El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-10
G.L. HASSELL
ACQUITTED
Hewas ChargedWith Extract
ing A Valuable Letter
FROM THE POST OFFICF

Prisoner Plead Not Guilty. But Ad-
mitted That He Found the Checks
and Cashed One of Them in Juarez
Prosecution Case Not Strong.
Gilbert Hassell, the young New
Yorker accused of extractlng a letter
from the Ell Paso pos toffice addressed
to the First National bank of this city,
containing two pension checks, q $500
draft on Denver and a mutilated S. bill,
was arralRned for preliminary hearing
before Commissioner Sexton this
morning.
The prisoner appe ared ia the court
room neatly dressed and wore eye
glasses. He sat next his attorney, D.
A. Richardson, and old not seem t.oub-
led over the outlook. He plead not
guilty to the charge and the taking of
testimony commenced.
Special Agent Stokes represented
the government as prosecuting attor-
ney.
J. R. FISKE
James r. Fiske, of Hillsboro, New
Mexico, bookkeeper of the Sierra
amined by the government.
Witness said that on May 10, two
pension checks, No. 700, 1873 for S36, and
699, 694 for $50, were cashed over the
counter at the Hillsboro bank and
third check for $500 was drawn by his
bank on the Denver National, and these
with mutilated S5 bill were entered
on collection register May 10, and mail
ed to the First National bank of Ell
Paso, all in one envelope.
Mr.. Stokes here handed check to
the witness, who identified it. 1t was
the one cashed in Juarez by Hsssell.
(Witness excused without cross ex-
animation.
ASSISTANT BANK CASHIER.
Joseph F. " illiams, of the First Ma
tional bank, was next called and sworn.
He was handed list of the checks
mailed from Hillsboro and said that
his bank did 1ot receive item on or
about May 20.
The $50 pension check, he said, was
presented to his bank on or about June
II by Mr.. Pickard, but was not csshed
because the check was recognized as
County bank and lost.
[Cross examined by Attorney Rich
ardson.]
Do you know anything about the
mail for the First National bank hav-
ing oeen lost and scattered around the
post Office yard q short time before
that?
No, sir.
Was this the only letter which you
know of having been lost within the
last three months?
l don't recall any other.
Witness was asked by plaintiff II
any bank would have cashed the pen-
sion check with the endorsements as
they appeared thereon. He said no.
JACOB oPPENHEIM.
The next witness called was Jacob
Oppenheim, of Juarez, who cashed the
check when it was presented to him
by Hassell. Witness said he had
known the defendant about 5 or 6
months.
Witness was shown the pension
check and instructed to tell what he
knew about it..
"Mr. aassell used to come to my
place at different times,"he said, land
buy goods. Sometime in May he came
n and showed me couple of pension
checks, one of them being for $50.
81 told him that was good money and
asked him how he got them. He said
,hey were given to him in Silver City
or work done by him. Mr.. Hassell
selected two pieces of drawn work,
worth 80. so each, q handkerchief worth
81, and q watch fob. On June after
O'Clock in the evening, Mr.. Hsssell
came to the store for few cigars ana
after talking for few minutes, step
ped behind little show case and said
70 me: 'Cau you use that $50 check?I
have already cashed the other one.
81 said yes, if it is yours I'll take it.
He said All right, let me have the
goods He took those and selected
another piece of drawn work, worth
L,r y =.
3 oods was S11.65. l gave him the bal
snce in change. He asked me how
much the duty on the goods would be
md l told him Sc or 81. Then he left,
,aking the goods with him.
The witness identified the endorse
nents on the check, saying that Has
'ell's was made in his presence
II kept the check,' said be. ''until
'he following Monday. and then hand
asked him to get it cashed at the bank
n this city when he made his deposit.
He was unable to get it cashed.''
Did you read the printing on tho
pack of the check?'
''NO, sir that's where I made my mis-
AXE. Mr.. Hassell told me that he
worked on the HERALD and that he
vas painting for Ehrenberg,
lCross examined.
At the time Mr.. Hassell told you
hat he got the checks for labor at
silver City, who was present?
1 cannotosay positively, but think
n employee of the Caples Lumber
Company.
THE DEFENDANT
The defendant next took the stand in
lis Own behalf and made a statement
elative to finding the checks, as pub
lshed in the HERALD some time ago
lie said he found the two pension
hecks in.the middle of the street folded