The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-09-22
SECOND CHAPTER OF
STOLEN BONOSSIORy
Colonel J.. g. [, Harris and
His Unnamed Client
]. [. lOOfHEY'S Story
Col. Harris Sod Him the Bonds on Which His
Client Had Len, $1,000 his Client
g.; the Bonds from a
friend"

FRIEND
The first in>t.luent 81 ,hc .-ouesboro
Stolen Bonds story published IN Satur-
days News ana Observer proved mos, .n-
terestng reading, whetting the appetite
Of the public for more. Though no an
nouncemoat OF TO be Continued Was
made the volley OF l~ntcrrogation- that
wound up the first instalment was in IT
self i promise OF more to come.
Wei, those who looked for it are not
to be disappointed The second instalment
of tins fascinating serial came 10 hand
yesterday. Its author = j. l.. Godfrey. OF
Jonesboro. He selZes the veil 81 mystery
and partially tears 1t aside, but not Tar
enough to reveal the figure of the thlcl.
the man who abstracted the bonds. This
revelation will probably be reached N
the third instalment OF our serial. In the
second Mi. Godfrey says.
To the Editor:-The article in Satur-
days News and Observer about the
''Jonesboro stolen bonds i calculated 10
cause so much guessing hat perhaps l
had better inform you OF all the facts
known to Us so that there may be at
ItdSI 1T Unjust ItlcClIOI Oh lHI Wv ACIS
OF the bonds"
After the Legislature refused, as stated
in the News and Observer, to grant any
relief, nothing whatever was heard by
Us OF the stolen bonds until nearly three
weeks ago, when my attorney here tat
Jo~nesboro) received a communicable
from a lawyer OF Raleigh III reference
to them. On my return from Baltimore
where | had been on a business trip |
was informed of the matter, and I'M
mediately went, with my attorney, TO
Raleigh to see Mr.. j. G. l.. Harris. the
Raleigh lawyer referred to. We had ali
interview with Mr.. Harris about four
O'Clock p. m, August 5th. Mr.. Harris
declined III advance to give any names,
and we do not to this day know whom
he represented. He stated, however, that
his client who was a perfectly
straight man. had loaned one thous-
and dollars to a friend on these bonds,
or three months time; that the friend
had got into trouble and was compelled
to leave the State. That he (AIr. Har-
RS "client') then tried to place the
bonds and In attempting to do 80, dls-
covered that the bonds were stolen. CMI-
Harris did not inform us where his
client" had tried to place" the bonds,
Sllld NAo tOIi I'LL my WIZ EAN11I u
forgot to call the matter to the attcn-
ton OF the owners. Mr.. Harris stated
to US that he had great difficulty in pre-
venting his ''chent" from burning up the
bonds when he discovered they We're sto-
len. But having been rescued from such
q fate, he now, representing has client,
offered them to tie owner for one thOus-
and dollars, the amount claimed to have
been loaned.
l told Mr.. Harris l did not think We
ought to have to pay so much to reclaim
the property, and made him a counter
proposition to pay $500. He said he could
not accept that without further inStruc-
tiQns from his client, but that he would
phone him, and we could return about
SIX O'Clock. We returned at the APP
pointed time and Mr.. Harris declined to
accept less than 81, 900, which ! finally
agreed to pay. NJ. Harris declined to
part with the bonds il return for a
check, and the city banks oil being closed
at that hour. I came to Jonesboro that
night, returned to Raleigh next morn
ing, and Mr.. Harris delivered up to me the
bonds on payment of 81 900 cash.
The bonds had no entry on them Of
the transaction referred to by Mr.. Har-
rls, no endorsement of any kind, and
were IN all respects just as when stolen
from the safe at Jonesboro, except that
the January coupon had been detached
from each.
| have made this statement very cir
cumstantially so that the News and OBJ
server may see IN detail all that IS known
to US.
In the article in Saturdays paper con |
siderable space IS given to a statement
as to how Mr.. Lacy opposed the bill for
relief of the owner of the bonds. One
would almost think he had saved the
State that amount of money. OF course |
any such view is arrant nonsense. The
Legislature was asked to do no more
than any individual, and every railroad
IN the country has done under like cir
c~umstances, and something for which the
Senate committee was cited precedent.
| am informed, in this State.
j. L.. GODFREY.
JonesbOro, n. c., Sept. 10, 1903.