The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-16
CHARLES c. PRICE
IS LOSER IN SUIT
Must Return Money Which He
Found in a News
paper.
CASE HAS BEEN ONE
OF GREAT INTEREST
Currency in Litigation Found
to Have Been Stolen From
a Bank.

Judge Page Morris, III the United
States court, Monday, rendered a de
cisiop in a somewhat noted case when
he decided that the S24l0 received by
Charles G. Price through tho Ogden
postofflcc WAS the property of the
East Sido bank OF Portland. Or, and
that the bank was entitled TO It's re-
coVery, both principal and interest,
from the time demand was made for
IL on the bank in Ogden, where Price
had deposited the money.
On THO evening Of December s, 1908,
three men walked into the East Side
bank and held up the president of the
institution. +. II. Ncwall, and his son.
About $4,000 was secured. One of
the men passed the money to the others,
and then all of them disappeared.
About $4,000 of the amount was IN gold
coin, $3.50 in change and the remainder
III currency.
On the Illb day OF the month
Charles G.. Price, whose home is in Og.
den. went TO the postoffico aud, at the
general delivery window, called for his
mail. Among other things which were
handed TO him Was n package wrapped
in a copy Of the Doscrct Evening News.
The address on the package read 1.
Price opened the bundle he found
$2i10. There were twcnty-four 800
bills and SO bill, Price deposited il
III the Pingrcc National bank.
Mailed Money to Ogden,
When the robber left Portland on the
9th day OF December he came cast
ward. At Pocatcllo he purchased n
copy of the newspaper mentioned,
wrapped his money III ii and mailed it
TO F'Chns Price Ogden, When be
reached Ogden be found that some one
bad been at the postofficc before him.
Later this robbcr was captured in the
northwest, lie was taken 10 Portland.
whore, upon his trial. be was convicted
Of the crime of robbery Of the East Side
bank and condemned 20 i term of I'M
prisonment After his Incarceration he
made n confession. In this confession
he said that his name was Y. G.. Wells
and that he had been the man who mail.
ed the money from Pocatello. This
means of transmission he had taken be-
cause he was afraid TO carry the money
with him.
When the government 5 officials heard
Of the ease they instituted an action
against Charles Price and Fiugrcc Nat.
ion1l bank 10 recover Che money, in II
general way maintaining that the mon.
cy had been stolen from the mails and
that. consequently, the government had
first call on it. Tho East Side bank
VI 4 VI lIduu 'hbl' iuNp bHt d'Nl'l
lntcrvcnor.
Is Without Precedent.
The ease has been on trial for three
days. II is the FIRST action of the kind
ever tried in United States court, and
all of the points arc without precedent.
II is possible that an appeal will he
taken, in order 10 finally have the
points involved decided by the highest
courts.
Under the ruling Of Judge Morris, as
stated, the East Side bank gets back its
money und is entitled to interest there
on from the time it made demand on
the Pingrcc National bank 4 short time
after II became known that Charles G.
Price had deposited the money with
that bank.
The Identification of tho money. con
corning which there was much testi-
mony. was complete, innsmuch as the
East Side bank had marked the curreu-
cy with peculiar sign. much after the
fnshion of the letter +. Wells in his
confession also described the money
contained in the package mailed at
Pocatcllo, Ills description fitted exactly.
A private safe may be rented in the
fre and burglar-proof vaults of the
Salt Lake Security and Trust company,
80 up Main street, $500 per year.