The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-05-08
FOR IMMUNITY
|. CHASTA|K SQUEALS
CO-DEFENOANT IN FORGERY
CHARGE TURNS STATES EVIL
OENCE AT PRELIMINARY.

tain. co-defendant of J. \. Buie
J L. Norwood, William 1-inley and E
[. Avery all charged with forgery o.
a deed to $50 acres of land neal
Pauls Valley under promise of i'm
munity, turned states evidence in the
preliminary hearing before Justice
OF the Peace Donnell Wednesday and
admitted that he had made, as notary
public, false acknowledgment to forg
ed signatures to the deed introduced
as exhibit "A" by the state.
In the information charging the five
men with forgery, it is alleged that
they forged a deed to $50 acres OF
land allotted to Ruth Vail a 16-year.
Old student of the Tonkawa school
and traded it to w. f. Nations of this
city for an automobile and other con
siderations.
The deed bears purported sig
natures of Ruth Davis and Sam Davis
whom the defendants are alleged to
have represented was the husband of
the Vail girl An affidavit stating that
Davis had married Ruth Vail is claim.
ed to have figured in the deal
Chastain Takes Stand.
After O. F. Frisbie, a real estate
man of this city, and others, testified
concerning the preliminary negotia-
tions for trade Chastain, who is a
lawyer and notary public, took the
stand.
He stated that on March 2S, VIII
liam Finley brought to his office in
the Zieglar building the purported
deed. j. L. Norwood was present, he
said.
Finley told me that Buie, an at
torney in Pauls Valley had an alb
stract to $50 acres of land that was
faulty and needed a little harmless
fixing to make it good" he said
"He wanted me to acknowledge the
deed and put my jurat on it. | hesi-
tated about it for awhile but they as
serted that it would harm no one and
that | would be dong a brother lawyer
a favor.
Norwood signed one of the names,
and Finley signed the other. | don't
know which one wrote either of the
names. There was no woman present
in the office, Just Finley Norwood
and myself were present. didn't
look at the paper w:en I signed my
name, l just laid it on the desk and
wrote without looking
Makes Denial.
Chastain denied that he had been
offered any part of the money alleged
to have been wanted as a loan on the
land and stated that he had said
about payment for false ac-
knowledgment. He asserted that he
did it in belief that he was doing
brother attorney favor.
Under a srilling cross-eXamination
by attorney Moman Pruiett, Chastain
admitted that he had committed for
gerry with full knowledge that he was
a felony. He objected to
a question from Attorney J. @. A.
Harrod regarding alleged dirty deals
that he had framed" in the past,
This man is a confessed forger
and thief shouted Pruiett. THE law
does not protect him from questions.
He can be turned inside out on the
witness stand"
Justice Donnell refused to permit
rhastain to keep silent and in answer
10 questions concerning "the Hall
case in Shawnee courts, denied prof
ting by unethical practice
A Word Battle.
Harrod and Chastain engaged in a
Eordy battle concerning another case
n which Chastain introduced a client
o Harrod. Harrod violently asserted
hat Chastain had taken money not
lue him and chastain countered with
houts of dirty deal"
After Justice Donnell had warned
Iarrod several times that he would !
,e fined for contempt if he did not |
ubside. Harrod declared that he
wanted to be released from Chastains /.
'ond. AIoman Pruiett also wanted to
'e released as a bondsman for Chas-
ain.
I'VE turn him over to the custody |
# the court. We don't want to have .
nything more to do with him." they /
houted.
After more clashes of counsel, the
act was brought out that Chastain
ad been promised immunity by As
ict,pt Count At+1ypa,- II Y Tbomn-