The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-30

IF the Judge Pronounces sentence
Twelve Months at Hard Labor IS the
Minimum Penalty.
A Jury of twelve men yesterday
found Charles l.. humphrey guilty OF
robbing the United States mails. rms
morning the District Attorney will
pray that Judgment be pronounced. IL
Judge Seymour does not suspend Judg-
ment. the minimum penalty Is twelve
months imprisonment at hard LABOR
The case has attracted more atten-
ton than any other on the docket at
this term of the court. 1t took nearly
all of yesterday to hear the evidence
and the speeches of counsel.
humphrey was railway postal clerk
on the railroad line between Washing
ton and Tarboro. November 30th,
1894, Savage Sons q Co, cotton factors
of Norfolk, Va. sent registered pack
AGE to j. L. Perkins, Stokes, n. g.,
which contained an advance of three
hundred dollars on cotton deposited
for sale. 1t is alleged that when the
package got to its owner, 1t contained
only S240, being 500 short
1t is charged in the bill of Indictment
that humphrey broke open the pack
age and took therefrom sixty dollars of
the money it contained.
The evidence was all circumStantial.
Evidence for the prosecution was link
ed in a chain that led to humphrey. 1t
was testified to that the registered
package left Norfolk, Va, containing
three hundred dollars, and was in
good order. w. I'll. Peace, colored. reve-
nue. postal clerk on the Norfolk and
hat t,a all
age was sent him by mistake, and that
at Weldon he turned it over to Postal
Clerk Bradshaw, on the Norfolk and
Wilmington route At Tarboro it was
received by Jesse Speight, acting assis-
tnant postmaster. humphrey, the
route agent, received the package and
gave Speight a receipt for 1T. Stokes
postoffice is between Tarboro and
Washington. He carried the package
on by Stokes that night to Washing
ton, where G. w. Tayloe, the postmas-
ter. gave him d receipt for it. stating
that it was in good order. He gave
as his reason for carrying the package
by Stokes that he had orders to throw
off no registered mail at ''cacher'' sta
tions in the night. The next morning,
on the return trip, he car
ried the package back to Stokes.
The package was addressed to
J. T.. Perkins. Perkins sister is the
postmaster. Perkins testified that he
opened the package in the presence of
W Il. Robertson. They both testified
that the package bore evidences of
having been opened. and that it con-
tanned only s24o being 500 short. Muir
phrey also had receipt for the pack
age from the postmaster at Stokes.
That was the evidence for the pro-
secution.
The defense did not attempt to put
on any large number of witnesses.
They put on the stand humphreys
daily companions on the train between
Tarboro and Washington. Mr.. w. I'll.
Ellsworth, conductor and G. l.. Boddie.
testified in his behalf. They testified
that there was a department car on
the line that embraced mail. baggage
and express. The mail department
is small affair, with doors opening
into both the express and baggage
departments; and one in either of
these sections could see all that trans
pired in the mail department. They
did not think humphrey could have
rified package without their knowl-
edge. Mr.. humphrey testified in his
own behalf. and made an extended
explanation of the entire occurrence.
The witnesses for the State We're:
J. T. Francis, accountant for Savage,
Sons and Co, Norfolk; I'll. w Williams,
assistant registry clerk in the post
Office at Norfolk w H. Peace, rail-
way postal clerk between Norfolk and
Monroe; c. Il. Bradshaw, railway pos
tai clerk between Norfolk and Viii
mington; Jesse Speight, acting assis-
tant postmaster, Tarbcro; Maj. j. j..
Martin, of Tarboro; q. w. Tayloe,
postmaster at Washington. \. G.; j.
X. Hatton, assistant postmaster at
Washington j. i. Perkins and w. r.
Robertson, of Stokes postofiiee; J. w
Page and q. NJ. Mooring, of Tarboro;
Postmaster Rawls, of Tarboro; G. w.
Carr chief clerk of the Railway Mail
Service, Washington. d. c.
The witnesses for defense: w. H..
Ellsworth, conductor on the train that
runs between Tarboro and Washing
ton; Charles L. humphrey, in his own
defense. and c. l.. Boddie, express mes
seneer on the same train.
District Attorney Aycocll and AS
: sitant District Attorney WE'LL repre-
scented the State, while f. IL. Busbee
appeared for the defendant.
Mr.. humphreys father was one Of the
wealthiest and most esteemed citizens
of Greene county. The young man is
connected with some OF the best fami-
lies in the State on both sides of the
house. He is a handsome, sturdy look
ing fellow, and has an air Of intelli-
gence and good-breeding that are
noticeable. Many believe in his in
nocence and others who do not deplore
the ruin and disgrace that the imposi-
ton of sentence of Imprisonment
will bring.
Two years ago Mr.. humphrey was
married to a charming young lady OF
Plymouth, and TO the union has been
born a pretty babe. And the mother
with breaking heart and tear-full eyes
waits the sentence of the Judge.
L