The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-13
NJ Action BY Grand Jury in Al
legged Eldridge Forgery.
auppREss coNTRAplcTs GAY.
r,srsaxe's Attorney Declares That
urs client Notified Government
~ the AIleged Forgery Of HE
Nane Before saunders' Counter
m.sn was overruled ~ Judge
Hanford-said to ne Iliterate.

5 ma Federal grand Jury yesterday COM
$3.50 ia 1abors and was discharged by
ym6~s Hanford. Contrary to general ex-
uectations the graHd jury made no re-
nort on tho investigation which II -
Snown 10 have conducted with view 70
sscertaining whether or not the name Oh
WsIllam Eldridge had been forged to the
.erriaJ bond Of ex-Collector of Customs
Z n saunders, who retired from office in
n vas stated yesterday. however. that
40 reasun the grand jury made no re-
,,cr& an the subject was because prose-
linton Tor forgery, II any were commit
tsS Il barred by the statute OF lfnita-
fions. The forgery, II forgery It was.
40 committed in 1885, over six years ago.
The latest charge against ex-Collector
saunders was published in the Post-in-
tellIrencer Sunday morning. Briefly
sfnfed. 1t Is alleged that when he went
info office ne filed an official bond which
hors the signature Of William Eldridge.
-eIl known resident OF Jefferson county,
81 one Of the sureties.
M fact Of the alleged forgery was
vever discovered until suit was brought
sxainst Mr.. Eidridge, as one Of Saunders
E,ndsuaen, to recover an alleged shortage
X the ex-collector Many months after
I'M nit was brought Mr.. Eldridge, In his
snsver filed In the Federal court. de-
eISlkd that ne had not signed the bond
a. w. Buddress. of Port Townsend, at
torr,ey for the sureties on Mr.. Saunders
ofAcial bond, yesterday made an imports
mt statement concerning the claim OF
Eldrtdge, that his signature TO the bond
u forgery.
IN the FIRST place. said Mr.. Buddress,
n wish to deny the published statement
that Eldridge never made known the
- T,yd
Hanford had ruled on Saunders counter
claim IN the suit the government brought
arnsnst him. This Is mistake.
I'm the spring Of 1893 the government
pot,led Mr. Eidridge that he was liable
With Saunders surety for the amount OF
he collectors alleged shortage. Mr.. Ed
r1dss brought the notice to me. and told
ne that there must he some mistake: that
ne had not signed Saunders bond. At
that time advised him to say nothing
about the matter, telling him that We
rather than to make known the forgery.
He followed my advice.
"For come time the suit OF the govern
ment against Saunders and his sureties
Wa pending In the Federal court on de-
murrer talked with Saunders about
the matter. and he assured me that the
disputa was only a technical one, and
that II would be settled did not mention
The alleged forgery to him. 1t was set
lied, however. and eventually I filed
special appearance as attorney for Ed
ridge. Saunders attorneys at that time
were Brinker, Jones & Richards.
Eventually the firm dropped out Of the
casa and filed Saunders counter
claim as his attorney. This was subse-
Queptiy overruled by Judge Hanford.
IN the meantime. however. Eldridge
and G. r. Seals, the other surety, had filed
thsis answer to the complaint Of the gov
ernnent The only defense which they set
up WAS that Eldr.dge's signature to the
bond was forgery. They did not Join
ii tho counterclaim, and by not doing so
waived none Of their rights, as they would
have done had they Joined In the counter
claim. TO have adopted the latter course
would have been to admit the genuine
ness Of the bond and their own liability.
The answer Of the sureties, in which
they proclaimed the bond to be not genu-
Inc, and Mr.. Eldridge's signature thereto
= forgery, was fled at least two months
before the ruling on the counterclaim,
and Mr.. Gay had full knowledge thereof.
Il know OF my personal knowledge that
Mr. Eldridge cannot read or write, and he
has to depend entirely upon what people
tell him.
"Mr. Seals, I observe, is quoted as In
timating that Mr.. Eldridge has tacitly ad-
mitted his liability. II Mr.. Seals has re-
ally said that I can only say that his
answer, wherein he swears that to the best
Of his knowledge and belief Eldridge's
signature to the bond Is a forgery, will be
withdrawn, and Judgment will be rem
dered against him by default"