Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-20
THE EVIDENCE ALL In
4 Verdict Likely 10 Be Reached in the
Forgery Case To-Day.
TERRY GIVES HIS VERSION
He Declares That He Took the
Forged Court Orders from Taylor
Party 10 the Fraud.

The evidence in the Terry forgery case
was concluded in the Hastings Court
last night. the argument will begin at
II o'clock this morning, and a verdict
will probably be reached before night
Although the heat was intense. the
court held two long sessions yesterday.
The feature OF the day. as on Thursday,
was the placing on the stand again Of
Burnley Taylor. who pleaded guilty to
forging all the orders that Terry Is al
legged 10 have uttered. and others as well,
and further confessed that he conceived
the fraudulent scheme into which Terry
entered as an accomplice. Taylor was
put on the stand by both the prosecution
and the defence. '..-.-
Another interesting incident was the
introduction Of one Of these forged orders
that has just come TO light This was
passed on Strause brothers, although
Taylor positively denied on the witness
stand Thursday that he had sent one OF
the warrants 10 this firm.
Upon the opening OF court yesterday
morning Taylor was recalled by the prose-
cution and examined as to the endorse
ments on the various warrants. His tes-
timony was substantially the same as
that OF the preceding day. and the only
new statement made by him was that
he was drunk during the greater portion
Of last year. and was, therefore, irrespon-
! sibe when the court orders were forged.
Mr.. G. +. Elicit. Clerk Of the County
Court OF Montgomery. testified that the
| court order purpOrting TO have been sign
ed by him was a forgery.
HE WROTE THE LETTER.
Mr.. George Tebbs. Of King William. who
wrote the letter for Terry, ordering the
goods from Il. l.. Butler. of this city,
testified TO having written the epistle al
| Terry's request.
Mr.. j. u. Craig clerk Of in the city
| Treasurer's Office. was called I'm the case as
an expert on chirography He inspected al,
| of the court orders carefully, ana said
though different signatures were affixed
| they We're all written by the same person
In a disguised hand.
Mr. II. c. Boudar next took the stand,
and, nj the suggestion OF Common
wealths-Attorney Smith made critical
examination of all the papers which had
! previously been shown 10 Mr.. Craig. He
! stated IL as his positive belief that the
! signatures were all written by the same
party; that the formation Of the various
| characters was almost identical. and that
the only difference was in the shading
| OF the letters In order TO connect Terry
with the forgery the hotel register OF
| the Dods0n House, on which Terry's sig
nature appeared. was introduced. Mr..
G. Il. Dodson. proprietor Of the hotel.
testified that Taylor and Terry quite fire.
| Quently stopped al his hotel and spent
| RIGHT much money In the bar.
| Mr. ID. OSuliyan was recalled and
| questioned in reference TO an additional
forged order cashed by him. He said
he gave Terry tll5 in cash on II. and the
balance was spent in goods All Of the
| other transactions between Terry and
! himself were gone over. but nothing new
was adducod. though Mr.. O'Sullivan was
closely questioned by Mr.. IIaw. Upon
the conclusion Of Mr.. OSullivan's testi-
moay the Commonwealth rested its case
TESTIFY FOR THE PRISONER.
A short recess was taken. in order TO
| permit the counsel for the defence to con-
! fer with their witnesses.
Mr.. James s. Robinson. OF King Will
! Ham. at one time merchant in that
county. and now a justice Of the peace
was called first. lie testified. when ques-
toned by MIR. Lewis, that Terry's general
! think the accused would commit any such
crime as that with which ne was charged
At this juncture Mr.. Smith had Taylor
/ brought into court and given a seat near
| him. Mr.. Robinson testified TO having
had dozens OF transactions with Taylor.
ana having frequently exchanged notes
with him.
Mr. l.. d. Robinson. King William
farmer. said that so far as ne knew
!
| plying 10 an inquiry of Mr.. Smiths. he
made the same statement in reference 10
! Taylor
Air IL. e. Cummins. a merchant of King
William, when told that Taylor had said
he was drunk all last year. said he always
/ regarded Taylor as capable Of attending
TO his business. when questioned by Mr..
| Smith, he said It was VIGOROUSLY known
in King William that Taylor was a heavy
drinker.
Mr.. Roger Gregory testified as to the
/ previous good Character of Terry and
! Taylor and said Taylor was drunk most
all or last year Mr. T.. r. Lipscomb
sald Taylor drank good deal He also
testified as to the good character of Ter
| ry and said he wouldn't have be-
| HeVed that either Terry or Taylor would
| nave committed such crime Mr.. John
II. Haw also bore testimony to Terry's
| good character.
Mr.. w. 7. Neal. a merchant of King
William, was put on the stand to tes-
tity as TO Terry's financial condition. and.
under cross-eXamination by Mr. Smith.
admitted that he really knew nothing
| about Terrys finances, other than that
he had handled some money for Terry
since April LIST last. Mr. Frank Robins.
! formerly a merchant in King William.
had always considered Terry's reputation
good.
| THE STRAUSE BROTHERS ORDER.
Burnley Taylor was then examined by
! Mr.. Haw, and pronounced the cOurt-order
! passed through Strause Brothers 10
be one Of his forgeries. He asserted posi-
| lively that he alone forged this order.
and that Terry had nothing TO do with il.
| He said far as he could remem-
| Der he had told of all the warrants with
| which Terry had anything 10 do. He
was given the warrants and picked out
| those claimed TO have been negotiated by
| the prisoner. The defence had no more
| questions to PROFOUND TO Taylor, and said
| they would have TO wait on Colonel
| Marye. who was hunting UP certain
| papers needed In the case Ii being then
2 o'clock, a recess was taken until $50
| o'clock. The Strause order was sprung
| by the defence as a surprise 10 the pro-
secution. Taylor had denied the exist
ence Of such paper.
TERRY ON THE STAND.
At $3.50 O'Clock the court reconvened,
and the accused. G.. h. Terry. was called
| TO the stand. He gave his side of the
! caoa i'm a Main straightforward rnappar