Daily Republican., 1889-05-30
THOSE TAX RECtIPTS
THEY BAFFLE COLLECTOR
NEARY TERRIBLY.
But He at Last Pronounces His
Name a Forgery :. Tillman, Jones
and Miios Held for Court.

The announcement of the hearing O
the colored men, Tillmap, Jones ant
Miles, charged with attempting to regis
ter on forged tax receipts, filed 1h,
Municipal Court room last night.
Henry Q. Conrad appeared as counse
ior the prisoners and City Solicitor Tur
ner acted for the State. Tillman was tn,
first called, and William w. Knox, az
election inspector Of the Second district
Filth ward, took the witness stand He
testified that the man in the dock wai
the man who attempted 10 register in
the district In which he was an Inspector
William +. McCloskey, chairman Of
the board OF inspectors oil that district
testified that Tillman was one of til,
men men VINO attempted to register on May
18th In ths Second district, Fifth ward
but he was refused registration because
he had bogus tax receipt. Mr.. Nc
Closkey exhibited the receipt and said
he knew it was bogus because 1t wa,
dated November o. 1883, while be had
taken receipt dated November 2, 1888
from him at the eleation on Noyem ber
8, 1888.
Ex-Tax Collector Patrick Neary took
the stand and testified that the signature
on the rece,pts purporting to be his was
not ms signature. He knew 1t was moi
oy the general appearance. The paper
used In November last is different from
this paper. The style of paper used In
this receipt is the sty!e of paper used IN
my office in 1886 The seal on the re.
ceipt used by Tillman is different from
the genuine one. The one used on this
fraudulent receipt has star on il, while
the genuine one has rosette,
In answer to question by MIR. Conrad.
Mr.. Neary stated that he only had one
seal and that one he used since he went
into office until January, 1889, when IL
was changed. All the receipts that left
his office he said were stamped with thil
seal.
Mr.. Conrad exhibited a tax receipt
dated in 1888, on which the seal was di /.
ierent from others OF the same date, and
asked; III you have but one seal how
do you account for this differencelU
because" replied Mr.. Neary. POINTING
to the word duplicate written across the
end Of the receipt, "this is a duplicate is
sued since the new collectors went in and
was stamped with the new seal.''
"How else can you tell they are for.
geries?" asked Mr.. Conrad.
"By the date line. Sometimes in n
rush | allowed persons to help me fill
out the date lines of the white receipts.
but the pink ones issued by me always
bad the date lines filled out by myself.
and any Others are forgeries. +"
Mr.. Conrad folded tax receipt In two
folds so that only the signature was yisi
BILE, and holding 1t in his hand asked: ais
that your signature?"
Mr.. Neary asked permission to get
nearer the light, and at the request OF
Judge Ball went up on the bench by tn,
judges side. Mr.. Conrad held the re-
ce!pt in his hand and again asked: 4,
this your signaturef"
Mr.. Neary took 1t and examining II
closely said: eyes"
SIS i'P' asked Mr.. Conrad.
II think 1t is." said Mr.. Neary, but
quickly opened the receipt. For mo.
ment Neary seemed ratified, and his face
slightly flushed at the thought of being
mistaken. He quickly recovered, how.
ever, and smillngly said: THAT is a
clever forgery. l thought 1t was my own
at first The signature, however, is
different in the way the first letters
are formed. TIE date line is also filled
out In different handwriting from my
own"
The testimony of Mr.. Neary was the
cause of a good many broad smiles from
Republicans who were present. while
Democrats looked very much "rattled. +"
MIR. Nesry, continuing with his testi-
mony, said he knew Thomas Tillman for
twenty-five or thirty years. He was not
on the assessment last year or in 1855,
nor since until this year. He paid this
years tax on Tuesday, :
Being shown the tax receipt uoon which
Tillman attempted to vote last November.
Mr.. Neary said 1t was not genuine; he
never had such o receipt In his office,
The word school is left oil, and only the
words county and poor tax" appear in
that line.
DIR. Charles NJ. Almond, another in
spector In the same district, was called
but no questions asked him.
Mr.. Conrad stated that he had no testi-
mony to offer. Tillmau was held in 5000
bail for court, Mrs. Mary Ann jenkins
going on his bail bond.
Robert Jones was then put In the dock.
charged with the same oifense.
inspectors Knox and McCloskey gave
similar testimony as In the case OF Till.
man. but the latter was not SO positive as
to the Identity Of Jones.
Mr.. Neary being called test fled when
zones receipt wae shown to him that II
was poorer forgery than TilltIan's
Jones was held in $500 bail for his an.
pearance at Court, Edmund Mitchell
Jr., becoming his surety.
James Miles gas then put through the
same course aud Vas held in $500 bali
for Court, Helry c, Mahafy becoming
his surety.
The binding ever of the parties charged
IN the forgery cast was expected, in fact
ieelred at former preliminary bearing,
ana very little attempt was made by the
lefense, but 1t was tn ught best by the
Court TO hear testimony,
1t was well known, OF course, that the
parties would be bound over any how.
he Municipal Court not having the
power to do anything else under the cir
1t will not do to suppose
nat all the evidence oblainable was pro
luced last night, ir fact the defence nro.
luced none whatever, preferIing to re-
erve 1t for the court above where onite