The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1913-05-14
WILL HAVE TO PAY bond
Says Federal Court in Greer Bond
Matter---Many Claimed Sig
natures FOrgeries.

| Jackson. May 10.-The testimony
Iof handwriting experts consumed a
Igood portion of yesterdays session
of the federal court. The case on
trial is the United States Fidelity
& Guaranty company VS.. ]. w.
Greer ct al. Greer is the default
ing sheriff and tax collector of
Lincoln county, now a fugitive
from justice. who disappeared
about two years ago when short
age of over $4,000 was discovered
in his accounts.
The United Fidelity & Guaranty
company made official bond for
Greer in the sum of $4,000, and
took an indemnlfying bond to pro-
tect themselves, this indemnity
bond being signed by about fifteen
Lincoln county farmers and the
plaintiff corporation is now seeking
to recover its indemnity.
A profound sensation was sprung
this morning when attorneys for
the defendants filed a plea before
Judge Niles declaring that their
signatures to the indemnity bond
are forgeries: that they did not
sign the document, and had no
knowledge of its existence.
This plea was signed by s. L.
Brister, F. ]. ,Busby, John G. Ma
toins, F. M. Hodges. G. W. Bris-
ter, &. w. Ivey, N. w. Kyzar. S.
~. Holloway, w. Lee Bowman.
William Gunnell, E. P. Nations,
B. E. Summers. Delton Moore, ].
NJ. Guess, Jep Britt and W. j.
Hart. Nearly all of these parties
are well-to-do farmers residing near
Brookhaven, and were in the court
room when the case was called
this morning.
The plaintiff corporation is MAX
ing a vigorous effort to demon
strate that all of the signatures are
genuine, and one important bit of
evidence presented was the plea
each had signed, which the attor-
neys, Messrs. Fl. Cassidy and w.
M. Hall. presented to the jury for
comparison of signatures, insist
ing that no material dissimilarity
could be shown.
The most interesting testimony
Of the forenoon was that of Vance
Massengill, head bookkeeper for the
mercantile firm of ]. w. McGrath
& Sons, the largest concern at
Brookhaven, who testified that
some of the signatures we're gen.
ripe, while a majority of the num-
Der are forgeries. Mr. Massengill,
by reason of his long connection
with the McGrath firm. is suppos-
edly familiar with the signature of
nearly every farmer in Lincoln
county. MIR. Massengill testified
that five of the signatures on the
bond are not the usual handwriting
of the parties supposed to have
signed the document. One signer.
John P. Nations, according to the
witness, is unable to sign his own
name.
Charles j. Moore, the expert ac-
countant, was on the stand for a
brief period, giving testimony as
to the existence of the shortage
discovered by him in Greer's ac-
counts.
The theory of the defense is that
while a few of the parties may
have signed the bond. a majority
of the signatures are forgeries, and
that their names were placed on
the bond by Greer.
During the hearing it was
brought out that, some time prior
to the discovery of the shortage,
the United States Fidelity & Guar
anty company, suspecting that
Greer was not giving an honest ad-
ministration of his office, instruct
ed its attorney to file petition
asking to be relieved of the surety.
Individual defendants who had
denounced their signatuges as
forgeries were placed on the stand
and reiterated the declaration set
forth in the original plea.
i. IL