The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
A GREEK-LETTER RESCUE.
SOME CURIOUS Aspects OF THE
TRIAL OF WHITMAN.

yyiiinE TO swear TO His abb, but College
Fraternity Friends and y Clergyman He
Had sent Through ConcEesnw Him Through.
The trial of AlonZo J. Whitemnn, acquitted
shortly before midnight on Thursday OF
swindlinR the Columbia Bank, sol Fifth ave-
nue., out OF $3.50 by means of a worthless check,
was interesting for several reasons.
Whiteman is SO years old, and a native OF
Dansville, y Y. His father left q million,
of which 500, 900 in cash vent to whiteman
besldos reversionary interests. After having
graduated from hamilton College in 1881,
Whiteman graduated ut tho Columbia Low
School in this city, was admitted TO the bar,
and went to Duluth. He OF once became popu-
lar, secured n lucrative law practice, was
nominated and elected to {. g State Senate as .
Democrat in 1855, was made the Chairman Of
tho Democratic State Central Committee, was
o delegate to tho National Democratic con-
v~entions Of 1884 and 1888, was defeated for
Congress in 1890, and was talked of as.Demo-
cratic candidate for Governor in 1892.
In that year no lost all his money except his
revsrsionary interest in his fathers estate.
whitemAn was arrested on March o at the
Hoboken Ferry at the foot of Barclay street
BY Detective Sergeant Mcknight OF the Dis
trict Attorneys office and Deteoti-e Dough-
erty Of tho + inkerton agency, on a bench war;
rant charging him with swindling the Co
lumbia Bank. Whoa tho case came to trial
tho cashier Of the bank, Mr.. Grinlths, swore
positively that Whitemnn wa, the man who.
under the name Of DR.. ]. II. Williams, de-
posted in the Columbia Bank on Feb. 20 a
check for So, 49, 1, drawn on the National
City Bank Of Brooklyn to the order of J. II.
Williams and Endorsed by him.. President
Hoag Of the American Savings Bank, which
10 In tho basement Of the Columbia Bank build
Ing, positively Identified whiteman as tho
man.. introduced to him on Feb. 90 as DR.. J.
II. Williams by Cashier Grifiths. Paying
Teller Stoll Of tho Columbia Bank positively
identified Whitemal as the man who, under
tho name of J. II. Williams. drow a check to
his own order on the Columbia Bank for $3.50
on Feb. % and obtained the money.
The cashier of tho Lake wood Hotel sworo
that whiteman, under the name of J. l..
Whiting. spent \ week at the hotel, prior to
Teb. %. On that day ho paid hi bill AMI went
away, returning on Feb. % In the morning
and leaving In tho evening of that day. Tho
head porter swore that he saw whiteman go
away from Lakewood on tho 8:1o P. NJ. train.
Tho Pinkerton detective. DouRherty, swore
that he saw Whitemnn in AXE on Feb. 90.
Besides these witnesses the prose outioa pro-
duced a blank check, either on the Columbia
Bank or the National. City Bank, said to.
have boon in q p0cketbook found in White
handwriting, swore the HANDWRITING Of the
check drawn by DIR. J. II. williams' was
In cross examinlng the witness for the people
The defence brough out the following facts;
That Cashier G.itilt~. had seen a picture; al.
York office of the Pinkertons before he saw
Waterman; that both Grinlths and the paying
only a few moments; that Mr.. HoaR is a man
70 years old, whose eyesight Is not as good as
In c~ross-examining Ames. Lawyer f. VI.
Grout showed him four specimen Of hand writ
ing, one at a time. The expert swore that the
first specimen was the handwriting OF the man
who drew the bogus check. The second and
bird specimens were those OF n rerson who had
to disguise his hand and tho
fourth lie would venture NO opinion upon.
Circuit took the stand. aud Bwore that all the
leeI.Is VI ritten to him by clients. and that tho
one said by IN. ex pert 10 be the hand writing of
DR.. J. II. Williams was, in fact. the land
writing OF n client named llenry Nichols.
Whiteinan's lawyers then produced ten wit
nes.es from Dansyille, all OF whom had kno,.n
OF whom could be impsached, who swore posi-
lively, that Whiteman was in Dansville on Feb.
%. Dansville IL Al miles from this city by
DnnsyilIe alethodist Church, swore that he
Jaw whiteman in Lsnsville. between 10 A. VI.
and IL A. NJ. on the morning Of the dav In
question. D.. Sykes fixed the day because It
was the day following Washington's Birthday,
on Sn.I the s.I niR n rio i.f c Mn,Gh az rs snt ;n,i,T, a had
ing the Doctor had two meetings.
one at 10 O'Clock and tho other st II O'Clock.
After he had met the first committee he went
10 the Post ONCE, met Whitenan on the way.
and then remembered that the latter " $ TO
have been at the church entertainment the night
before and was not.
Daniel Acomb, a merchant OF Dansville,
sworc that he had n sister who was III and that
he sat up with her on the night OF Feb. 22. On
tho morning OF the sd he died, and he went
To the telegraph office TO apprise his brother.
Highland House he met hltsman coming out.
Frank J.. A.verson,a LAWYER and former
o'aiosf OF on the The p mSfsiin 1s's Of tho 'n %il. f having 10 @
headache, he left his Office to get some phe-
n%acctine. ON the way downstairs he met
ter of business. 1t was tho day after the en-
te%rtaInment at the Methodist Church.
testified that on tic morning OF the 23d no
had played several games OF pool with White.
man In the Highland House; AT the conclus,
Attorney Hardwick asked with y sheer:
IL there ANYBODY in nHnsyilie who didn't
Hyde, who had not yet left tho witness
II don't know n oout that, but I do know If
about n dozen more who wanted to come down
here and testify that they did see him.
The jury WAS out eleven hours, not because
they were unable to agree as 10 questions OF law
and fart, but because some personal misunder-
STANDINGS arose among them.
Whitaman was without funds to defray the
expenses OF his trial. Just before tho case was
called he sent for Norman j. Marsh, n partner
OF Moan Davis. VINO was n freshman wh en-
Whitenan was 4 senior at Hamilton, and was
a member OF the same Greek letter fraternity.
Whitcman stated his case To Marsh. told him
he nj no money, and asked Marsh II he would
defend him.. Marsh consented. L. NJ. Grout
was q member OF the same fraternity, ard
agreed to help. After that Marx ID. Wilbur,
who stumped WhitemAn's district when he
ran for Congress, volunteered his services, and
was selected to sum M tho case.
On the last day of the trial the proprietor
of the hotel where WhItemRn's Evansville
witnesses were stopping. came to Mr.. Grout
AMI demanded his pay, and Mr.. Circuit, Mr..
WILDER, and Mr.. Marsl. became respon sible
for IL. There was Q memlnr OF Whiteman's
fraternity In tho class of 1889 at Hamilton,
who was preparing himself for the ministry.
Hp had littls money. and the time came when
he thought he would have to abandon his col
lego course. Whlteman knew Of tie young
mans straits, and, having plenty OF money
then, gave his friend enough money Il enable
him to finish his college and seminary courses
The amount was not tar from $1,000. THAI
'riend is now the pastor OF one OF tho wealth,
lost churches IN the city. Whiieman'S tinancia
condition ana the demands OF the hotcl pro
prietor were brought to his attrn ion on Thurs
DAY, and he Immediately drew his check fol
$3.50 TO pay the bill, aud offered 20 advance IL
the man who had helped him as much money
as no was able 10 help him out now.