The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-01-25
MULTITUDE OF COUNSEL

ceedings.
| MULTITUDE OF COUNSEL,
| Ting prosecution Eas conducted pY States At
| toFney Walter w, Preston, assisted by States
Attorney Charles G. Kerr aud Deputy States
Attorney VIM. f. Campbell, of Baltimore,
and Mr.. w. H. Harlan, of Bel Air, who rep
| resented the Hartford National Bank. Sage was
defended by Mr.. John S. Young, of Bel Air,
| and Messrs. Thomas &. Ruddell and A. Foley
| Butler, of Baltimore.
! The first gun was fired by the defense in an
| effprt 10 have the sass paStfnnbd an account
Of the absence, through sickness, of Dr. j.
! Ward Scott, of Bel Air, who had been sum
moncd as witness. Dr. Scott is said to have
remarke ed when he saw Sage in the Bel Air
| Jail, TINT he was not the same man who swim
| died the Hartford National Bank Mr. Rud-
dell made this statement to the court, and
| Sage swOre to the same effect.
Dr. Z. :. ll2llipgsWQrth, Of Bel Air, testi-
iied To lr. spGtt'a illbes5, and said he would
be able to appear in court within few weeks.
The counsel for the state finally decided to
admit that if DIR. Scott were present he
would testify as the prisoners counsel had
stated, and Judge Dennis ordered the case to
proceed,
The defense demurred to the form OF the
Indictment, on the ground that it did not con-
| tain copies of the documents in the case, blu.
the demurrer was oFerrulea. a plea in
abatement on the ground that Mr. John q.
indicted Sage, was at the time, both of the
transaction and the finding of the indictment,
director in the Hartford National Bank, was
also overruled, and an exception WAS taken
by the defense.
Sage was again arragned, and listened at
tentively to the reading of the long indict-
ment. As in Bel Air, he responded in firm,
clear voice: mot guilty.
special panel of fifty had been sum-
moned in addition to the regular panel, from
which to select the Jury. The first iuryman
| called, Charles +. Thomas, was accepted.
being three challenges by the state, and the
remainder being by the defense. The jury, as
finally selected, was made up as follows:
Charles F. Thomos, foreman; George Prel-
Ter, Sigmund Dungler, Joseph NJ. Hutson,
George w. johnson, VIM X. Barber, Jacob
7. Brehm, Eugene c. Starkey, Martin Rup-
pert, VIM. A. Ebberts, Nicholas A. Watkins
and John j. Faupel.
Sage advised with his counsel during the
selection of the jury, and directed the chal-
longing of some of the talesmen. He was
much amused at one or two breaks of his
counsel.
Mr. Preston made the opening statement,
and defined the crime of forgery, and gave
complete history of the case, narrating what
has already been published in regard to the
transactions with the Hartford National Bank.
He described the prisoners sham piety, and
people. He referred to Sage as one of the
most dangerous bank swindlers the country
has ever known.
Mr.. Ruddell made the opening statement
for the prisoner, and outlined the plan of
defense He said the state would not be able
to prove that the prisoner was the same man
that swindled the bank, and asserted that the
State would make no effort to prove many of
the statements made by the States Attorney.
THEY ALL KNEW HIM.
Mr.. ID. G. Wharton Smith was the first wit
ness called. He identified Sage, SAYING that
he had first met him at his home, where he
came to see him as the result of letters re-
ceived from him referring to lands which lie
wished to buy. He invited him to spend the
night, and in the morning his son drove him
over to Bel Air to meet a gentlemen who
wished to sell him some land. THAT is the
last saw of him, " said the witness, ''until l
saw him In BelaIr jail as prisoner
Mr.. G. Wharton Smith was next called, but
before he testified, Mr.. Ruddell asked that
the witnesses be excluded from the court
room. This was granted, and the witnesses
retired. MIR Smith said he met Sage at home,
and drove him to see the Janney farm. He
identified Sage as the man who had called at
his fathers house. He had never seen him
since until in the courtroom.
Mr.. P. F. Ball, of Bel Air. identified Sage
as the man who had called on him ut his
store. Some time in March, he said, he re-
elVcu u IcGGeT lTOHl u IlldU WHO signed llIl-
self George p. Sage. The letter was to the eff
feet that number of families in Connecticut
wished to move to Maryland.
Another was dated Stepney Depot, to the
effect that he would be in Belair in few
days. A short time afterward Sage called at
his store. He said that it was hardly worth
while to look at property then, as there was
snow on the ground. lie left the next day,
and a short time after wrote another letter
from Snow Hill, saying that he was coming
back. He returned about April 26. He made
Mr.. Balls place his headquarters, and from
there he visited various parts of the country,
and had seen farm with which he was much
pleased, and had made an Offer
Sage, the witness said, appeared to be a
sincere Christian, and went to church. He
addressed the Christian Endeavor Society,
and made very eloquent speech Soon af
ter he left, and wrote later on, sending with
his letter two religious tracts, which would
be of use to the Christian Endeavor Society.
Upon his return the witness introduced him
to Mr.. s. A. Williams, the president of the
Hartford National Bank. He also introduced
him to Mr.. Finney, the paying teller, with
whom he deposited check.
On May 10 he again came back, and told
Mr.. Ball that he was about to buy a farm
from Joseph p. Elliott. He left and prom
ised TO come back on the following Monday,
II never saw him again." said Mr.. Ball, "until
| saw him in jail at Princeton, N. j., where |
of identification.
When he was arrested he wore simply a
mustache, having shaved off his side-whis-
kers, which he wore in Belair. He also wore
glasses, although had never seen him use
them when he was visiting Belair''
At this point Mr.. Ruddell asked that the
letters received by Mr.. Ball be excluded as
evidence, on the ground that they had not
been connected in any way with the forgery.
Judge Dennis said he thought the letters were
admissible, and Mr.. Ruddell noted an excep-
ton. The court at this point adjourned until
Wednesday morning, at ten O'Clock.
SAGE GIVES UP THE FIGHT.
When the trial was resumed on Wednesday
morning there was no abatement of interest
Messrs. s. A. Williams s. Farrand Ogden,
| clerk in Mr.. Balls store; John g. Dailam,
| John b. Hanna, and Frank II. Jacobs and
Mrs. Martha Hanna, of Bel Air, and Messrs.
Joseph p Elliott, of Baltimore, and Lawrence
Hastings and Thomas u. johnson, of Snow
| Hill, testified for the State Their evidence
was of a convincing character, aud all of
them positively identified the prisoner as the
man who, under the name of George F, Sage,
Il ,,;o Nj