The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-12-03
The Van Ness Case.

TESTIMONY DEFENCE.
? Morning clear and radiant Court convened at 10
oclock-jury called-all present. Z
The three witnesses of Saturday from the post office
department called into conr-to wit: Col Gardner city
T. NJ and Messrs Lawrenson and Reynolds, clerks of
the department
Col GARpNER eross-eraminsd Ju Mr. Breut-Wjtness
explained the modus operdnd of stamping the letters de-
posted at the Washington post Office. Letters al
ways stamped with date corresponding to the day
which they leave the office for their place or places of
destination As the letters assorted they
entered on the post bill for each office to which they are
respectively addressed The post bill always specihes
the number of letters and the postage for each office dis
hncty TO which they to be despatched, and then
post bills in a book. The post bills are sent with the
letters respectively the several offices to which they
is done between 7 and o'clock in tho evening Mr..
Tree will explain that whenhe comes he has attended
to that the entry the transcripts is the last thing be-
fore the mails finally closed hardly think that three
letters after Being stamped could, in the space OF ak
entered on the post bills transcript without exciting
attention such thing is possible, but not probable
Controversy between Messrs. Bradley and Brent.l
Mr. BRENr-Well, sir, will put it in another form.
WIrSEss-Dont recoliect in August, September
October last Of delivering any letters out of the Wash
Miss Virginia Fowers sprghtly letter to her sister
Dated shown Break in the letter in Washington City
exhibited Two stamps used in the Post Office used
alternately day by days don't recolect when ndenation
in stamp made. Mr. Brent exhibited stamps of 2sth
and 29th OF this present month, to show il possible,
Connors Van Ness letters purporipg have been writ
ten in ls45 TO Green Valley Depot Virginia Col Gard
said it difficult to determine in these cases. the
stamps OF the two years Mr. Brent exhibited his plain
this Van Ness letters to the jury to show that the break
in the letter u o. the stamp on these letters did not
they must therefore have been stamped in lS45.
Mr.. NAV continued the crossexamination in respect to
hss TO be ceansed out dayin three days the ink
would form an incrustation on the stamp, blurriug
MIR BRsNr exhibited to the jury the figure 8" in
Of the stamps Mrs Connors Van Ness letters it was
long 81" witness can't say from stamp whether that
Mr.. BsADLrr..Are you done with Col Gardner'
Mr.. BRENr.-Yes, suppose SO.
By Mr. BRADLKY.-An exhibition of several genuine
letters of 6I5, showing the Washington stamp 1915.
testify to stamps, under examination by Mr. Bradley,
Col Gardner being examined in conjunction with Mr..
Trees stamps shown to the jury of ls4o genuine let
ters written in that year. The examination and
parson of the stamps continued before the jury by
Mr. Bradley, very minuely. You will remark, said he
that those Of 1916 are more worn. r. sencesMp Walk
light"l watchmaker's magnify ing glass produced by
Mr. Bradley for examinations strmps stamps and glass
passed round to the counsel and the jury pair OF d.
viders produced to measure the figures the stamps
MIR. BRENT-Let me show you how 10 them, Mr..
Bradley
/. Mr. BsADLrr-o oh! reckon know how, Mr.. Brent
Mr.. BRESr-Yes, but you can't open them side
but, however, you'll find cut
Examination Of stamps continued In answer to Mr..
Bradley,
Col GARpSER-Yes, sir, it would bring it to the even
days the 2sth Augustine date of Miss Fowler letter
Parporting to have been written in ls45 to Mrs M A
Van Ness. alias Mrs Conner, at Green Valley Depot
Mr. BRADLEY exhibited genuine stamps of lsI5. TO com
pare with the stamps of the Conner VanNess letters
porting TO have been written in ls45.
Col GARDNER attested TO some apparent difference in
the stampsYes, sir, this appears verify the that
fectthe rims Of the circle OF the stamp cond
letters not perfect the rim Miss Fowlers letter
is better than the other, and the rim is better.
By Mr. BnEsT-Yes, sir, it corresponds more with the
new stamp, (Miss Fowlers letter. OF 1885, than the
!. Mr.. BnxSr illustrated the difference.
WrSEs'-Yes sir there is slight variation il the de-
been made by accidental circumstances still there is
differences hardly possible the alternate stamp could
might be an interruption in space of several months
the regular alternative Of days which the two stamps
MIR. iREE examined by Mr. Bradley-The new stamps
ordered the nth of March, presented the
Office the 10Th April 1885, have distinct knowledge
when one ofthe stamps injured testified to the
process OF asserting and stamping letters;
stamps the stamping goes on ali the day. from in the
morning till night; the letters are first stamped with
the rate stamp Witness stalled the and
latons of the department registering the number and
postage OF letters to each post Office from the office
whence they distributed In the the Gene
ral Post Office for each quarter the aggregate of
way letters would appear in the transcripts and the post
bills returned for the quarter Described Of stamps
the effect upon the stamps from use-the alternate
day by day OF the two stamps. Stamps are worn by
usage. These stamps appear to have been used Post
bills and transcripts for washington and Green Valley
letters corresponding with Mrs Corners Green Valley
Depot letters of 1si5but showing instead letter or
must have been pat in The Washington post office and
transmitted in isa6 acquisitions OF tn, department in
spect Of pest bills and transcripts detailed.
Cross ersmined by Messrs sMay and Brent partcu.
lary in regard TO the stamps Mr. Tree required to
nine the Stamps by the magnfyng glass Controversy
between Mr. and MIR Bradley as to opinion asked
of witness by the formerl cWsk ligh-") Mr. Brent
unued the animation in respect to the stamps and
the post bills Tine examination respecting the stamps
and the post bills was continued between the counsel
when Mr. Tree was sent to the post office for the stamps
Mir REEsE-Direct examination-Isa clerk in the Phi
lsdelpha posofice The Philadelphia letter, dated July
10Th, 1885, shown to witness, as follows =
PH,IADs,rHrA, July IS, ls45.
DEAN MANU- am here, and find our matter can be
arranged here Just as wish il will now certainly
make you my legal WIFE, go TO New York this even
ing tomorrow mornng-will be back here the 9th
TIN OF next month and will expect to meet here
II you get here BY the lst 60 to good boarding
house and take board until get back here drop
TO you. will be able stay but time with
you, shall have to be (home) in Washington city by
Yours, as ever, JOHN P. VAN NESS.
Addressed Mrs NJ. A. Connor, Philadelphia, Penn.
That letter was not put in the Philadelphia post Office
that not in the stamp Gay of the office Had 1t passed
through the Philadelphia post-oice it would have had
the stamp OF the date and the postage.
MIR Bnksr- We admitted that from the very begin.
ming. That's part Of our case-thats part OF our
BY Mr. BnApLEr-Yes sir all letters are advertised
IL letter 10 Mrs. NJ A W. Conner put in the post
once ae,h July, is4s, AID not taken out till the 4h Au
gust, it would be advertised List of letters produced
BY Mr. BKEST-lf letter put in in the mornng Of
Saturday, it would probably have appeared in the list Of
that day, the GOTH have not got that list (Mr. Brent
said he would like to have it)
A discussion here arose upon questions which
Mr. Bradley proposed to prt to the respecting
an envelope which is presumed the counsel for the
plaintiff will produce as the paper covering this letter in
question, when put in the Philadelphia postofce
Mr. BRENr objected to this sort of testimony out Of
place, the paper not being here.
Niessrs BsApLEv and Cors argued that the ques
ton OF forgery OF the sanp on that paper did NOT in
volve the question Of its contents, and therefore in
order and further, that they had given sufficient
tico
Messrs. Corr, BRKSr, BRApLEr and CARLISLE pro-
longed tie discussion reading the notices they had given
ier the production Of the paper; and maintaining nse
pendent OF notice, that in order for the witness
10 TESTIFY IN respect Of the question of the alleged tor
not before the Court.