Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-18
T|M|D, YET IN TERROR REPORTS TRUE BILLS
Disorder and Violence Con- Grand Jury Takes Action
tnue in City of Springfield. Against R. H. Partridge.
RUMORS AS BAD AS FACTS TWO INDICTMENTS
Ana Patrol Concern the Affairs National
of Soldiers Der Company.
BUSINESS MEN BACK DENEEN CHARGE OF EMBEzzLEMENT
of Attorney Explanatory
Nearly to Death statement-Details
Grand Jury Takes Action
Against R. H. Partridge.
FILES TWO INDICTMENTS
Concern the Affairs of National Lum
Der Company.
CHARGE OF EMBEzzLEMENT
False Pretenses Another Allegation.
Attorney Makes Explanatory
Statement-Details.

BY the return of true bills by the grand
jury today against Robert H. Partridge
and the issue of a warrant for his ar
rest the affairs of the National Lumber
Company, which have already figured ex-
tensively In the local equity courts. bid
fair to be concluded before the bar of the
Criminal Court Two indictments were re-
ported by the grand jury against Mr.. Par
fridge. sometime president and later first
vice president and general manager Of the
lumber company, one charging him with
false pretenses in obtaining $4,000 from
Rev. Father Eugene Hannah. rector of
ST. Martins Catholic Church, and the
other making the allegation that Par
fridge committed the crime Of embezzle-
ment by converting to his own uses the
sum Of 81 500, commissions on the sale of
stock in the. company to Father Hannah.
by the Misrepresentation that he paid 25
per cent for soliciting the sale. when
as q matter of fact this item was only
Is per cent
Partridge. 1t is understood. Is not now In
the city, but the detectives attached to
the Office Of United States Attorney Baker
think they have located him in Virginia
and efforts will be made without delay to
apprehend him.
Basis Of One Charge.
According to the allegation in the indict-
ment for false pretenses Partridge-'un-
lawfully and knowingly devising and tend
ing to cheat and defraud one Eugene
Hannah Father Hannah Au-
gust 10. 1905. and by representing to him
that the National Lumber Company
owned a patented process for recovering
from vegetable matter certain products.
such as tar, turpentine, wood alcohol.
acetic acid. creosote. wood dyes. tannic
acid. acetone and charcoal. persuaded
Father Hannah to invest $4,000 in cash
and $J625 payable on a prOmissory note
Of sixty days.
The Indictment further recites that Mr..
Partridge represented the National Lumber
Company as the owner of thousands OF
acres Of valuable timber lands In Virginia.
Kentucky and West. Virginia; as the
owner of buildings and machinery valued
at $118,OO0 for the recovery OF the prod
ucts from vegetable matter: that the stock
bearing certificates secured by first mort
cages and guaranteed by the Granite Sc
curity Company; that the timber lands
owned by the company carried more than
81 100000 of standing timber; that the
lumber company owned large interests In
a valuable deposit of nickel and that the
$1,000 worth Of treasury stock which he
offered for sale to Father Hannah was
the only unsold stock In the corporation.
All of these claims. the indictment as.
out that at the time of the transaction
with Father Hannah the lumber company
held unsold stock Of par value OF $4O,OOO.
Allegation Of Embezzlement.
The indictment charging Partridge with
embezzlement specifies simply that he
converted to his own uses, August q.
1905, and October IS. 1905. respectively.
the sums Of 500 and $780, the property Of
the National Lumber Company.
According to a statement made today
by Attorney James 8. Easby-Smith, who
recently filed bill for the dissolution OF
the National Lumber Company. the trou-
BILE in which Partridge and the National
Lumber Company became involved dates
back to several months ago. After a
hearing In the Equity Court John A.
Quinn was appointed receiver for the
company, and 1t is stated that he had
difficulty in obtaining any book or rec
ords of the National Lumber Company.
In further reviewing the affairs of Par
fridge Mr.. Easy-Smith said the defend
ant in the present proceeding claimed to
be conducting about 200 corporations. but
had been making a speciality of the South
ern Consolidated Milling Company, which.
1t seemed, gathered unto itself all of the
property and business of the National
Lumber Company.