The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-18
SELLING THE BOSTON BRANCH.
Thomas l.. Pierce, Alleged Purchaser,


the stand.
When the United States District Court
convened yesterday morning two addi-
tional witnesses were sworn and instructed
by Judge Baker The first witness called
to the stand was Thomas T.. Pierce, the
alleged purchaser Of the Indiana Cabinet
Company at Boston. He said he resided
in Boston and had resided there since last
August The fourteen months preceding
last August he had resided in Indianapolis
and was employed as shipping clerk by
the Indianapolis Cabinet Company Prior
to his employment by the cabinet COM
pany he had resided at Richmond, Ind.
He had resided there between the years of
1876 and 1884, and knew both of the Collins
there. Z. b. Coffin was but a boy when
the witness first became acquainted with
him. AS shipping clerk for the cabinet
company he received SIS week. He had
no property before he went to Boston.
About Aug. 1, F. A. Coffin had asked
him how he would like to buy the Boston
store and witness answered he would like
to buy it If there was any money to be
made in it. On that day p. 3. Coffin went
to Boston to take an inventory of the
stock there. He said F. A Coffin knew
that he had no money. On the day follow
take the Boston store. The price paid for
1t was to be 10 per cent. off the list price
to the trade. 1t was to be paid for by
notes of Pierce. payable in two years and
secured by chattel mortgage. There was
nothing said about the failure of the bank.
The witness said he only knew that the
cabinet company was involved by the fail
ure from what he read in the newspapers.
He said he thought L. A. Coffin said some
thing about why he wanted TO sell the
Boston store. He thought Coffin had said
he wanted to turn the witnesses notes over
to the creditors to satisfy them.
The witness said the following Mon
day p. b. Coffin returned from Boston
and had an inventory of the stock there
with the notes filed out ready for sigma
ture. The witness signed them in the Of
flee of the cabinet company. He said Il.
b. Coffin did not explain why the notes
and bill of sale had been made out in
Boston. He made some suggestions to the
witness about conducting the business and
asked him as a favor to Coffin to retain
Nutting. The witness said he at first OBJ
jected to the salary that was paid Nutting,
but afterwards agreed to retain him at
the salary, upon Z. b. Coffin saying that
Nutting was we'll worth the amount. On
the evening of that same day the witness
started for Boston. He was given a check
on Coffin & Stanton of New York, for
500 by the Collins before starting. This was
to pay his expenses after he reached Bos-
ton.
The bill of sale which the witness had in
his possession introduced in evidence.
He said il had been turned over to him as
soon as IL was signed and remained In his
possession since that time. The sale pre-
tended to have been made by the bill was
indorsed as being ratified by the directors
of both the Indiana Cabinet Company
and the Indianapolis Cabinet company.
The witness said these Endorsements were
in the same handwriting as the body of
the bill which had been written in Boston;
He said he no meeting or the board
of directors of either OF these companies
at the office of the cabinet company on the
dav the bill was signed and turned over TO
him. Afterwards ne corrected his former
statement that the bill had been handed
to him as soon as it was signed. He said
T. B. Coffin took ii and went into the 'front.'
ROOM He did not know what happened in
the front office
BY Judge Baker-Did you know of any
such corporation as the Indiana Cabinet
Company?
By Mr.. Kern-What did you know about
Witness know. as shipping clerk OF the
| cabinet company, l billed goods TO the lndl-
| ana Cabinet Company at Boston.
The witness said he knew nothing of the
| mortgage executed by the cabinet COM
Danv lie said when he arrived in BOs-
| ton he found Mr. Baker. the bookkeeper Of
| the Boston house, N POSSESSION u me store
| and the witness took POSSESSION or IL. lie
| was vet in POSSESSION % the l.aseS COR tie
| storerooms He said the goods were at
| tached on Oct. s, 1888. He was not there
at the time of the first attachment 10y per-
| sons residing in Connecticut. He had heard
that this was done while he was EN- route
| TO Boston He said his only instruction
| from the Collins in regard TO the books was
to open books of his own. He had never
| seen any correspondence between Nutting
| and the Collins in regard 10 the books. The
notes that he gave in purchase OF the store
! were made payable at the state Bank OF
| Indiana In Indianapolis. He had no under
| standing with the Collins as 10 what would
| be done in case he failed to meet the notes
| when they became due.
| BY Mr.. Kern-Do you swear that you
| have given all the conversations between
| yourself and the Collins?
| Witness-TO the best of my knowledge.
| The witness said since the attachment of
| the goods at Boston in last October he had
! been conducting a commission business in
/ furniture at the rooms formerly occupied
/ by the Boston store. lie ordered the sher-
| iff who attached the goods. TO vacate the
| premises. He said the mortgage to secure
| payment of the notes had been given To +.
| ~ Coffin. trustee He had paid three OF
! the notes 10 y. II. Byrd. on Aug. p. 1898.
| he received notice from Mr.. Byrd that he
held the notes Of the witness. The witness
| said he WAS told by Mr. Coffin that the
! notes had been disposed OF. He said some
| OF the notes were held at Greencastle. The
| witness said r. A. Coffin had sent him a
| list showing that the notes held by
! four different persons. Coffin had told him
! held by l.. II. Coffin. The witness said