Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-10

noon on the charge of forgery. The case was
given to the jury little before noon. las
O'Clock while another case was being
tried the jury returned and announced that
they had agreed upon their verdict 1t was not
guilty. There was a sudden burst of APP
plause, but it was stopped st once by the OIL
GERS of the court.
This closed the first part Of remarkable
case As there was another charge against
him the defendant was remanded to custody
pending his trial for embezzlement
The fourth day Of the trial Of b. Shepard
White on the charge Of forgery began this
morning at 10 O'Clock in the Criminal Court
before Judge Bradley. District Attorney Cole.
who began his closing address TO the jury yes
terday afternoon. as told in The STAR, con-
cluded this morning. In a general way Mr..
Coles address yesterday was resume OF the
evidence IL the case, arguing that from the
way White conducted himself throughout the
whole affair of the Questionable banking
methods IT was proved beyond reasonable
doubt that the intent TO deiraud was present.
This morning after the court was opened and
a few formalities gone through with Mr.. Cole
resumed at the point where he left of yester-
day. There was a larger attendance than usual,
and several Young Indies were noticed in the
audience that attracted BY the desire 20
witness the closing scenes OF this interesting
case.
lNDohSEMENT Nf NHENkS
Mr.. Cole referred again TO the fact that when
White was called upon to have the check in
question Endorsed with the word ''agt" he did
not do it in the presence o: the bank officials.
but went back to the Office TO write that word
upon the check. This. MIR. Cole insisted was
a proof that White knew he had no right to
sign the check at all. another proof OF the
same thing was the admitted fact that on no
other occasion had White signed checks
yxrsi fla nF lh,aa 4 o.,
numerous occasions White had made collec-
tions for Mr.. Corning in his absence. They
were in cash and III checks. The checks always
were sent to Mr.. Corning in Boston for his in
dorsement and were then returned for deposit
to Mr.. Corning account with Riggs * Co.
White, if he had had the authority. would have
signed those checks himself and thus avoided
the trouble Of sending them to Boston. lie
never did sign these checks. He had no author
ity to do so, and he knew lie had no such
authority.
In answer to Whites testimony that he was
obliged to draw ont the money in order TO meet
the current expenses Of Mr. tornings Office.
MIR. Cole argued that there was always more
money in bank than was necessary. Close
figuring showed that there was more than
81. 100 that could have been used for this pur-
pose and yet White drew out more than 81 900,
when he said himself that the expenses of the
Office were not mors than 500 week.
LIVING BEYOND HIS MEANS
The case of White, Mr.. Cole went on. was but
another case of young man who had come TO
grief result OF trying to live beyond his
means. He had a salary OF S19 a week and was
living at a first-class hotel and attempting TO
cut dash in fashionable society. In his letter
to Corning White said he had spent 5000 of the
money on a woman. When on the stand he
denied this. He may not have spent il all on
one woman. He may have spent ii on half
dozen women; but, at any rate, the truth was
plain that he had spent this money in riotous
living.
There is no point in criminal procedure that
is indicative of guilt than the fight OF the
party accused. for conscience doth make
towards of us all" and the wise king said that
''the wicked fee when no man pursGeth." On
the night afte. White learned that there was a
possibility of his arrest he fed and went 10
Kentucky. White was no small boy. He was
young man of shrewdness and discretion. and
it was no lack of judgment and discretion that
drove White away from Washington. II Was
the fear Of exposure.
WHITES LETTER TO CORNING.
Mr.. Cole urged that Whites letter to Corning
before leaving town essentially true. save
in the statement that he contemplating
suicide. That part of the letter White admitted
himself was written for the purpose of mlsiead-
ing Corning and the other interested parties.
This act WAS not that OF an inexperienced boy
at all. In this letter White had said that ne
could make no excuse for his actions, save that
ne was a fool and dupe. He used the money,
he said. in an attempt to make himself rich,
and he had hoped to make good the money be-
fore it was found out that he had signed Abrees
name on the back of the check.
White statement, Mr.. Cole continued. that he
had expected to make good the money before il
was learned that he had Endorsed Aibree name
a check was utterly at variance with the state
ment made upon the stand that he thought he
was authorized TO sign Albree's name. This
latter statement was a manufactured excuse
connected upon deliberation and as a last
resort. Whites conduct since the signing of
the check was not that OF an honest man,
nor Of man who honestly believed
that he had not done any thing that he should
not have done. In every possible way White
had evaded trial He fled the town immodi-
ately he found that his wrong doing had been
discovered. Upon hisapprehe aud return
to Washington he awaited himself OF the right
of every defendant in such a csse-to be free
upon bail. Yet the ink upon his recognlzance
was hardly dry before he had left town once
more and under assumed name. The fight
OF prisoner lis good evidence OF his guilt.
NOT uNsoPuIsrIcArEp.
Mr.. Cole characterized Whites action in try
ing to work upon the feelings of MIR. Corning
in his letter from Omaha last August as any
thing but the act Of an unsophisticated youth,
as his counsel had attempted to prove In this
/ "
Corning and agreed TO pay him back with
per cent interest on the condition that the prose-
cution would drop the case against HIM
The admission that he owed Corning was an
evidence Of his guilt; for if be had used the
money he raised on the checks for the purpose
OF paying of Corning's bills he would not have
owed Corning a cent, but the evidence. on the
contrary. all showed that ii such had been the
case Corning would have been indebted to him.
There could be no confession. Mr.. Cole said,
fuller or more complete than this letter written
year after the commission of the ofiepse.
Mr.. Cole said that as the signing Of the checks
was an admitted fact the only question there
act was committed and to whether White
that he had a legitimate right TO sign the
the checks. The evidence all went 10 show
to the conclusion that he had right to indorse
those checks he came TO that conclusion
negligenty and carelessly, and he had no
reason for thinking any such thing.
MIR. Cole closed with reference TO forgery as
one of the most dangerous of all crimes in this
day, when SO much OF the worlds business
is done upon paper that the false making OF q
name may mean financial wreck.
JUDGE BRApLEY ISsTRUcTs THE JURY.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Coles address Judge
Bradley delivered his instructions to the jury,
laying down the law of forgery more especially
in its bearing upon the present case. de ex-
planned the Indictment which had in IL in all
thirty counts. Each count was devoted to