The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-09
The Awful GrGGn.GOOdS COuntGrolGr is
Only a CARPENTER.
A JEST ON A FELLOW BOARDER
Results Seriously for the German Settler.
Promptly Dismissed In the Police
Court and the United states Court.
Promises of the Golden Era"

were thrown into weird, Wild dreams o.
gold bricks, burglar tools, green goods
counterfets. skeleton keys. and the Ike
can rest with composure In the knowledge
that the country Is still safe. ana tret-
erick Rohde is a complacent German ciu-
zen. with penchant for jokes. not alto-
gether as bright as the F'liegende Blatter,
but equally as harmless.
The case of Fred. Rohde was called In
the Police Court Yesterday mornlnS ana
the prisoner Was brought out Of the pen
and seated by his counsel Mr.. James
Gordon. who conducted the case with aoIi-
ity and perfect success.
The Commonwealth had its promised
witness. w. T. Gillespie, and charming
witness he made. when it came 10
matter OF conyicting Rohde OF beihs
swindler.
Gillespie testified that about the llth
or 18th Of April he met +. j. Jackson
and Rohde together. and that all OF theul
went into Girolamfs saloon ana had
a drink together. While In the saloon
he says, Rohde. to whom he had Just been
Introduced. told him in the presence OF
Jackson that he was n counterfeiter' ana
that Rohde showed him a dollar whlch
he said he had made. and which Gil
lespie said was rough and uncut arouhu
Gulrspie further stated that Rohde
wanted him TO put up some money 10 puy
metal with and go in partners Win MN
This proposition, Gillespie said, ne TOOK
under advisenTent. in order TO get more
evidence against Rohde. ana that ne hdu
told Mr.. T.. +. Higgins of the atair' ana
that gentleman also aaNlSeu h'nl " WV n
I'D more evidence.
when Mr.. Higgins came on the stand
he told of other purported interviews ana
meetings that Gillespie had told MIN ne
had with Rohde, but Of which Glllespie
bad not spokeu. and evidently during these
the subject was not discussed as only
the first talk on their first meelihs III
n public place. with witness present,
vvonld IL appear that ROhde mentioned
Loinq a deep-dyed cOunterfciter, but on
the subsequent visits together Gillespie
failed To get further information.
A HUGE JOKE.
~ Jackson. who Is a brick-layer or
stone-mason i'm the city, boards at the
same house where Rohde lived, ana WdS
with him when he told ElliesPlc ms
business. and invited his capital III MS
nefarious enterprises. T., ,os.
Tackson syyore that Rohde was IN jest
and the dollar he showed was perieetly
,,ood and the rough edges Gillespie saw
r,ore accustomed by his astonishment ana
,,.o,,,Ier at being introduced 10 seh-
,ssar,ino counterfeiter. who was VIKING
o. toin fortunes with him AT moment s
,o.jco Jackson further testified as 70
his friendship with Rohde al thelr poa- =
,ra,-house and OF the general demeaior
of the prisoner. which had peeh u '''0
best character. ,....s With his
- and sister at the same boardlns
- where Hohde lived, tesiiheu 'nd1
"a nrenared a device for a SEWING
-tf,o and showed that ne hah "''"
~, .o,,,nunication with the singer com
nanv about it, ffe said that ho"'c. D''ai7
oft Of employment, was lrequehNS a.
The clearinghouse ana oiteh III ne
Davidsons) room during the Gay, S,'S az
mat as ROhde was carpenter 'nes ",'
worked together. Rohde making
for him. pohde had
..I,'od over the matter OF the necessary
money to get the patent for his deNlce'
and that a,ter Rohde got employment
mon Major Drewry's farm they ~. -.
,,,,,o1 "a cot money enough. tie snow.
a Letter from Major Drewry's farm, writ
ten bv Rohde to that erect.
Davidson further testified that was
agreed between them 10 put In the ave-,
tisement for capital, and that ne anu
Rohde went together TO the newspaper
onice where It was inserted.
Al
,b.s hoarding-house, testified that Rohde
b,d always been I'm the room win some
ot,or boarder and that his belongings
ycere always where they could nave oeeh
inspected by any one who cared 10 90
so.
PROMPTLY DISMISSED.
Jackson. Davidson. and Allison ali tes-
,iFed as 10 the good behavior and who'll
lv unsuspicious manner OF Rohhe en-
tire stay at the boarding-hous anu lhdt
no single thing had ever happened TO
create tho slightest suspicion OF wrong
I'm their fellow-boarder
Sergeant Hall had all or the letters anu
papers taken In Rohde's room put noun
ing from any Of them was ofrered against
the man. ,....
ont a word Of argument. as his skilltui
Examination OF the witness had lakd
bare the facts.
Justice Crutchheld promptly DISCHARGED
the prisoner. who was at once surrounaeu
and congratulated by all Of the boardets'
tKcept one. whose presence In the court
was not marked by being put on the
stand. although he stood through the
trial with the other witnesses Ihat
boarder's name is Reed. and he mas Deeh
In the court before as he sometimes mas
troubles OF his own.
All during the trial OF the case. ana
catching ey0y word OF the testimony,
Mr. McWullams, Of the Secret Service,
fron Washington, sat near the prson>
or Near him sat Mr.. Janney peasants,
armed with a United States warrant.
ready TO cart of the criminal and coun-
terfeiter To the United States Commis-
sioner. AS soOn as the verdict Oh JUS
tice Crutchfeld was rendered this war
rant was served, and Rohde was taken
across fTe Capitol Square 10 the custom
house where Commissioner Fleggenhei-
mer was waiting for the much explolted
case. . ,,o,,
LAWYER Gordon, Rohde. Sergeant Han,
and NcWflliams were all there, ana 'he
case was again examined WIN the re-
sult that Rohde was at once dismissed
FOR want OF any evidence against niin'
ROHDE EXPLAINS.
A half hour after the hearing before
the United States Commissioner was
completed Rohde walked into The Times
office and asked for the reporter whom
no had told to wait for his story the
day before.
Rohde was lust as confident on Thurs
day of his final acqulttal as he was yes
tes1av but he had reserved the story Of
the whole affair through Difference TO
others. but appreciating the unfortunate
position in which he had placed himself
before the public. he told the Following
story OF the case:
.The whole thing" he said, "from the
beginning to end, was Joke which we
nut up in the clearinghouse on Reed,
although none OF us expected or thought
Of its ever going so far as II did
III