Los Angeles herald., 1890-09-14
CHADWICK TESTIFIES
But Hon" DamrOn Goes to
DOwney.
Yesterdays Proceedings in the
Celebrated Forgery Case.
The Defendant Tells About the Forged
Notes.
Damron Returns Too Late to Testify
Chadwick's Inter sting Testimony
How the Note Was Negotiated.

j. S. Chadwick's trial on charge of
forgery was resumed yesterday
morning in department one. JIM.
Damron was the first witness called. To
bear out his character for unreliability
he was of course missing when called.
An attachment was ordered issued for
him by Judge Cheney. 1t was said that
Damron was at Downey, which was quite
likely. He turned up late in the alter
noon when it was too late to hear what
light he is willing to throw upon the
case, but tomorrow ne will, Damron
willing, explain few things that are as
yet very dark, respecting the way
Wrights signature found itself trans
posed upon a note the man never saw or
heard of until long after it had been
negotiated. Mr.. Norton, who had desk
in Damron's office, exculpated Chadwick
from the transactions having reference
to the cashing of the $75 check drawn
in favor of Lockwood d, and settling one of
Damron's numerous debts with the bal
ance of the $110 obtained on the note.
Cashier Bosbyshell of the bank, was
D
having done quite business with his
bank in times past. The witness threw
the defense into great confusion when
he was called upon to testify regarding
Chadwick IS reputation for honesty and
square dealing. He said he had heard
it questioned, and he personally did not
consider it very good
F. G. Howes, of the Los Angeles Ma
tional bank, testified as to how Chad
wick had a 5000 note in his bank. The
money had been loaned him on paper
signed by Walter Lindley. Hervey Lind
ley and another man. Mr.. Howes, when
he heard of Chadwick's trouble, sug-
gested to him that he might take UP the
note. This was Immediately done.
Several witnesses testified as to Chad
wick's good character, though Elias
Bennan, jeweler, had heard several
stories about his being mixed up in wo
men scrapes. The court ruled that it
cut no figure in the case, whether Chad
wick's fondness for the gentle sex had
caused him trouble at any time, and that
part OF the testimony was eXpunged
from the record
During the afternoon several other
persons testified as to the good charac
ter of the defendant. j. S. Chadwick
next took the stand, and explained that
he had given a check to Lockwood for
$75, on the morning OF the 18th, in the
Office OF Mr.. Damron. 1t was about an
hour after he had given the note written
by Mr.. Bosbyshell to Damron, to obtain
the necessary signatures to it. The note,
fully signed, was found by the witness,
lying on Damrons desk The note had
nothing to do with the payment of the
check, as there was enough money in
bank to pay them without touching the
$110 of the note. 1t was charged back to
Getchell's account on the day of the ar
rest Mr.. Damron, on the 18th, handed
witness the note, and he gave him two
checks, one for $75 and the other for S17.
The witness went to the Southern Cali
fornia National bank, and showed Mr..
Bosbyshell the note. He said it was all
right. He asked if the note should be
discounted, or taken as collateral. Wit
ness wanted it discounted, and Bosby-
shell placed its face value to the credit
of Getchell.
Next day in Damron's office, Damron
asked witness if he had placed the note
in bank. He said the signers objected
to such course. The bank had notified
Lockwood that the note was in their
possession and he was making a fuss
about it. Chadwick telephoned to Bos-
byshell to know if Wright had also been
notified. He answered no. Chadwick
then called at the bank by Bosbyshell's
request. Witness was then taken to the
district attorneys office, and was joined
on the road by Bosbyshell who said that
the note was forgery and that he want
ed witness to explain his connection
Al. 4 4 1ae e,f, nnt
and seemed to be excited.
The prosecution objected to any
further inquiry into this line OF testi-
mony, it being subsequent to the time
of the alleged crime, and the objection
was sustained. Witness. (resuming), |
had expected to 60 east on a visit, and |
was at Mr.. Damron's Office so often,
because he was my attorney, and
because he had rendered me the use of
it, as | had none myself at the time.
Several times per month | negotiated
loans for Mr.. Damron-every few days.
l believe at least twenty. Sometimes it
was my own money, sometimes
other peoples. The two notes
about which Messrs. Howes and
Bonebrake had testified were one
for 500 l had loaned Damron myself
the other one for $3.50, belonging to Mrs.
Hunter, a client of mine. They said
they would be good for 5000 with DR..
Lindley's signature to it, and by giving
his own note for 5000 besides. Ten days
afterwards Mr.. Howes wanted him to
pay his note for 5000, and he paid it dur
ing the day. Two of the Lindley's were
on the notes. Dunlap and Perry sigma
lures were on the notes and Damron was
on each of them.
didn't know the signatures of either
of these people. Neither did | know b.
T. Wright's. l never had any intima-
ton or suspicion that any of the notes
were forgeries, or would not have given
up my money for them. Damron said
Wright was perfectly good, that he had
signed with him often times. had nc
knowledge that any of the notes in Dam,
ron's possession were forgeries. The
notes were given in May or June, and the
first intimation had that anything was