The Portland daily press., 1890-12-20

The Defence Trying to Prove an
AtlbI. .

In the United States District Court yester-
day morning the trial of Clara M, Vaughan
OF Bath was begun. She is charged with
forging an order, and on this order obtaining
from .tne brunswick post Office a letter d.
rected to Charlie Naughan-no relative of
hers-and retaining the $15 contained in the
ietter. District Attorney Dyer conducted
she case Tor the government, and Hon, Hi
ram hnowlton appeared as counsel for the
prisoner.
Ihe government witnesses were the same
tnat were called at the preliminary examipa-
ZION before Commissioner Rand short time
ago. The facts Of the case, as brought out
by the government, appear to be that Clara
M. vaughan went to the Bath post office to
inquire if there were any letters for her.
She was told by the clerk that there was q
registered letter for Charles Vaughan. She
said that was her brother. Later she called
at the Bath post Office and asked the clerk to
forward the letter to Brunswick, as her
brother was at work there. This was done.
AT Brunswick she presented forged order
and obtained the letter. signing "Charles
Vaughan. by Jennie Vaughan" She is no
relation to Charles Vaughan, and he has no
sister Jennie. The letter contained $40
bill and SIS bill. When she was arrested
she had the letter in her possession, and did
not deny that she got it from the Brunswick
post office.
Mrs. Cora e. Jones, order and registry
clerk at the Bath post Office, identified the
prisoner as the woman who asked her to for.
ward the letter to Bruins wick.
Miss Affe M. Drinkwater, money order
and registry clerk at the Brunswick post Of
flee, Identified the prisoner as the woman
who gave her the forged order, and to whom
she gave the letter directed to Charlie
Vaughan. She, too, was positive that this
was the woman.
| The other witnesses established the re-
naming facts in the case, as printed above.
When Mr. Knowlton began the defence,
1t transpired that he proposed to prove that
this was not the woman who forged the
order and obtained the letter and money
from the brunswick post Office.
Clara M. Vaughan. the prisoner, testified
that she went to work for Mr.. Wallace in
Bath, November 9TH, before this occurrence
took place. Mrs. Wallace was sick, and it
was her duty to take care of the invalid.
She remained all the time with Mrs. Wallace
night and day, sleeping there until after this
theft is alleged to have taken place. She
did not go out Of the house at all, except
twice, when she went to the store and once
to the post office. She never was In Bruins
wick in her life, except when she passed
through there In the cars. She further stat
ed that she had been married to Charles
Vaughan. but did not live with him. He
was at work in Brunswick. On the evening
when she went to the post office she found
the registered letter for Charlie. She direct
ed 1t to be sent to Brunswick, and sent word
to Jennie of the fact that the letter was
there, and asking her to notify Charles
Four days before she was arrested. Jennie
Vaughan came to Bath, bringing tae letter
and the money, and saying 1t was mistake
the letter was for some one else. Since that
time she had not seen Jennie. but she had
tried hard to find the rightful owner of the
letter.
After searching cross-examination, dur
ing which the prisoner admitted that she
had served several months in jail in Frank
lin county for a petty offence.
Mr.. Wallace, of Bath took the stand. He
testified that the prisoner worked for him
from November 9th to the last week in No
vember During that time he was home at
every meal. and never knew that the prison.
er was absent from his house.
Mira. Wallace said that the prisoner took
care of her when she was sick. from October
9th to November 25th. She was positive
that Mrs. Vaughan was never out of the
house for more than half an hour at a time.
She denied that she told the post office in
spector that she did not know Jennie
Vaughan.
Miss Drinkwater was called in rebuttal
and said she was perfectly sure that she was
not mistaken in her declaration that the
prisoner was the woman to whom she deliy-
cred the letter.
The post office inspector and post Office
clerk testified to statements which the Wal
laces made to them, but which the latter
now deny.
At this point the court was adjourned un.
till this morning at 10 o'clock.