Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-16
CHARGING FALSE PRETENSES
WARRANT FILED IN COURT
AGAINST.SAMUEL h. AGNEw.
Defendant Declares His Innocence and
Explains Transaction on Which
Accusation Is Based.

A warrant charging the obtaining of
money by false pretenses was filed in the
Police Court this morning against Samuel
II. Agnew, former manager of the WASH
ington branch of Henry Clews & Co. of
New York city, but the hearing In the case
before Judge Mullowny was continued in
definitely Attorneys Thompson and Las
key appeared for Mr.. Agnew. and they will
arrange with Prosecuting Attorney Ralph
Given for date for the hearing. The de-
PENDANT has furnished bond in the sum Of
500 for his appearance.
Mr.. Agnew maintains that he is innocent
of any criminal action in his dealings with
Mrs Carter Keene of this city. who pre-
ferred the charge against him. Mrs. Keene
claims he told her he had purcha sed twen-
ty-fve shares of United States Steel Cor
porstion stock from Hickey & Blumenberg,
and obtained $500 In all from her to provide
margins upon which to hold the stock
against fall In the market price. Mrs.
Keene claims he made no purchase of the
stock, as he had represented to her,
MT. Agnew's Statement.
Mr.. Agnew today made the following
statement in explanation of the case:
Il acted in good faith for Mrs. Keene.
She came to my office and begged me to
trade In the market for her In a small way.
I told her / could not do 1t in the office Of
Henry Clews & Co.. as they will not trade
on margin in less than 100 shares and on
full ten points. which must be kept good.
She then begged me to trade somewhere
else. told her did not care to do so, or
take any such responsibility, but she re-
piled that she had such infinite faith in
my Judgment and me that she wished
would. I finally agreed to use my best
Judgment. and she told me to buy twenty
i've shares Steel common, which was then
selling between 43A and AN. 1 bought the
stock for her, but in my own name, at her
request
This was. 1 think. about the end OF
February or early in March. The stock
was bought at 435s. on which she gave me
ST.. Soon afterward the market began to
decline, and Steel dropped below 81. where
her money was exhausted. notified her
BY phone of the condition of affairs and
asked her what 1 should do. She begged
me to protect it for her. and said she would
call and give me more money.
II did protect 1t with my own money, and
the next day she called and gave me
check for $50 which was drawn to my
order. This I DEPOSITED in my bank but
In couple of days II was returned marked
not sufficient funds
Il told the bank runner that l thought
there must be some mistake about it. and
TO pass 1t through again. Next day 1t
came back again marked in a similar way.
Meanwhile the market had broken so badly
that | had about $500 of my own money
protecting her stock.
Gives Another Notice
Then i notified her by phone about the
alleged bad check. which. by the way. was
signed Helen Stevens She said she would
call and see me about it.
In day or SO she called and told me
that she had Issued a check which she had
not noted in her check book and her ac-
count was inadvertently overdrawn. She
then gave me another check for SIPS against
the S2JO and said she would bring me the
other $40 In cash, as she was going to
borrow 1t. Next day she did call in com
pany with another lady and gave me s125
In bills When Steel broke down to 90 her
margin was exhausted again. and again
she asked me to protect 1t for her as she
could not afford to lose 1915. This did,
During the decline. when common Steel
was selling about 80. and when she gave
me the check which could not be collected
she told me to buy twenty-five shares more
Tor her to average. / advised against this
but she insisted and did as she desired.
In less than an hour the price had dropped
two points more, and l assumed this last
purchase myself in order to save her first
lot. / closed out the second lot at a loss
of nearly 800 to myself. When next she
called it was about the alleged bad check,
and she seemed SO worried told her
would trade In some other stocks and try
to make up her loss. l had known her for
some years. and l was overgenerous in
telling her that / would not allow her to
suffer any loss, other than what she might
have on the twenty-five Steel originally
purchased.
I'm trading to make up her loss I got
wrong on the market and lost about $500
which loss l assumed myself
Il have the certificates of those twenty
hve shares of Steel common, and as soon
as Mrs keene Is ready to pay the balance
due on the same / will deliver them to
her or to her broker made out In her name
The shares show the date of purchase"