The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-14
THAT PYNE CASE.
The Defendant Tells His Own Story in
Letter to the Journal.
o the Editor of the State Journal:

q Letter Co the y Ournal.
To the Editor of the State Journal:
AS I have noticed numebr of pub
lished statements of my case in various
papers, none of which have been cor
rect, I shall be pleased if you will give
the following statement space in your
paper:
August 5, 1891 a pension check for SIS
was drawn at the Topeka agency by B.
Kelly, payable to William Cook, Ash
land, Kan, and was mailed but never
reached its destination. Complaint was
made by Cook to the department. which
resulted in an investigation. This
brought to light the fact that the check.
identified by number, was cashed at
the SUBJ treasury in st. Louis October
8, 1891. Following up the check by the
endorsements on it, it soon come to
light that after leaving the pension Of
flee, it was next found to have been IN
the possession of someone who cashed
it at a country store in Sumner county,
called Guelph. The check at that time
bore the Endorsement of William Cook,
evidently forged. Next to that appear
ed the name W. A. Pyne. This latter
name is said to have been written by
the party who presented the check at
the store From there it passed to an
Arkansas City bank, and was endorsed
by Eli Blake, owner of the Guelph
store. The investigation also showed
that the check was taken in at the
Blake store by clerk, Mack Cr1ck, Who
said the party presenting 1t was my
self; that I had been there on visit.
or 27, 1891. I was then a resident of
Ashland and published the Clark Coun-
ty Clipper. Seeing an opportunity to
better myself, in December, 81, I sold
out my interests and removed to
Goodland, where took charge of a pa
per, remaining short time. then es-
tablishing paper in St. Francis. June
IS, 1892, Rodney Chip, a pension ex-
aminer, came to my office in ST. Francis
and took my deposition in regard to the
Cook check, in which stated knew
- oh 01I hot T
had never had it in my possession, and
that my name on it was forgery. This
was the last I heard of the matter until
1 was arrested in May, 1895, on the
peka, where I gave bond, with ex-State
Treasurer Hamilton and two others as
sureties, and was released.
On February 2, 1885, I made a visit to
the witness Crick to see if he could
identify me as the fellow who cashed
the check, and he could not, and said in
that 1 was not the man, and that he
would say SO on the stand when the
case came to trial. On leaving, Crick
said he would correspond with Assist
ant Attorney Mason in regard to the
matter. Whether he did or not I can
not say, but when the case did come
to trial he denied in toto having the
conversation with me, and said he rec
ognized me as the party who presented
the check at Guelph. 1 had arranged
for a number of witnesses, among them
one OF the men VINO noar0 this CONVEX
sation with Crick, but from some cause
none of them was at, the trial, except
one, and I had not sufficient evidence
to overcome Crick's testimony, and the
fact that 1 had visited a sister near
Guelph, going there August g. and
leaving finally on September 10, 1891, to
attend the opening of the Sac and Fox
reservations on September %, then go
ing direct home, arriving at Ashland on
September "a. September &c, one of the
days Crick claims to have cashed the
check, I attended a meeting of the
board of directors of a newspaper COM
pany, of which 1 was secretary, at
Ashland. To this I testified on the
stand, at the same time telling of the
meeting with Crick and what he said,
and that 1 had never seen Crick pre-
vious to that time.
c. S. Williams, who was president of
our company, corroborated all I said
about the meeting on September IS. The
other date given, September 27, was
Sunday, and when this was brought out
Crick added another day, the 18th, to
give him ample scope. I also showed
by an expert penn1an that my name on
the check was a forgery. The prosecu-
ton had eight witnesses, among them
land in 1891, who said the Cook letter
never come to his office, as he kept a
record of all such papers, with dates of
their receipt at Office, and delivery to
owner. The other witnesses simply
testified to my being near Guelph in
September, but none of them could give
dates to the time I was there. The
jury was out just So hours, and not
withstanding the fact that everything
was against me by the non-attendance
of my witnesses, they stood six to six
till the last two ballots.
Since the trial have secured a num-
Der of affidavits from my absent wit
nesses, and others who knew of my be-
ing in Ashland on and after the oath
of Septembe r 1891, and one of these is
from the party who performed my du-
ties on the paper during my absence.
I am still gathering testimony, and will
have enough to bury President McKin-
ley, for some hours at least, when the
case is presented to him.
I also want to take this opportunity
to thank those kind friends who have
so generously assisted myself and fam
lily during my trouble. I appreciate
them. w. A PYNE.
Lansing, Kan, July II, 1897.