The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-23

the Vermont Life Insurance company,
was reported settled and crossed off
the list.
The preliminaries to Circuit court
having been disposed of, the business
of the district court was commenced
by the summoning and charging of the
grand jury. Judge Harold M. Mcclure,
OF LewisburC, was made foreman.
TRUE BILLS REPORTED.
At intervals during the day the grand
jury returned true bills against the fol-
lowing: Simon Hoyis, of Venango coun-
ty, counterfeiting; William and James
Forester, Of Forrest county, coun-
terfeiting; Alex. ]. Stroff, Lackawanna
county. using the mails for lottery
business; James Gestilesco and @. w.
Brewer, selling liquor without paying
the required special tax; Anthony Duck
and John Noack. of Lackawanna
county, altering a United States treas
ury note.
Among the fifteen cases appearing
on the trial list are three against A.
G. Tillnghast. of this city, charged
with pension frauds, and two against
Lysle Button. of Nicholson, accused of
counterfeiting.
The first case called for trial was
that of the United States against
James and William Forester, of For
rest county, charged with maxi
ing. possessing and passing coun-
terfeit money. Gustave Hahn was
assigned by Judge Burlington to de-
fend them. 1t appears from the stories
told on the witness stand that one of
the Forester boys met a man in But
Ter who showed him how to make coun-
terfeit coins for SIS, furnishing them
with some of the necessary metal,
moulds, acids and the like.
James Forester went into the bakery
shop of Mrs. Minnie McAvoy, in Kane,
and buying five cents worth Of cakes,
rendered a Silver dollar in payment and
received ninety-five cents in change.
Shortly afterwards the other brother,
William, worked off another dollar on
Mrs. McAvoy, receiving five cents
worth of cakes and ninety-five cents
therefor. The character OF the coins
was discovered shortly afterwards and
James Forester was placed under ar
rest,
FORESTER CONFESSED.
Chief of Police S. l.. Byam and
Policeman Oscar Quanstrom took him
into custody. He confessed to them
and told that one Ned Barnhart, of
Butler, had made the coins. James es-
capped from Jail, but soon afterwards
was recaptured at Costello. In the in
terim the other brother, William, had
been arrested and also made a con-
fession, saying, however, that he made
the money. At the hearing in Warren
county before the United States COM
missioner all three brothers confessed
themselves guilty of making, possess
ing and passing counterfeit money.
The grand jury ignored the bill against
the youngest brother.
Mr.. Hahn asked his clients quietly
what they had in the way of defense.
One said: II passed it but / didn't
make it," The other said: 81 made it
but I didn't pass it," Mr.. Hahn an
nounced that he would rest. The jury
was out about five minutes in deter
mining the defendants guilt in all
three charges. The case was worked
up by Secret Service Agent Griffin, of
Pittsburg.
The next case was from Tioga county
and was likewise a counterfeiting case.
Elias Short was the defendant. He
was defended by eX-Assstant United
States District Attorney David Cam
eron, of Wellsboro, Tioga county.
Last year young farmer from Os-
ceola, Edward Gleason, plead guilty of
passing three 50-cent counterfeit pieces.
He told that he received them from
Short. giving him a good half-dollar
and a pint of whiskey for the $3.50 in
spurious coin. Secret Service Agent
Griffin got after Short and found him
living at James Bakers house in Potter
Brook, Tioga county.
The visit of the government officer
disclosed a wholesale counterfeiting
scheme at Osceola. Baker was discov-
cred to be a manufacturer on a large
scale. He had a mill in the kitchen of
his house and kept it running night
and day making dollars, half-dollars
and quarters. Short assisted him in
the manufacturing process and also did
the distributing.
THE CHIEF WITNESS.
The chief witness against Short was
Bakers wife. She described the whole
plan and process of making and dis
tributing the counterfeits. and how
she and her little boy We're forced to
keep watch at the windows for the
approach of strangers. Short, she said,
had poor eyesight and could only be
utilized in cutting off the necks" of
the coins after they We're taken from
the moulds.
The jury found Short guilty Of hav-
ing counterfeit coins in his possession
and acquitted him of the other counts.
An equity suit was instituted yes
terday morning by Vosburg & Dawson,
representing Doud & Miller, trustees,
to secure an assignment of letters pat
ent held by the Bonita Plate Glass COM
pany. The plaintiffs have 50, 900 judg-
ment against the company. The only
assets of the company, now available,
are the patent rights to the Bonita in
ventions for making plate glass. These
can only be taken in execution through
an equity proceeding in United States
court. EX-Judge Stanton, representing
George Winans, a Bonita company
stockholder, asked leave to intervene
and make answer to the suit. Judge
Burlington took the papers.
Attorney 4. ]. Colborn was appoint
ed by Judge Burlington as examiner to
take testimony and report in the
equity case of Elisha A. Corey against
the New York, Susquehanna and
Western Coal company.
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