The herald., 1897-08-07

introduced IL on general principles, as
It might prove useful later on. There
was a laugh at this mode of piling up
evidence of all kinds on the supposition
that something or other would hit the
mark, but the objections were overruled
all the same.
On cross examination witness stated
that the Columbia bank gave the check
to the Title Insurance Co. 1t was made
payable to that organization and was
paid by the Citizens bank on a balance
there belonging to the Columbia bank.
Melvin Howard was the next witness
put forward by the prosecution and he
was by no means a willing witness. He
did not, judging from his hesitancy, tell
anything more than he was compelled
to, but what was extorted by direct
questions was quite interesting.
The witness is an attorney. and stated
that he had known Compton for two or
three years He had converse tion with
him last May when a deal in Washing
ton street property was discussed.
II told him." said witness, the prop
erty was for sale and the owner in the
east. and the price $4,000 for which
thought it would be sold. Another time
I had note for $500 was trying to ne
gotiate. I couldn't get it casheo and
Compton told me never to mind, that
some money was coming to him on turn
ing little trick, and he would give me
$780, The deal, 1t was understood, was
the one he had spoken of before as
mortgage trick in which he was going
to clear $1,000.
"I saw in the paper that the DAILY lot
had been conveyed to Mr.. Davis and
told Compton, when I next saw him.
that the sale in which he was interested
had been made and he could get his
money. He afterwards told me that the
fellow had skipped out with all the mon
ey. and didn't get my $100.
IT know something illegitimate had
been done with the lot," continued wit
ness, "and that Greene had not sold out
questioned Compton about it, and he
said that they had played trick upon
him and mentioned Davis as the man
who. had got the money and run off with
it. He told me that on the evening of
the day that told him that the sale had
been made after he had gone to hunt
the man up and when he failed to find
him.
On cross examination the witness
stated that when he told Compton that
he knew the deal had been made and
the deed recorded, Compton stated he
knew nothing about it.
In answer to the inquiry of the court
witness said he knew about the lot be-
cause he was attorney for Green and
had been trying to sell the lot. When
he saw the deed mentioned in the paper
as having been recorded he knew some
thing was wrong, for he knew Greene
was in the east, and Mr.. Cuddy, Greene's
agent, was in the City of Mexico. Wit
ness made no mention of having knowl-
edge of the shady transaction for
couple of weeks after he knew the fact
itself When Davis was arrested Comp
ton told witness of the fact and said that
they had got hold of Ware, too, and he
supposed that he'd also be drawn into
it. After witness had had an interview
with the chief of police Compton told
him that he, too, had been up at the
police station for three or four hours,
but that he didn't care"
Reverting back to the time when Mr..
Howard saw in the daily paper of the
deed having been transferred witness
stated that when he told Compton that
that trick had been turned" the latter
threw up his hand,s and professed great
surprise. He at once said he would go
and hunt the fellow up and return with
the $100 he had promised to loan witness.
The evidence of Mr.. Howard was
rather "scrappy" and disconnected, but
one fact stood out in bold relief, and that
was that his own attitude in the matter
he was testifying to as Greene's agent
was, to say the least, peculiar.
But if some little surprise was permis'-
sible over Howard's testimony, that of
the defendant Ware, was more so. This
defendant went upon the stand as wit
ness for the prosecution and turned
states evidence. He gave all the details
of the plot to swindle the bank, and
stripped of its superfluous and minor
points he testified as follows:
II first met Compton about the 10th
of May in an office at the corner of Sec
ond and Broadway. Mrs. Reinold sent
for me and introduced me to Compton.
We spoke about raising money on certain
property on Flower street and another
lot on Washington street. In discussing
the proposition he said it wasn't safe
to tackle that, but that we could go
along and see. We got the abstract and
found $4,000 mortgage on it. He said
Now you see!" Then he said he'd find
piece of property, and he then brought
up the DAILY lot. He said: Here's a
piece of property the owner of which is
in the east. The man that handled it
used to be chief of police here and was
then in the City of Mexico. He told us
to go and get certificate of title and
by the time it was ready he'd have the
money to pay for it. j. H. Shields. at 113
| South Broadway, looked after 1t and
some days later Compton put up the
money to pay for it. He said, however.
that he was disappointed because he
| thought that we would have got the
certificate from another company, and
| he didn't think the bank would advance
money on that one, but that we could
| buy.
There was a deed made out to me the
same day the other one was, and that
one was handed to me by Compton in the
alley behind the New York kitchen. l
told him didn't want it made out to me,
and 1 knew my wife would not sign it,
and SO we went back and another one
the one in evidence-was made out in
Compton's office at Spring and Temple
streets. told him that Davis would get
the loan. I had seen Davis a day or two