The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-19

were and Mr.. Cotter objected on the
ground that the check itself was the
best evidence. Mr.. Welcome admitted
that, but said the proofs would show
that since il had been cashed the check
| had been in the possession of Coughlin
and had been destroyed by him. He
said it was ridiculous that the defense
| should demand that the state produce
the check when 1t knew CoughIin had
| destroyed 1t. The objection was over
| ruled and the witness testified that the
check was drawn in the name of the
Anaconda Copper Mining company and
signed by John NJ. Coughlin and ccun-
tersigned by j. M. Knight. 1t bore the
name of the Mountain Con office and
was payable to Pat Mullins and drawn
on Hoge, Browniee q Co., bankers. The
| witness deposited il with the First Ma
| tional bank.
Joseph V. Long. cashier for IIoge,
! Brownlee & Co, was the next witness.
and testified that the $500 check passed
i through the bank in October, about the
18th or 18th. His attention was first
/ called to it when Mr.. Knight called at
| the bank and inquired for three certain
checks, the one in question being among
them. Auditor Melin also came to look
4 at 1T later and copy was made of it
and the check, with others, was sent to
| the Mountain Con office by messenger.
/ The copy was offered in evidence. but
| the court sustained an objection to it on
| the ground that the loss of the original
| had not been shown.
/ The court told the states attorneys to
| put the messenger boy w1o carried The
checks to the mining oflice on the
stand, and John Ferus was called. He
testified that he acted as messenger for
the company from Oct. is ID Jan. 81. and
that on or about Oct u he carried the
package of checks from the bank - the
mine office and delivered them to Mr.
Coughlin.
Mr.. Meiin was recalled and testified
as to his duties as auditor. and saii he
first saw the $500 check in Hoge, Brown
lee & Co.. bank on Oct. 20. 1t nad been
issued on the 14th. On the 23d he made
search through all the checks fe-
turned to the mine office the day before.
but the check in question was not among
them certified copy of the check was
then admitted in evidence and read TO
the jury. Mr.. Meln said that he exam
ined the stub-book from which the
checks We're issued. The stub was for
Nc T. 9S17, the number of the check in
question. The stub indicated that the
check was issued to DR.. Mcdonald Tor
81. Melin said the Mcdonald check was
returned in November. The witness said
the number on the Mcdonald check
had been changed. The figure SO" VAS
printed in as the original figure, but the
others, ''S7712,' Were put in with a pen
The tear at the perforation on the Me
Donald check fitted the stub No. 1902
which stub indicated that the check
had been issued to Thomas Walsh fer
$21.
Have you examined the stubs to see
If there is such stub as 9S77A?"
Yes, sir
rs there such stub?"
No, sir"
rs there stub for the $500 check .
mo, sir"
rs there any record in the Mountain
Con office of the $4,000"
No, sir"
The witness said the records did not
show that the company ever received
the $500, and in fact it never did re-
ceive it.
On cross examination by Mr.. Cotter,
the witness said he never spoke to
Coughlin about the matter and never
asked him to account for the check or
to explain why it was issued and for
What purpose.
why did you not go to him and try
to get to the bottom Of this business be-
fore throwing Mr.. Coughln in jail?"
Il don't know why
Mr. Melin said he knew that the Nc
Donald check belonged to stub No 1902
because it fitted to il and for the fur
Their reason that there was a duplicate
check for that number which turned up
in the office. The duplicate which had
been issued to Thomas Walsh for 81
was introduced in evidence.
A. G. Black, bookkeeper at Hoge,
Brownlee & Co.'S bank, gave further
testimony regarding the $500 check
w. L. Martin, a bookkeeper at the
Mountain Con office, testified that he
made a search of the books for some
record of the $500 and could find none.
Mr.. Martin said il had been custom
to countersign checks in advance by Mr.
Knight
The witness produced his cash book
and ledger and examined the entries
for the months of October and No
Sember, and in answer to questions by
Mr.. Cotter. he said the footings all
agreed and he could not explain where
the $500 item came in, or how the office
books and the bank books agreed with
out that item.
Mr.. Cotter called for the bank book
which was produced, and the witness
questioned regarding it, and then tile
discrepancies became apparent. 1t APP
peared that the $500 was distributed
among two other items and that most
bungling job. was made in raising re-
turned checks and altering the rec
ords. In the check list in regard 10
the mine Office was one check for
81. 1915. This check was changed to
s2.931.75.
Another check originally was for
81, 442 and this was raised to Sf.642
=
banks list and on the returned checks.
Curiously enough, the checks We're not
perforated at the time they We're is
SIZED. but after they had been re-
turned to the mine Office and the per-
forations corresponded with the raised
figures. The work on the checks is 50
coarse that blind man could see it.
John Teal. clerk in the bank VAS
a witness and produced the banks
check register, which showed the cor
rect amounts for which the checks
We're originally drawn. Before his tes-
timony was concluded court adjourned
for the day.
1t is understood that the $500 item is
only one Of a number on which cough
lin is likely to be prosecuted.
Big Cnt in Railroad Fares via the Great
Northern.
St Paul, first class $500. second
class S20.0o