October 1, 1910
And Given Two Years in Penitentiary – Evidence Introduced to Show Insanity – Damage Suit Still On – Grand Jury Indicts Bride-groom
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In the 34th district court yesterday Herman Springer, alias Fritz D. Hill, alias John Alberts, was found guilty of forgery and given two years in the penitentiary.
The state introduced evidence to show that the defendant had cashed a number of checks in El Paso which were turned down by the bank. To one of these checks he signed the name of John Alberts and to the others he signed himself as Fritz D. Hill.
Dan Jackson, counsel for the defendant endeavored to show that his client was of unsound mind and labored under the hallucination that he was a rich man and had thousands of dollars in several banks.
Antone Springer, who arrived in El Paso several days ago, from South Dakota, testified that he was a brother of defendant and that defendant’s real name was Herman Springer. As soon as witness saw his brother he knew something was wrong with him.
P.E. Gardner testified that he had been engaged as counsel by defendant; that defendant told him that he (defendant) owned 87,000 acres of land in Mexico; that defendant also gave him a check on a local bank for $500 – the amount of the bond – and asked witness to give the check to the bank and ask the officials to go on his bond. Witness found the defendant had never had any money in the bank and when witness returned to the jail with the dishonored check defendant said he has made the check on the wrong bank and sent witness with another $500 check to a second bank with the same result. Then witness decided defendant was crazy and refused to carry any more checks for him.
Dr. B. M. Worsham was called as an expert on insanity. He testified that he had been 18 years superintendent of the state insane institutes. He had talked with defendant and found him a degenerate. But upon the brief investigation he had given the case Dr. Worsham said he could not say that defendant was insane.
The jury was out only a short time when it returned a verdict of guilty.
Herman Springer is under $1,000 bond in Nebraska for irregularities in a land deal. It is probable that Attorney Jackson will ask that he be tried for insanity.
The grand jury was in session yesterday and returned a true bill against Floyd E. Patterson, charged with theft of over $50. Patterson is the young stenographer who is charged with stealing a lot of jewelry from his mother-in-law, Mrs. Smith, who lives at San Elizario. Patterson’s young wife made quite a scene when he was arraigned in Justice McClintock’s court six weeks ago and held to the grand jury.
The damage suit of David Williams against the E.P & S.W. is still claiming the attention of the 41st district court.
Miguel Delgado has filed suit in the same court against the International Water company and J.M. Wyatt, receiver, for $5,000 for alleged personal injuries.
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