The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-23
McBVOY TURNED LOSE.
His Pretty Sisters Testimony-The
JurY'e Verdict.

Jury . V % ill.,
Thomas J. McEvoy was acquitted last
night by a jury in the United States court
after two days trial The defendant
who was a city letter carrier, was indicted
at the present term on the charge Of en-
iezzling three registered letters; Oct. l,
registered letter No. 81, containing SlO
bill, sent from Mascotte, Fla, to Mrs.
Maggie Williams" lcolored of this city
Oct 10, a registered letter No. 8, contai ing
s and fifteen 2-cent stamps, sent by j. &.
Ingram, Egypt, Ga, to Matte M Silas
(cOlored), in this city; Oct. s. a registered
letter No. 1894, containing s., sent from
New York by her husband to jamie A.
Harris (colored).
There were about twenty witnesses on
the stand and the case turned on be cues
ton whether the signature of Maggie Will
Jams in McEvoy's receipt book was or was
not in the handwriting of McEvoy. The
Williams woman testified that she had not
| received the letter nor signed for it. Nc
EvoY made the statement that he had In
quired for her residence. which was pointed
out to him, and finding a coored woman
on the stoop he had inquired it she were
Maggie Williams, received an affirmative
answer, after which he delivered the letter
to the woman and she had turned TO a
mulatto man standing by and asked him to
sign for her, which the man did. The de-
defendant accounted for the delivery Of the
other lost letters in dispute in much the
same way.
The prosecution held that the alleged
signature of Maggie Williams was Identical
with the writing of McEvoy who had
entered her name in the book, and G. w.
Howard, registry clerk at the postotice.
swore that he was familiar with the hand
writing of McEvoy and that the receipt
was in the defendants handwriting. VIM.
Coolidge, superintendent Of carriers at the
postoffice, swore just as positively that it
was not McEvOy's handwriting.
The witness which no doubt turned the
scale was the sister of the defendant. She
turned a winsome face, and pleading eyes
first on the court and then on the jury,
making an impression which could not be
counteracted as she told from the witness
stand that no one knew the handwriting Of
her brother better than herself, and the
receipt for the Maggie Williams letter was
not in his handwriting. Witnesses were
also introduced showing the previous good
character of the prisoner.
The court charged the jury that it must
be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt be-
fore il could convict the defendant. That
he left to the Jury. If the jury found that
the signature of Maggie Williams was a
forgery by the defendant, then it would be
justifiable in concluding that the defend
ants statement was also false with refer
ence to the delivery of .the other registered
letters alleged to have been enbezzled in
the bill Of Indictment.
The jury took the papers, and after hav-
ing been out about three-quarJers Of an
hour came back and through its foreman
wanted the court to instruct it if it had to
be absolutely certain that tae signature of
Maggie Williams is in the ha dwriting of
defenda t. The court charged that abso-
Lutte certainty is not required, nor Is it at
tainable, but that greater certainty is re-
quired in criminal than in civil cases. A
verdict of acquittal. The jury then re-
tired, and in a short time came in with a
We dict Of acquittal, and the court directed
the discharge of the prisoner.