The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-25
IT LOOKS BLUE
FOR Mr.. FRENCH
Hard Time Explaining
$3.50 Worth of Stamps
HE TOLD TWO STORIES
Said He Bought Them From
Stranger OF the Train
UNDER AN ASSUMED NAME.
Had $500 one-Cens and 1900
Two-Cemt Stamps Wrapped Upin
Paper identified as the
Same Sent Co Him
by u Troy aier-
UNDER AN ASSUMED NAME.

CAPTAIN John Smith. the we'll known
conductor on the Southern Railway. re-
turned to the city last night from saEsi-
more. where he had been as a witness in the
case of c. r. French, of Houston, Va
who is being tried in the United States
District Court in Baltimore on the charge
of purchasing very large number OF
postage stamps. which ne knew were
stolen from the government
From information gotten from Baltimore
yesterday it looks as if the net is being
slowly but surely wound around French,
and ne may have TO serve a term IN Sins.
Sing or elsewhere for very bad conduct
The trial of French has been on for
nearly a week. y large number or wil-
nesses were examined, and the testimony
of a number of them made thihaS tooa
blue for the accused.
He is a man of some forty years old,
weighs about lao pounds, is rather Sfay
for his age. and appears to have dlssipated
considerably il. his day.
TOLD TWO STORIES
French is the br,ther-in-Iaw of Miss
Fdmondson. who was the postmaster at
Houston. where they both lived. On Feb
ruary 18th last the postotfice was ousnee
with all it's contents On March o1fi
Ffench left South Boston on she train et
which Captain Smith was conductor me
former bought a ticket to Sutherlantis,
and paid cash for 1t, Captain Smith giving
n cash receipt for the fare. In his testl-
mony before the court yesterday CAPTAIN
smith stated this. French had registered
at a Baltimore hotel as Henry III.
Hearth. OF Peoria, H." and stated to ond
OF the detectives by whom he was arrest
y Vta IN
| from philadelphia. aad purchased on taa
| train en- route $3.50 worth OF postase
| stamps, which he afterwards offered to
| sell to a Baltimore broker for S5I5. He
| stated that he paid $3.50 for the stamps.
| and ne wanted to clear SO on the trans
| action allowing the broker an opportunity
/ TO realize $40 on his investment
To another detective French told the
! story that he purchased the stamps on
! the train between Danvitle and Lynch
| burg and that he counted them between
| the two cities There were 2S.20G one cent,
| and 1890 two cent stamps. Captain John
| NJ Csrigss TIE we'll known Southern Rail
way conductor running between Csariat1e
| and Atlanta took. all the edge off that
| little story OF French's by declaring on
| the witness stand that no man could COUNT
| IS SEQ stamps on his train between Dam
| Vile and Lyncrburs when he, as the cons
| ductor of the train. was repeatedly pass
| Ing back and forth. without his knowing
it.
ANOTHER LINK
A merchant from Troy. n Y, test.sed
| that ne had sold French some surveyor 5
| supplies. and had shipped .he goods
| wrapped in certain pieces of paper !scich
| ne identified as the same With 15iicn the
| stamps were wrapped when the detectives
| found them in Frenctl's possession
| Two express messengers identified their
| check marks on certain pieces OF pa-'er
| wfich were used in wrapping goods shlpaeG
| 10 French in Houston, and with which the
! stamps were wrapped when found In the
! possession OF the accused.
/ Other testimony made up ccmbina ton
\ Of circumstances that looked gloomy for
French in nhe eyes OF those who wa-s
present at tne hearing