Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-29
PEARLEY'S BAD BREAK
HE is ACCUSED OF FORGING A
TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGE.
How an Ingenious Operator Attempted to
Get Fifty Dollars by Signing An
other Mans Name-He is Held to
Answer.


Charles M. Pearley, who was arrested
at FL Monte on Sunday last for forgery
by Detective Will Smith of the Southern
Pacific railway, was examined before
Township Justice Stanton yesterday,
and held to answer under bonds of
$1,000. Pearley is charged with sending
a telegraphic dispatch to Monahan &
Murphy Of the Needles for $50 and sign
ing the name Moody to it, Moody be-
ing an Atlantic and Pacific conductor.
Deputy District Attorney Diehl ap-
peared for the prosecution at the exam
ination, but Pearley, having no counsel,
defended himself.
James D. Waldo, day operator at the
First-street depot OF the Santa Fe in
this city, was called to the stand, and
testified that at 2 80 clock on the alter
noon of July 23d, two small Boys laid a
telegram on the counter and asked him
to send it. The telegram read as follows !:
ITO John Denair, Trainmaster, Needles;
Please tell M. and M. to send by No.
$50, without fail. MOODY"
As he knew aconductor named Moody,
and also knew that I'M. & M" meant
Monaghan & Murphy, a firm OF mer-
chants at The Needles, the witness sent
the dispatch, the original being placed
on file with the rest of the days busi-
ness. A couple of days later the Barstow
operator called the witness up over the
wires and telegraphed: sect your
message to Denair, signed Moody" He
at once instituted search through the
files, but was unable to find the original.
Next day he again looked for the mes
sage with Detective Smith, but did not
find it. The files were in the custody of
the night operator, G. Spaulding, and
one of them was supposed to be on duty
in the office allSthe time. He did not
know what became of the missing mes
sage, but had since heard.
The witness on being shown the orr
ginal message readily identified it, as
his private mark was upon it.
The first time he saw the defendant
was on the evening of the 23d inst,
when he called at the Office and asked
the witness what time the night opera
tor came on duty. He saw him again
yesterday, in the presence of Detective
Smith and Constable Rogers, and heard
Pearley say that he handed the message
to himself, but that two little boys were
fooling out in the hall at the time.
Conductor w. A. Moody, of the A. &
P, running between The Needles and
Barstow, took the stand, and on being
shown the message denied that he wrote
He knew the firm of Monahan & Muir
ply and traded with them.
1t was customary among several of the
rol fl
them, temporarily, for safe keeping; but
we'll, however, he was confident that
they would honor draft for him, if
called upon to do so. He knew the de-
fendant, who was formerly an operator
stationed at Newberry,ra point twenty
three miles east of Barstow, and had
cashed checks for him on several occas-
ions. s. ss S
On the Gath inst. the witness received
a telephone message from the Wells
Fargo branch Office at the Arcade depot
to the effect that there was some money
there for him, and that some one was
trying to get it. He at once telegraphed
to Monaghan & Murphy, and after tell
ing the agent not to deliver the money,
went down to the Arcade depot. He
was then shown young man named
Goss, as one of the party who applied
for the money, and learned from him
that the man who was impersonating
him had just left. Next morning he
drew the money from the main office
and sent it back to Monaghan & Murphy.
Charles Schaffer, clerk at the main
Office of the Wells-Fargo company, testi-
fed that on the afternoon of the oath
inst, man resembling the defendant
in appearance inquired whether there
was any money there for Moody"
stating that he expected $50 from Mona
CHAN & Moody at The Needles.
Charles G.. Haswell, Wells-Fargo agent
at the First-street depot, stated that the
defendant called at his Office about noon
on Friday last and inquired for $50
which he expected from The Needles on
No. 3, the overland train, addressed to
w. A. Moody. The witness told him he
might be able to get it by going over to
the Southern Pacific branch Office and
being properly identified, at the same
time suggesting that he ask some one in
the general Office of the railroad COM
pany to do go. Pearley then left, pre-
sumably for that purpose.
Charles F. Smith, clerk in the en-
.ploy OF the Wells-Fargo company at the
Arcade depot, testified that the defend
ant called at the Office about 80 o'clock
on Friday afternoon, and called for
package of money for w. A. Moody,
from the Needles.