Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-07-23
4 MIDNIGHT VERDICT
WHICH CONSIGNED WILLIAM GROVES TO A
DUNGEON CELL
A Verdict Of Guilty in the Forgery Case in the
Criminal Court at Midnight
Last Night


Groves, late local superintendent OF the
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company,
charged with forgery, came to an end
at midnight last night, when the jury
returned a verdict OF guilty, after being
out about an hour.
The usual motion for a new trial was
made, the consideration Of which was
deferred to future time, and the de-
PENDANT was remanded to Jail.
The case has been hard fought one,
on both sides, and is but the forerunner
of several other and similar cases yet
70 be heard In this Court.
The trial Of the cause was resumed
Yesterday morning, and about eleven
o'clock the defendant was placed upon
! the stand TO testify 10 his own behalf.
In reply to question by Capt. DoVener,
his counsel, Groves stated that he had
seen certain letters written to the
Superintendent Of Agencies, In New
York. The letters were OF 8 damaging
nature to Stemm, whom the State
thinks was no other than Brown, the
Wsllsburg agent who can't be located
exactly. The letters stated that
/ the Company did not want Stemm In
it's employ. Groves said he had no
knowledge of Stenm'S working in the
Office. He named the different agents
employed in this territory, explained
how they were paid, the course taken
by receipts, etc. He said he had never
ID al
money, and had never gotten anything
from him. He was not directly ac-
ouainted with Brown, but bad seen his
accounts. He said Stemm had been at
witness home on several occasions, but
be couldn't exactly remember when.
Groves said be had been working for
the Company since 1871, and was paid
$40 per week. A letter was pro-
duced, and Capt. Dovener asked wit
ness If Lyons had asked him to write
the letter, but Groves apparently
knew nothing was going wrong. He
said Lyons never saw him write the
letter TO the home Company, asking
for forgiveness, etc. He had written
that letter at home, and brought itover
for Lyons to read, and he said II would
do. Ayers also dictated letter, which
witness wrote and signed Witness
generally knew of no Irregularities in
the Office, prior to the investigation,
which were not referred to in the letter
addressed TO the home Company, in
which he made confession to irregular
tiles on his part, aud asked for forgive
ness and reinstatement to the conf
dence Of the Company.
The cross examination by Mr.. How
ard was exceedingly long. In regard TO
the payments of money made by Whit
son, in lieu Of a bond, or to redeem
bond, witness said he didn't know Whit
son had filed a bond when he was put
ting up the money, "but l know 1t
now" Whitson didn't go 10 work for
the company under cloud. When
asked II witness did not know OF other
irregularities not named in his letter to
the nome company, witness said he
knew OF none, but when pressed
sharply, he admitted that Wood ward had
worked when mis- indebtedness to the
company was over ten dollars, without
bond, but the indebtedness had only
existed for a couple OF days, and Wit
ness considered it very trivial matter
one which the Company would take
no notice OF. after l had turned over
the money Of the Office to Killington 1t
was not discovered that there was
some other money. told Lyons had
some money saved up by two OF the
agents to relieve bonds, and asked him
what | should do with IL. He told me
to give 1t to him."
WHEN you first turned the Com
pany's money over, why did you not
speak OF this money and turn 1t over
alsoP Alt didn't belong to the Office
accounts at all.
Q-Then why didn't you keep it your
self, or give it back? Alt didn't be-
long to me, and l asked what | should
do with it.
O.-You have said, believe, that the
only Irregularities you ever knew OF In
that Office were stated in your letter to
the PresidentP AT the time that
was all l knew-anything else was a
different matter altogether. knew OF
those matters prior to the Investigation.
Q.-This letter was written April IS,
1898, at your house? Ayes.
Q.-And you say that at that time
you knew of nothing else? A.-That
letter contained everything l knew OF
before the investigation was commenc-
ed.
Q.-Don't you know that DR.. R. E.
Ashbrook had sent through your Office
what purported to be medical examin-
alton, that he had never madeP A
No.
Q.-Don't you know Of the examIna-
tion of Samuel HodkiSs, signed by DR..
Ashbrook, when the Doctor never made
il? A.-No.
Don't you know that a like certif-
icAte was sent in the case Of John Cra-
ven, signed by DR.. Ashbrook, when he
never saw John Craven? A.-Not until
after this investigation.
Don't you know of similar exam
nations in the cases of John Keiger
and OF Belle Keiger? A.-No.
Witness was examined at great length
as 10 the identity and sufficiency Of
John Craven, who figures as the surety
on a bond. he insisted that he knew
Craven personally, but that his only
knowledge of Craven'S wealth was OBJ
tanned from Whitson, yet he admitted
having certified to the Company that
ne had made personal Investigation
into the matter, and that Craven was
worth $50, 900.
Mr.. Howard made q strong effort to
show by witness that "E Brown" the
agent for a time at Wellsburg. was none
other than Stemm, who was an old
friend of Groves, had come here under
cloud" and had gone TO work for the
Company as Brown when he couldn't
have worked as Stemm, but Groves
fought very shy Of the matter, alleging