Compton

The defendant, with others, was charged with the forgery of a deed, with intent to injure and defraud the Columbia Savings Bank. Upon a separate trial he was convicted, and appeals from the judgment and from the order denying him a new trial.

One Ware, who was charged with the offense jointly with Compton, was a witness for the people. He is a self-confessed accomplice, conspirator, and participant in the crime. The scheme, as outlined by his testimony, was the following: Compton secured the description of a piece of land, the title to which stood in L. H. Greene, who was a resident of an eastern state, and was not in California. Ware procured a certificate of title showing the land to be free from encumbrances. Compton prepared a forged deed of this land, naming Ware therein as grantee. The deed was to have been placed upon record, and upon the strength of this record title a loan secured by mortgage upon the land was to be effected. Ware objected to being named as grantee in the forged deed, upon the ground that he could not obtain his wife’s signature to a mortgage, but offered to procure and did procure one A. E. Davis, for a consideration agreed upon, to take part in the…