The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-18
VICTIMS ON THE STAND.
THREE FARnERs Tg11 now THEY
NIBBLED .TqHE GOLD-BRIcKBAIT
Third DAYS Iriai o smith Alias PARKER
Further Evideace Against the Pris-
onsr-Drawing TO Closc.

Quite a large crowd Of morbidly curious
neonle witnessed the third days pro-
ceedines OF the trial Of Frank l.. Smith,
alias Parker. the gold-brick man, In the
ttenrfco County Court yesterday.
Mr.. John Quarles, clerk or the Viz
ginia Trust Company. was the first wit
ness. He testified TO the transaction Of
Williams. one of the bunco men, and
the victim Withers, in connection with
The renting of the vault. When the
men came into the bank to deposit the
bricks, he was present and saw them.
His curiosity was excited, and he remark
ed TO Mr.. Withers that the package must
contain gold. The Gloucester man re-
piled that the bundles contained only ran
road castings. Mr., winners Afterwards
came after the bricks. 10 show them TO
Mr. Ioseph BRYAN, and said he wished
MIR. BRYAN TO see the railroad castings be-
fore thew were shipped TO Washington.
Mr.. Ouaries was of the opinion that he
had seen the 5000 paid over 10 the
stranger who accompanied Mr. Nlthers'
He could not say positively about this,
however.
The next witness was Mr.. Huxter. pro-
prietor OF a livery stable on Eighth street.
He recognized the prisoner as the man
who came to his place OF business on
December 3lst last, and made Inquiries
about hiring a horse. He also asked
some questions about the location Of the
Southern Express Office. and hired a roam
marc "A which he had taken fancy.
on this occasion he told the witness ne
would probably want a horse and buggy
again. and would telephone for them
from his hotel, i'm case he did
DREW rnr $4,000
The next witness called was Mr.. Doug
lass Morton. paying teller at the PANT
ers National Rank. who testified that he
had known Alr. Withers for seVerai
wears. He told of the drawing OF .he
s 900 on January 4th ny Withers' VINO,
he said, was accompanied az that oiiic
bv 4 stranger. Mr.. Hill, the receiving
,e,,er ~ The same bank. made state
ments corresponding with the evidence OF
Mr. Morton. Mr.. Hill said the money
VAS naid llpon q check, which he AFTER
wards saw He thought the stranger
In question was about six feet ana one
| or two inches high, ana weighed near
$50 or 37 pounds. o,,,-
AIR. David L.. Lumsden, one OF MN,
| mond's jewelers. stated that ne IT,
| closely examined one OF the gold hricNs
a.
| He could tell with the naked eye Iiia' Inv
! bsrs we're not composed Of gold.
AR hin Carter. of the prisoners couh'
| sei gave the witness two packages OF DOT
| ines and asked him TO ircicate the
| character of each. Mr.. Lumsden pro-
nounced both to be gold ..
Mr.. Claiborne Epps. one Of the deputy
sergeants OF the city, was callea a'.i
shown letter addressed TO san'uel
| Emory. the bookmaker, ana hsked IL
| he recognized II. Mr.. Epps said tnae ne
| did. Mr.. Carter objected to the aoni,s-
sen of the letter In evidence on lne
| ground that there was no tes.ln.ony =, ~
| show that the prisoner had written H.
| Mr. Smith replied that the handwriting
| and signature were that of Thomas II
] Parker" The objection was sustained pS
| the Court,
| w1rHrRs' GOOD CHARACTER.
Mr.. Williams. cashier of the Metropolis
tan Bank, testified that he had known
| Mr.. Withers for four years, and regarded
| him as honorable and trustworthy.
| Colonel Robbins. one of the clerks al
I tha Capitol. was Called 10 the witness
| stand. and stated that he had known
| Mr.. Withers about sixteen years lac
| had been aware that the gentleman Ut
| question was very wild when "A boy, anc
|
| but he had lever heard anything else o.
a derogatory character about him. lie
| had never heard anyone say that Wfther'
| rad lied or done anything dishonorable
! Colonel Robbins further stated that h'
| did not know that IN late years tnC
| Gloucester man had fallen among 10
| Of gembler associates either In RichmonC
or in Norfolk. He had seen Mr. Wither'
here, at his own (Robbins) house and
the lectures Of the Virginia Historical So
ciety
The court here took a recess until
| o'clock.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
At o'clock the trial was resumed
and Mr.. Joseph Bryan was put upon IN
witness-stand. He testified that he ha'
known Mr. Withers since 1881, having
met him I'm his WithCrs) own father
house He had never heard Mr.. Withers
character or verscity questioned. an'
knew nothing about Withers' allege
gambling associates. Witness knew 40
Thing of Mr.. Withcrs' career III Norfolk
was acquainted with many people n
Gloucester who knew Withers, and ha'
never heard anything from them reflect
ing upon the mans character.
MIR. James Johnson, an old gray-beardc
man, who claims to have been a victim
Of the gold-brick swindle testified tina
| la April. 1892 he met the prisoner d
Grant county, Indiana. lie stated tina
the prisoner came to his house and swim
died him out of $1,000 on April %, 1SS.
The money was drawn from the FIRST Ma
tional Bank, in Grant county, and PAL
10 Parker In the woods where the al
| legged Indian was concealed. Witness ties
I tilted TO his experience with Parker whfc
was the same old goblin story of tn
Indian who while hunting. had sho
a deer, and in getting the deer from a
ccessible place had discovered the gol
mine A third of the gold was to &
to witness. The metal was pronounce
the finest he ever saw, and all mat. Wit
| ness identified one OF the bricks which n
pl released from Parker. The usual le,
ter was sent back TO witness inform
ing him OF his folly ana advising hir
TO keep quiet, and then he realized tina
brains ana morals do not necessarii
go together, and that shrewd tongue
and cOurtly manners are frequently base
upon bad motives.
Counsel for the defence objected 20 tn
testimony of Johnson upon the ground
of remoteness OF time and place, and hei
that II should be thrown out.
LEGAL POINT ARGUED.
Mr.. Smith, for the prosecution. argue
that the evidence was introduced TO cor
virce the jury that the methods OF IN
prisoner in carrying out the scheme {
swindling were practically the same
many instances, and consequently IN
prisoner was no victim of conspiracy O
the part OF Williams and the Indian, bl
that the whole scheme was planned an
executed in accordance with premed