The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-15
A CARD. NJ
Mr.. Hughes Gives His Side of the Con

MT. hughes Gives His Side of the Con-
troversy.
10 the Editor of The Times:
From the article in your columns YES
terday, and the report in the Evening
World OF the trial of W. A. Coleman in
the police court on the 18th instant for n
petit larceny, it might be inferred that
the members of the Hughes Company, or
myself as It's manager, were actuated by
prejudice or personal motives in nppear-
ing as witnesses against Mr.. Coleman. In
order that faiI-minded public may un-
uerstand my position in the matter, | will
state that the undisputed evidence i'm the
case was to this effect
Mr. Coleman had been n partner in tbe
hughes Company up to February |,
io9o; but the arrangement not being sat
lSiatory to the parties concerned it was
agreed that he should withdraw OH that
date, taking certain goods us his share,
which were designated. These goods
were easily identified In addition to
them he was to have u certain amount
in cash, desk room in the Hughes Com
pany's building, and the company was to
make good any article which had been set
apart as his. had it been sold or other
wise disposed Of Mr.. Coleman ut this
time had certain boxes in the building,
lions of his personal effects They
We're allowed to remain fora considerable
time.
After this time began to miss. and
from time to time thereafter, goods be-
longing to the company, and as only Mr.
llansbrough, Mr.. Coleman and myself
had keys to the building, | thought il
proper to call Mr. lIanSbrough's attcn-
ton to the matter as he was an old en-
p.oye of the company, and man in
! whom have every confidence. We i'm
mediately took an inventory, and found
that between five and six hundred dollars
worth of goods were missing The at
tention of the chief of police was called to
the matter Immediately. The policemen
on the beat We're notified to he on the
lookout, and place from which to watch
was arranged in the store, Mr.. Hans
brough and myself taking turns in watch
ing ut night.
The undisputed testimony also shows
that the policeman on the beat saw Mr..
Coleman leaving the Hughes Companvs
| place of business late at night after the
| house had been closed and dark. with bun
dies of goods; that Mr.. Coleman was seen
| by witnesses on the inside of the building,
| to come in on Sunday after Sunday and
select goods belonging to the Hughes
| Company and set them apart, which
goods were gone on Monday when the
| place was opened. The boxes introduced
i into the builing by him, and also his
desk, We're opened and found to contain
Il large.lot of goods, all the property of
! the Hughes Company and not set aside
| rs or in any manner his He was also
| proven to have made ut least one sale of
! goods belonging to the Hughes COMPANY
which he never reported nor did he ever
report any of the goods in his boxes or
desk or removed on Sunday and at night
lt was further proven that when he
| was taxed by me and accused of stealing
| from the company that he at first denied
| the charge, but ut last admitted that he
had taken the goods of the company, but
only about half the amount claimed.
and offered to make that amount good.
| The police justice held that Coleman.
| under the agreement referred to- might
have thought he had the right to take the
! goods of the company, and dismissed the
charge; but l thought, and think now,
that he chose II very unsuitable time to
| take goods away-that is, on Sunday
nights-and that if he did not mean to
steal the goods of the company he might
at least have reported what he took
AS to the arbitration referred to, or the
law suits, will only say that reported
| to the chief of police and commonwealth 5
attorney Immediately found out the
| loss, which was long before any suit on
| the part of Mr. Coleman, and they have
been working on the case ever since, with
the result III the police court, as reported.
This only appears because of the incor-
| rect report referred to, which may be
misunderstood. y. S HUGHES.