The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-10
BOGUS COUNTY WARRANTS.
WARM LEGAL BATTLE WAGiAG II
rHE SUPERIOR COURT.
Marked Dssaxreenent in the Testi.
neny ConceFning the sale -
Given ~ PlaintiR n. H. Iatiner
Ana BY Defendant C. H black

A transaction In bogus county warrants,
growing out Of the operations OF the SELF
confessed forger, G. E Jameson. was the
beginning Of q suit brought by n. n.
Iatimer, manager OF the Dexter Horton
bank. against c. H. Black, OF the Seattle
Hardware Company. which is on trial be-
fore Judge Jacobs. The amount involved
In the present case is ssa5. bu, other suits
are pending between Mr.. Latimer ana
other members OF the Seattle Hardware
Company, involving much the same Ques-
tons as have been raised in the case now
before the court.
There is a very notable disagreement or
divergence in the testimony concerning
the sale Of the warrants to Mr.. Latsmer.
as given by the plaintiff and Mr.. Back. the
defendant. Readers OF the Post-Inteiiigen-
Ger will remember the expose OF the opera
tions Of Forger Jameson and his accom-
plices lin Montesano, Chehalis county.
through which a large amount OF forged
warrants were spread over the country.
Over 81 900 face value OF Illegal warrants
were disposed Of to Mr.. Black and other
people in this city. and af.erward sold to
Mr. Latimer. When the Post-Inteiigencer
printed the story Of the arrest OF Jane
son and the discovery that the warrants
sold In Seattle were forgeries, Mr.. Black
received a call from Mr.. Latimer. accom-
panied by his attorney, E. F. Blaine, who
presented demand for the money which
Mr.. Latimer Is alleged to have paid to Mr..
Black for the warrants
According to the testimony OF Mr.. Lati-
mer, Mr.. G. H. Black admitted the owner
ship of the warrants when Mr.. Latsmer
and Mr.. Blaine called upon him in regard
to them. Mr.. Black denied positively hav-
ing made any such admission on the oc-
casion referred to.
The warrants amounting to $S4515 were
sold to Mr.. Latimer December "a. 1896. ac-
cording to the pleadings. The :ntermedi-
airy between the purchaser and the holder
of the warrants was John Goodfel-ow. a
warrant broker. The warrants were given
as collateral security for loan OF 5000
made to Jameson by F. w. Baker. of the
Seattle Hardware Company. and after
ward turned over to Mr.. Black. The lat
ter owned the note at the time OF the sale
OF the warrants to Mr.. I.atimer.
The attorneys for the plaintiff are try
ing to connect Mr.. Black with the sale of
the bogus warrants to the banker. The
position of the defense Is that Mr.. Black
did not own the warrants at all; that they
were Jameson's property and that IL Good
fellow was the agent for any principal In
the transaction. that principal was Jane
son.
Goodfellow's connection with the trans
action is the pivotal point In the case. He
testified to having received the warrants
on the day Of the sale from Mr.. Baker,
who in turn had COTTON them from Mr..
Black. The money received on the war
rants. or a part of 1t, went to Mr.. Black
as the owner Of the note.
Mr.. Black was placed on the stand by
the defense at the afternoon session OF
the court. He admitted owning the note
and that the debt was paid on the day
OF the sale of the warrants. He had hand
ed the warrants to Mr.. Baker when the
latter told him that Mr.. Goodfellow could
dispose of them to buyer. Mr.. Goodfel-
low on returning wrote out check for the
proceeds OF the sac. reserving commission
for himself and Mr.. Baker. after making
out check to Mr.. Jameson for s6o0, the
amount Of the note. which was immedi-
ately turned over to himself (the defend
anti. in settlement OF Jameson's debt.
"Was the note paid prior to the sale OF
these warrants to Mr.. Latimer?" asked
Mr.. Powell. counsel for the plaintiff.
Mr.. Black hesitated, then pondered for
a moment and asked that the question be
repeated. The stenographer read the d,iess-
ton twice again and then the defendant
replied that he did not know. The case
went over.