The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-15

c. W. WINTERS TRIAL
The Charge of Forgery Is Places
Against Him.
CHECKS THAT WERE NOT HIS
He Is Well Known In Butte, But
Has Been In the Lewis and
Clarke County jail for 100
Days-Hls side CT II

George w. Winter. who is well known
In Butte, where he had an office for
long time. is on trial In Helena on &
charge of forgery. The Helena hide
pendent gives this account of the pro
ceedings on Monday:
George W. Winters trial for forgery
was commenced in Judge Blake's court
yesterday morning. There are two in.
formations against Winter. one fol
forging two checks drawn by United
States Marshal McDermott in favor OF
Il. N. j. Miljouer, better known as Joe
Miljouer, and the other for forging the
name of William Dallas to a check for
$40 made by Mr.. McDermott. The pros
ecution on the first charge was conclud-
ed early yesterday afternoon, and the
remainder of the afternoon was taken
up with the defense. Winter does not
deny that he forged the checks, but
claims that he was entirely innocent of
any intent to defraud by the transac-
tion.
Marshal McDermott was the princi-
pal witness for the state. He said that
he and Winter were interested in the
development of the Constance claim
Miljouer and Dallas were employed by
them at the mine. Winter had general
supervision of the mine, while McDer-
mott paid the bills. Mr.. McDermott
said that he gave Winter. Oct. IL, 1885,
check for s50.s0, made out to Miljouer,
In payment for work performed as
miner. He supposed that Winter would
give the check to Miljouer. About a
month later. Nov. S. he gave Winter
another check for Miljouer for 500 and
q check for SO for william Dallas.
Several weeks later he was surprised TO
learn that the men had not received
their money. The checks had been
cashed by Winter. who had forged the
signatures of Miljouer and Dallas, and
used the money.
Joe Miljouer took the stand and tes-
tined that he had not seen the checks;
that Winter had never told him of
them. and that Winter had never offer
ed to pay him. There was still due him,
he said, money for wages that had been
paid to Winter through checks for him.
He declared positively that he had
never authorized Winter to draw his
money for him or to sign his name to
the checks.
William Harrah foreman at the
Constance. testified that Winter had
acknowledged to him that he signed the
checks and kept the money, but that IL
was more than Miljouer was entitled to
and that Miljouer had authorized him
10 cash the checks. Afterwards, he said,
Winter had told him that he wished he
had stood pat on the proposition and
regretted that he had acknowledged the
signatures on the checks.
The last witness for the state was
John w. Luke, teller of the First Ma
tional bank, who identified the checks.
and said that he had paid the money
on them to Winter
The defense opened with an attempt
TO prove the previous good character of
Winter. Nine witnesses swore that he
VI n . a fafe Oh 81.
they knew, and that his reputation UP
to the time of the present difficulty had
been good. Winter was put upon the
stand in his own defense.
Now. Mr.. Winter said his attor-
ney. L. ID. Weed. when you signed
those checks did you have any inten-
ton of defrauding Mr.. Miljouer?'
No, sir; / did not was the reply.
Il simply borrowed the money from
Miljouer. according to an agreement
with him.
Winter, in the course of his story,
swore that he offered to pay Miljouer
his money in a few days after the check
had been drawn by Marshal McDer-
mott. but that Miljouer refused to take
1t. He said that he offered Miljouer
the money on two different occasions
once at the mine and the other time In
the city. At the same time, he said.
that Miljouer had previously borrowed
money from him. lie presented figures
TO show that at various times after the
checks had been cashed, he had paid
Miljouer sums ranging from 50 80 TO
1920, and that finally Miljouer was in
his debt.
The forged names on the back of the |
checks were written in cramped hand
entirely different from Winters natur-
al chirography. When asked to ex- /
plain that peculiar circumstance, he |
said that IL was because his hands had |
been cold when he endorsed the checks. |
He had driven from Alhambra, he said. |
on a chilly day.
Although he claimed that he did not |
owe Miljouer anything, he admitted he |
had signed an order on McDermott |
the Indebtedness The |
order to which the prosecuting attorney |
referred when he brought up the mat |
ter was dated Dec. 6. 1t was on Mr..
McDermott and given to Miljouer. for J
S62. for which amount. the order clos |
ed. i have received the money and /
hereby hold myself responsible and |
promise to pay within five days Win !
ter claimed in court yesterday that the /
order was forced from him by threats |
of prosecution.
Winter acknowledged that he did
not consult William Dallas a bow EN-
ployed at the mine. in regard to the
check tnat Mr.. McDermott had made /
out Tor him, and that he had collected /
IL without telling the boy anything
about It, He said. however, that Mil |
jouer had told him TO get the money on
II. Winter said that he had offered TO
pay the boy the money soon after he
had cashed the check, but that he had /
declined, for some reason, to take the
money. Afterward he bought the lad
4 pair of hip boots. paid for repairs on
. - a. a l.
pm Mr.. Scott. who owed him. for 50
which. he said. completely paid the boy.
He admitted that. after he had been ar
rested for forgery. he had sent for the
BOY while In jail and told him that he
would pay him that $40, or that a friend