Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-06
HUMPHREYS INDICTED
Former Note Teller in Com
merCiaI Bank Accused.
THREE SERIOUS CHARGES
Claimed He Embezzled and Forged
Notes to Hide Peculation.
GRAND JURY ENDS ITS LAB0Rs
Seven Young Men Charged With
Murder-Motorist Accused of
Manslaughter.

Manslaughter.
john +. HUMPHREYS, Twenty-Five years
Old, former note teller of the Commercial
National Bank. was indicted today by
the grand jury on three charges-forgery.
embezzlement and making false entries
in the books of the bank. The total of
the notes alleged to have been forged is
$4,324. Three separate indictments were
returned against the defendant.
HUMPHREYS had been note teller of the
National City Bank, and when that in
stitution merged with the Commercial he
occupied a position of teller with the
latter bank. The charge against him is
that he embezzled money while In the
employ of the National City Bank and
used the money in stock speculation.
When the money was withdrawn from
the bank an alleged forged note was
placed by the teller in the bank in place
Of the money.
AS these notes matured. it is claimed,
HUMPHREYS substituted other forged notes
and the six recited in the indictment for
forgery were found in the possession of
the bank when the disclosure occurred
last July during the examination by a
bank examiner.
Alleged Confession by HUMPHREYS.
Assistant United States Attorney Huide-
koper. who had been placed in charge Of
the investigation, secured an examination
of the teller's books by Albert E. Radert,
special agent of the Department of JUS
tice. Mr.. Radert and John Poole, cashier
of the bank. are the only witnesses whose
names appear on the indictment.
HUMPHREYS. before his arrest, was inter-
viewed by Mr.. Huidekoper and, it is said,
confessed to him that he had taken the
money and substituted the notes. He was
held August 1 by United States Commits
sioner Taylor for the action of the grand
jury.
Indictment for Forgery.
The forgery indictment is in six counts
and charges that HUMPHREYS between
March "a. 1912. and April 10, 1912. forged
six promissory notes. The first count
treats Of a note for $1,000. dated March
"a and purporting to be signed by the
Standard Motor Company by F. S. Bliven,
president; the second alleged forged note
is for 5000, dated March - and signed
with the name of F. II. Duehay; the third
count alleges the forgery of a note for
$1,000. purporting to be signed by the
Terminal IdXlCdD company, the name OF
j. G. McCrorey & CO. Is alleged by the
fourth count to have been forged to a
note for 5000; w. H. Moses Is the name
appearing as maker of a note for 5000
charged by the fifth count as forgery.
The sixth count charges the forgery of a
note for 1874 with the name of Edith c.
Mitchell signed to it. All the alleged false
notes bear the initials "A. G. Co." as
though President Chaplain had passed on
the desirability of the paper.
The Alleged Embezzlement.
The embezzlement indictment is based
on section 500, and is in three counts. 1t
charges that HUMPHREYS, being a note
teller of the National City Bank, January
II, 1910. embezzled funds of the bank,
willfully misapplied such funds and con-
verted them to his own use and abstract
ed and converted the funds without au-
thority from the directors. Jther embez-
element misapplication and extraction are
charged to have been made by Hum
phries down to and including July 6. 1910
The third indictment is for false entry
in the banks books, and is under the
same section of the Revised Statutes
The alleged violations of this law by
HUMPHREYS cover false entries alleged
to have been made from January II to
July 6, 1910. with intention to defraud
the bank and to cover up alleged pecu-
lations by him.
Seven Indicted for Murder.
John j. Patten, Joseph O'Donnell,
Robert Maxwell Albert Nally, William
P. Connell Joseph Needham and Frank
Dougherty. whose ages range from
eighteen to twenty-six years, were in
dicted today for murder in the first de-
gree in causing the death of John
Spencer. colored, July IA last on the
Benning road.
The seven boys are also indicted for
robbery. it being charged they obtained
So from the clothing of their victim. The
weapons used were two heavy fencing
palingS. Six of the boys were arrested
here but Dougherty fed and was caught
in Cleveland, Ohio.
Charged With Manslaughter.
An indictment for manslaughter was
reported against DR.. Merton l.. Twogood,
whose automobile ran over and killed
Gladys Frailey, the twelve-year-ol
daughter of Attorney Charles l.. Frailey.
and granddaughter Of Col. A. S. Worth
ington The child was about to board a
street car near Mintwood place when she
was struck by the automobile.
The boy Bandit" Indicted.
Leroy Baker. the boy bandit. who had
the local police on the qui vive for sew
eral days before he was apprehended in
his boarding house on 9th street, was in
dicted for housebreaking and larceny.
The only charge made is the entrance to
the house on 18th street northwest, where
Baker is said to have robbed two young
women who were appearing at a local
playhouse Other charges will be pre-
scented to the new grand jury.
The grand jury ignored charge of
false pretenses preferred against Edward |
w. MollOhan. The charge grew out of
the failure of a West Virginia bank after
Mollohan. 1t is understood, had nego-
tiated the sale OF certificate of deposit |
for $1,000 with a local financier.
The report of the grand jury completed
the labors Of that body. and it was dis
charged with the thanks Of the court.
Other Indictments.
Other indictments returned today were:
James J. Fletcher, George Noble, May
King, alias May Evans. alias May Adair,
alias Anita Adair conspiracy; Samuel
Brown, assault with intent to commit rob-
berry: Albert Scott, housekeeping; Albert