El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-11-05
INMAN ON TRIAL.
An Interesting Case In The Dis
triCt Court.

An Interesting Ease In Inc DlS
triCt Court.
Last afternoon in the district court
the case of the state against Rico Por-
tillo was tried: the charge he had to
answer was burglary. He plead guilty
and was sentenced to two years at hard
labor in the state prison.
This morning the court called the
case of the state against F. A. lnmAn,
who is charged with ENLIGHTENMENT TO
the amount of 1858 from the Ell Paso
Cigar Manufacturing Co.
The case created q good deal of sur
prise at the time of Inman's arrest,
when the story was told in the columns
of the HERALD.
It will be remembered that Inman
was indicted by the grand jury on May
10th last on the charge as stated
above.
He had been the bookkeeper of the
firm for about five months previous to
his arrest and was working q manager
also; he was to get a certain per
cent of the sales of the company.
One Sunday Inman left town telling
them that he was going up to Globe,
be back at the end of that time. AS
soon IS he was out of the city the COM
psny decided to examine the books Of
the company and see how they were
being kept, and when they did this
they found that they were short. The
exact amount of the shortage was not
known at the time, but the agent at
RincOn was wired to look out for In
man as it was learned that he had gone
there. In due time came the answer
that Inman had been notified to re-
turn.
When Inman came to Ell Paso about
the first of the year he represented
himself to be a newspaper man from
New York, but in trying to get posi-
ton on one of the local papers he said
he was from Chicago, so it is not known
| exactly where he did come from. He
is a dressy good looking fellow, and has
an easy way about him that soon makes
him social fsvorite.
| When the case was called this morn
ing he was represented by J. Good
| The first witness placed on the stand
was Captain AL Howard who is pres
ident of the company, and the one who
made the discovery OF the shortage.
The case was continued until noon,
then the court took a recess until 2 p.
The court continued its session this
afternoon. Mr.. Howard was put back
on the stand and crosseXamined until
2:30, when he was excused, and j. P.
Deter was put on, who testified that
it was on a Sunday morning that
he was told that the books of
the establishment were short in
cash to something over $3.50 but he
couldn't remember exactly. He and
MIR. Howard then went to the Santa
Fe depot and there got the operator to
call up the one at RincOn and ask him
| if Inman was there still and the reply
was that he was. The operator was
told to send for Inman to come to the
office as Mr.. Dieter wanted to speak to
| him over the wire.
When Inmsn came he asked what
was wanted with him and Mr.. Deter
told him that he was wanted here on
business and to come home at once.
He said he would do SO, and the next
morning, Mr.. Deter said, he and Mr..
Howard met the Santa Fe train and
buggy with Mr.. Deter and they drove
up to the Office of the cigar company
| and there Mr.. Howard was waiting for
| him.
While on the way to the Office Mr..
Deter said that he asked Inman how
his cash was and Inman said he
thought it was short. Mr.. Deter ask
ed him if he was in q position to make
the shortage good and he told him that
he thought so. When they got to the
Office the same conversation was gone
through and about the came answer
was given. Then Mr.. Deter got in his
buggy and went to consult with the
district attorney and left Mr.. Inmar
with Mr.. Howard at the Office.
The case was still on trial with Mr.
Deter in witness box at the time O.
paper going to press.