New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-26
BEDELL RID OF CONTEMPT.
us PLEA OF GUILTY OPENS HIS MOUTH.

A WILLING WITNESS NOW IN THE CIVIL SUIT
-BEroRE MAKING ANY STATEMENT HE WAS
OBLIGED 10 PURGE HIMSELF
nh. .h,.c,,ons % lanes F. Bedell. the forger Of
c,ech. and mortgages lately employed by shpman.
cor,ow Iarocouc and Choate, TO testifying in the
silt OF that firm against the Bank OF inc stare OF
Ncw-York were overcome yesterday, anu nc was
taken before Justice Barrett In the supreme court
Chambers and gave HIS testimony He looked pale ana
seened abashed william Allen Butler, who repre-
tented the bank asked for an adjournment on account
NJ the absence OF counsel representing the other banks
interested hut Mr. Roo thought that the exam
ination could 90 without having the o'her lawyers
present as an army of observation and Justice Barrett
agreed with him. Bedel then took the stand ana inc
examination began:
Mr. Root-sInce October II. when you refused to an
aver the which to you by counse
for the plaintiffs this action and which you were deea
By the have you reconsioereo your
and are you ready to answer such interrosstoes
The wness-Before answering that question inssnuch
as stand in contempt court in refusing TO answer as
some very serious been made upon outside
parties respectfully the to permit me to make
Q statement
Justice Barret.-we don't want any statement but an
the question. Purge yourself OF contempt W
answering the question.
Bedell nodded his head and the examination pro
ceeded. He answered preliminary questions In regaiu
to hts name, residence and occupation. The Justice
was occupied with other business, and small table
was placed in a corner of the courtroom where the
examination proceeded. The questions asked related
70 twenty eight checks made out by Charles NJ Dodge
the former cashier of the law firm, at the request OF
Bcde. They payable at the Bank OF the otate
Of NewYork the order Of various parues ana each
bore the signature Of some member of the firm He
confessed that he had Endorsed his own name on the
cbecks and the names Of those to whose order they
were drawn. He received money or checks for each
check to the best of his recollection In some cases
he received them from James Henry, the lawyer and
q number of the checks were deposited In the Phoenix
National Bank TO his credit. He identified a cheek
drawn 10 the order of Thomas Muir. on May D, 1884
for So 191 25. 1t had the names of Beden and Muir
on the back and signed by W. d. shpman,
member Of the firm. In regard to this ana the other
checks tho same questions were asked In response
to them as the first check he said that the sigma
lures on the back in his own handwriting that
he had received 1t from Charles NJ Dodge and that he
had not received authority from Thomas Muir TO In
dorsc his name on the back of the check. lie could
not remember what he had done with the check He
thought he obtained the money 1t from the Bank OF
the state of New-York AS well as he could iemem-
ber he deposited of the checks 10 his credit In
some bank He had authority TO do so, or 10 col
iect the money. The other checks referred 10 were
dated as follows:
scptember 80 1884 to order Of Thomas Muir s1475 75
November 80 1884 order Of II. ii. House, $500 April
90 1885, OF Thomas Gearty. So sS 80 June 20.
1885. order OF Henry d. Sayre Sl2202 O3; August H.
1885, order of A. L. Meyers. s751 Ga August To- 1881
order Of Peter wener, s1.675 so; August 1s 1853
order Of Ca,harne A. Casanova s11,1S7 a.; October
1885, order of b. NJ. Davenport s67s2 % December %
1881 order Of John s. Morris sc 231. 50; February g.
1886 Ramsey $3.50 same date and order
e1OO May 90 order OF Adolph d. Laszk 81 S23 3D.
June l. 1885, order Abraham Saunders s1679 So same
date and order $500 October H. 1856. order OF John
Rankin $4,000: February l. 1887, order OF Brighton
Gulleaumc sl3 1913 60 May o. 1887, order Of Michael
Gvlin S. 0o0 76 June l. 1887 order OF Michael Oivn
81 600; June H. 1887. order Of Katu Raubitschek'
50 s74 95 June II, 1887 order Of the same s2909 90
August s. 1887 order OF Theodore X Ball. s15'7oo 5s
september O. 1887 Of William Laughran 1882 80
November T. 1897 order Thomas Roberts 1867 80;
December s. 1887, order Of James Iagan. s46oo AZ;
same date and name. $1,000
At this point Bedell, who looked weary, SAID
81 Excuse me- but this strain is too much for me.
was under a terrible strain yesterday Ii this
co,,tinues l will certainly break down. Mr.: ROOT
said he would let him go, after calling his ATTENTION
TO check made May %, 1883, for S9,sea; 10 me
order of Elizabeth S. Hadden, concerning when Be
dell gave testimony similar to that relating 10 the
others Then the examination was adjourned untli
m. to-day.