The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-06-07
WHERE LAW IS KING
Cases Up for Hearing Before Judge
Speer of Department II.
]. SIEGAR UP FOR FORGERY
Court Clerks Report-Another Elk
plosion Suit for $4,000
Crifflth's Bondsmen Sued
minor Matters.

Butte, June 6.-J. A. Siegar was put
on trial before a jury in Judge Speer's
court this afternoon on the charge of
forging the name of w. l.. Ledford
to check on the First National bank
for $3.50, payable to j. II. Smith. The
defendant made spiel to get out of
1t by claiming that his name was w.
l.. Ledford. Jerry Murphy. ex-city de-
tective. was the first witness and testi-
ned he had known the defendant for
1--WE months and that he gave his name
as Siegar. Mr.. Murphy identified the
forged check, which he had passed on
the Hennessy company. He also iden-
tined another forged check, but as II
was not involved in the case, Mr..
wines did not question him regarding
IL. The defendants attorney, on cross
examination, however, brought out
everything there was in IL against Sic
gar The witness said he had arrested
a man named Norton and found on him
the second forged check. Norton said
Siegar had given 1t to him and asked
him to get IL cashed. Norton was TAX
en- to the jail and identified Siegar as
the man who gave II to him. and Sic
gar asked him If he got the money
and when he was told that he did not
Siegar said he was sorry as they
AhiSAii nave Ildu Il SOOu time.
William L. Ledford, the copper man,
testified that Siegar came to him
some time ago and asked for work
Adolph Metzstein testified that Siegar
came into the Avalon saloon and asked
him what Ledford's initials WERE Pat
Norton testified that he was in a sa-
loon one day and Siegar came in and
got pen and ink. He went to the
end of the bar and wrote out a check
for $45, payable to John A. Siegar, and
signed the name of w. l.. Ledford to
II. He asked Norton to take 1t to Hen
nessy's and there he was told to take
II to the bank, and when he presented
1t at the bank he was arrested.
Joe V. Long. cashier of Hoge.
Brownlee & Co.'S bank, testified as an
expert on handwriting and said the
handwriting on the two checks was
the same. Mr.. Bachelor. of the First
National bank, and Harry Wing of the
State Savings bank. also identified
them as i'm the same handwriting.
George Tilton and a man named Az
otte said they saw Siegar write one of
the checks
Ex-Police Magistrate Naughten tes-
titled that when the defendant was ar
raigned before him on a preliminary
trial he said that Siegar was his true
name.
Mr.. Herbert, cashier for Hennessy.
testihed about cashing one of the !
forged checks, and then the state an |
the close of it's case
The defendant then went on the wit |
ness stand and told a long, rambling |
story about mysterious unknown |
man writing the checks and giving I
them to him to get cashed Siegar I
said his right name was William Leon !
ard Ledford and that he was born on /
the banks of the Clyde in Scotland. He |
admitted that he went under different
names for various reasons. The de- /
made the remarkable state |
ment that he could write with a pencil /
but not with pen, and he could not /
remember why he borrowed a pen and 1
nix from the saloon keeper.
Siegar said young Ledford knew more
about the forgery than he would care
% tell, as the man from whom he got /
ne check had often been in young
-edford's company. Sjegar had no wit
lesses TO support his testimony, and
litter the arguments of the ATTORNEYS
I took the jury just about five min
ties to find him guilty as charged.
eaving the punishment to be fixed by
ne court. He will be sentenced on
saturday.