitation. He sent to Mr.. Brax-
ton.
G.. by Juror Bargamin-Was this before
or after the preliminary examination OF j..
X, McComb in Stanton.
Mr.. Braxton-(Capt. Waters having
the court room.) 1t was six months after.
The Defence.
THE ACCUSED PUT ON THE STAND.
Here the evidence for the prosecution
closed and the counsel for the defence
cused on the stand.
Chan les E. CHnediast, sworn.-I am the
accused in this trial. l did business in
manufacturing and selling carriages and
buggles, and selling ready-made work,
about eight years We worked from six
to eight hands and did large business.
Most of our sales were on time, for notes
running in size from $65 to $175, which
we held good many of. We sold goods
in Augusta, Rockbridge, Nelson, Am.
heIst, Rockingham and other counties and
had a carriage depository at Lexington.
one in Nelson and one in Amherst. l was
born in New Market. Shenandoah, and
lived there till came to Stanton. l will
be thirty two years of age day after to-
morrow. I was almost raised in car
rage shop.
This note 1.-THE Runke note) carried to
Mr.. Robertson with 1925. He had an ex-
ecution of some two hundred and odd dol
lars against the firm. l had been in Mr..
Robertson's office several tunes telling
him l was trying to raise tie money to
pay the judgment he had gotten. NY part
ner, Bodell, went to Rockbridge mostly
on court days. The date of that note is
February It'll, the day of Rockbridge
county court. told Mr.. Robertson that
when Bodell got back [ would pay him.
When Bodell got back he brought this
note and [ went to Mr.. Robertson and
said here was note we had sold buggy
for and | would like him to take 1t ia part
payment On the judgment. He recon-
mended me to some gentlemen who would
discount it, saying lie didn't want it. [
told him we had had too much Of that
already, aud | couldn't stand the shave
and 1 wanted him to take it. He cousen-
ted to take it, Bodell brought the note
home from Rock bridge court. He said it
was good, l thought it was good. [ told
Robertson it was good, and l don't know
tn at it is not. good now. When [ told
Robertson that | knew Runkle, L thought
III WdS bilC COuu IL huuhlC WIZ tCbUluCu
here this morning.. l didn't say to Rob-
ertson that had sold buggy for this
note. | said ne as | always said speaking
of the fitm's transactions. / had no inten-
tion Or purpose to take advantage of Mr.
Robertson in this TRANSACTION. / could
not have told him sold the buggy, be-
cause be saw me several times that week
in his office and he knew that 1 hadn't
been to Rock bridge.
1 knew nothing of the Strain note being
a forgery when it was put on Jerry Muir
ply. [ knew it was forgery before we
left Stanton. because my partner, Bodell,
told me it was. | sold Mr.. Wilkes several
pieces Of paper. That paper was brought
to me by Bodel from Rockbrldge. l didn't
know it was not good and don't know it
now. When | went up to Wilkes to sell
him other notes, lie didn't intimate that
there anything wrong about the paper. 1
seldom went to Rockbridge on business.
My partner did that-he married in that
county.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Braxton-I
DON'T remember telling you while l was in
Jail in Canada that knew nothing OF the
Runkle note. l remember distinctly that
l said ''we'' in talking to Mr.. Robertson
about having sold the buggy always
said 1--WE" in talking of the firms bust
ness. 1 got these notes from Bodell.
didn't go to Canada on account of the
10 ho
were some things came to my knowl edge
that | felt scared about, and thought for
the sake of my wife and children [ had
better go. 1 left my wife and children
here. They had what was IN the house.
My wife had some little money. 1 got the
Runkle note from George Bodell. cannot
see why Bodell should pass off a forged
note On me.
Q.-Didn't you, while in Jail in Canada,
make me tie proposition that you would
come to Virginia and plead guilty to the
Rankle note if would give you the assur-
ance that you would not BE- sent to the
penitenUlary more than two years?
There was a painful sllence after that
question, and the prisoner answered in a
low voice: 81 don'J know that [ did. "
Mr.. Cochran objected to the question
He said what prisoner confined in Jail
might say in discussing proposition by
! which hs might purchase his ueace,
could not be used against him.
Mr.. Eraxton said the proposition was
| the prisoners. The prisoner bad sent for
him to come to the Jail in Canada and
| made that offer himself.
The Court sustained Mr. Cochran's OBJ
| lection.
! Witness continuing under crosse xami-