The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-12
MS OWN ATTORNEY.
R<path Defending Himself in
the Forgery Case.
snow,no SKILL AS 4 LAWYER.


r.,xve Hnmes In the superior court,
- ~ the close OF court yester-
A. bnt little OF the evidence was In
- Il !. rrobable that 81 day today. with
...<h.n< 4 slice of Of tomorrow, will be re-
<.,srsd 10 finish the case and prove TO the
..fssfxction OF the public whether Repairs
-: in signing the name OF Z. L. stinson,
gensrsi manager Of the life insurance COM
nanv. 10 $50 check. as the prosecuting
rftsrDsy charges Repath with doing. was
forgery. or. a. the accused man claims, .
ieritIna:s and lawful act and ne the vic
tim OF conspiracy.
me alleged crime was committed on
February 5, 1873. and Repath Was arrested
N San Francisco on April ID and brought
hack 10 Seattle 20 answer the charge made
against him by Mr.. Stinson.
Along toward the beginning OF the
rreseut year Mr.. sfinson went TO New
york CITY on q business trip. leaving
Rerash. who was trusted employe OF the
eonpany Mr.. Stinson represents in the
once, and In q responsible position. Not
long afterward Mr.. Stinson heard that
Repath was negiecting his business and
spending money more freely than he could
well afford.
Mr. etinson's suspicious we're aroused.
and when be returned again to Seattie
early in February Repath was discharged
and left the city for Victoria, as was then
thought. Mr.. Stinson looked over tho
hookkeeper's accounts and found that
$3.50 could not be accounted for. The dis
rrepaney was In the bank accounts. and IL
was soon found that check. which Mr..
Etinson says Was forged, had been cashed
BY Repaih ut the National Bank Of Com
merce. 1t was then plain TO Mr.. Stinson
that Repatb had used his acquaintance
with the bank officials to good advantage.
A consultation with the prosecuting at
fornsy followed, and N result n warrant
was issued and Repath arrested. as before
mentioned.
On bis return in charge of a deputy
sheriff Repsth contented himself with
denying the charge of forgery and stating
that the check was genuine insomuch as
he had authority 20 sign Mr. Stinson's
name to checks.
The case was TO have bean tried in June.
but Repath got continuance. 30 that the
dispositions of important witnesses for the
defense might be obtained. Since that
time be has been out on bonds. Repath,
wbois IN attorney and sharp fellow. ar
fusd this motion Cor continuance him
selfs and so IL was no surprise when on the
ealing OF the case against him for trial
yesterday morning he announced that he
xouId Get as his own attorney and have
an sttorney for an associate counsel only.
The court room was well filed. but the
~
Nh Repath. the wife of the defendant.
hslne the only lady spectator, and she sat
insiie the rail. She is tall. slender.
olive-compiexioned young woman. not
more than q or - years Of age. probably.
Her eyes are biz and black, and her hair also
Jet black. Altogether she was a very
pretty woman as she sat near her husband.
dressed quietly and wearing over her dress
. long blue macintosh cloak. Repath
himself Is o slender, alert young man
akout feet seven inches tall, smooth
faced. iight-haired and sallow-complex.
ioned. His eyes are gray blue and are
quite prominent. bis nose rather long and
slowing him 20 be a very nervous. aggres-
sise man. His age is about - or "A years
apparently. He vas dressed in black
eataway coat and black vest and trousers
yesterday. The reports that have gone
cut about his being bright attorney were
fully confirmed yesterday. for he handled
his case to SUIT the taste OF the most
critical
II was nearly uoon yesterday when a
jury was secured, the state having used
one peremptory challenge aud the defense
four In questioning wouid-be jurors.
Repath showed much acute discrimina-
ton, carefully questioning them as to
their family affairs. Each Juror was
asked whether or not he was a married
man. and II so. whether he had children,
In case the juror answered In the affirma-
tive. Repath asked particularly the age of
the eldest child.
The information having been read BY
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mcbride,
I.L stinson. the complaining witness and
zoe nan whose name Is alleged To have
wen forged, was placed upon the stand.
hs told how Repath came TO him in June,
is'l, and had told him that he was an
atoEney and was out OF funds and had
no money TO pay the premium on life i'm
suranee policy he held. The witness gave
ihe defendant some money 20 pay the
tN"~tNA @AA AR0A thtS tf1tAtF lOf security
Nes long afterward. Mr.. Stinson said.
hspaih came arodnd again in search OF
employment and the upshoi Of the matter
snsnas he obtained work as copyist.
aas vas. after a few weeks. promoted 10
sae position OF hooSkeeper and worked on
sas books until his discharge. on February
AiSs. The relations between the witness
va the bookkeeper were very conf
ssa'iai and the latter had access
70 everything in the office in the
nae Of books and papers. During the
h'ehshs OF December and January Repash
asa lad access 10 a combination lock safe
y ihe office. Sometimes the witness
soasd allow Rerash 60 alI in the checks
aah The witness would then sign them.
sas was not usual thing. however.
iAs cheek alleged 10 have been forged VAS
.1sh offered ia evidence and the signature
vented BY Mr.. Sslnson. The loss, Mr..
e'snson said. WAS borne by the bank
sene. Repairs contamination OF
sN FORMER employer was very searching.
sAa plain attempt was made 20 make the
s.'asss confess tha, tns bookkeeper was
s4osed 10 draw checks uron Mr.. S,ins0n's
esak account
/. = l. Terry. paying teller Of the Pases
s0aaa National bank, was called as an
sapNff witness and gave his opinion that
zoe cheek sas forgery Rsnath objected
70 tae Introduction Of the testimony Of
o@ns cfhcials as expert witnesses on the
s'eaaa thai they were necessarily rreia-
~ 49, ssasnst man accused OF forgery.
10y hamos ovefraled the objection, say
80 AoaeVer, that the laFy could make
rance ioF prejudice in considering the
- Of ,he experts "a we'll as OF
esnes witnesses.
X Spencer. cashier Of the bank which
ta4d The check mart t,s>A sNn go -