The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-03
West 23d Street, N. Y.
F0RGER LEVY ON TRIAL
His Indictment Brought About
by ies-Chaneellor
Pitney.

The trial of William Levy, of Passaic, on
two indictments for uttering forgeries in
the Court of Chancery, was begun yesterday
afternoon in the Court of General Sessions.
If the State proves all that it alleges it will
prove, it will show Levy to be one of the
most barefaced and clever scoundrels that
ahas appeared in the Court of Sessions for
many years.
George P. Rust, a lawyer living in Passaic,
I purchased in 1891 seven pieces of land valued
S15,O 900. To evade any legal en~tanglements
from judgments he caused the deeds to be
made out in the name of William Levy, at
the same time taking from Levy recon
veyances of the property so that he might
record them at any M and thereby pre-
vent Levy, if that individual saw fit, from
idefrauding him of his property. In a few
months Rust had his financial affairs
Strengthened out, and he filed the convey
| ances he had received from Levy and they
were recorded. :.
In September, 1892, Levy brought suit
| against Rust in the Court of Chancery, be-
fore Vice Chancellor Pitney, for the purpose
of setting aside the deeds which Rust had
| caused to be recorded. Levy claimed that
|. Rust only held these deeds as a sort OF a
mortgage or collateral security for claims
that Levy owed Rust, and that he had paid
these claims, but Rust refused to give him
the deeds to his property. In support OF this
| claim. Levy produced a number of alleged
receipted bills for money paid to Rust. One
of these receipts purported to show that
Levy had on August 3 paid to Rust $500 at
his office, and that Rust had given him a
type-written receipt. Even the signature
was type written. Rust proved to the salts
faction of Vice Chancellor Pitney that on
August 8 he was with Mayor and Mrs.
Brown of Passaic at Rockland, Me.
PROVED A EORGERY.
Another bill alleged to nave been paid to
| Rust by Levy was for services alleged to
nave been rendered by Rust to Levy in the
lawsuit of Levy against Galenby. 1t was
shown the Vice Chancellor that the suit of
Levy against Galenby was not tried for sew
| eral months after the date of the receipted
bill, and, in fact, that the cause of action did
| not arise for two or three months after the
date of this bill, which was for payment in
| full for legal services in the case. TIL Vice
| Chancellor dismissed the case and sent the
| papers to District Attorney Winfield, who
presented them to the Grand Jury, and Levy
was indicted for forgery of the two bills
mentioned. He was arrested last summer
and has been in Jail ever since.
When the case was opened Yesterday Julia
T. Perring and Lizzie Hughes, who had
been employed as typewriters in the office Of
| Mr.. Rust, identified a number of deeds and
the signature of Mr.. Rust. C~ross-examined
y DN IDtlidDOl D11f u Jul 4
| identify the handwriting of Rust on some
| envelopes handed them by the Senator.
At this point Foreman Stoll of the jury
| informed the Court that he was sick, and
| asked to be excused from serving.
Chow are you sickg' Judge Hudspeth in
quired.
II feel like fainting; | am unable to sit
| through this case was the answer.
The court prosecutor and Senator DAILY
| consulted and by consent of Counsel Albert
4 Vail was substituted as a juror. The clerk
of the court was ordered not to make q min
ute of this change, as that it would appear
on record and thereby andanger the case
anon appeal.
Continuing the cross-examination of Miss
! Perring, Senator Daily showed her the $500
receipted bill and asked her it the signature
On it was that of Mr.. Rust.
ut looks like it, she replied, after careful
scrutiny.
is that your best Judgment of the sigma
tulen
Il think it looks like Mr.. Rusts sigma
ture.n she answered.
a stSMART" TINE
William Beardsley, manager for the
American Writing Machine Company, was
called as an expert by the State. Senator
DAILY objected to his testimony on the ground
that he was not an expert. The witness in
sisted that ha was an expert on writing
machines, and finally Senator Daily asked
him how he knew he was an expert.
1T would AXE too long," said he, ito SC
into the psychological science of the ques-
ton"
The Court heaved a sigh, Senator DAILY
looked grave and Prosecutor Winfield signi-
fcantly tapped his forehead with his finger
when this reply was made. After a brief
rest to recover from its effects, Senator DAILY
continued his cross-examination and showed
him writing OF three different pieces Of
paper. Witness identified all as having beer
tlore by the Remington machine When ht
finished Senator DAILY Asked
the FranklinF
ssYes, sir.n
sWeil, the last paper you looked at wa:
written by a Franklin machine, commented
Senator DAILY.
Tie. witness looked grisyed at nearing this