American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-12-16
fC0rres pentence of the Baltimore CHpper.l
WARRINGTON, Dec. Is, IS4t

WARRINGTON, DeC' 10 lo9o.
The Van Ness Case, The reporter sees by
your this mornings paper that you did not
think the rebutting testimony in this case yes
terday sufficiently important to Justify conve-
nience TO Yourself 1t is true there is none of
that exciting interest in it which has charac-
terizad much of the evidence. In fact no new
striking fact is not now likely to be elected; but
Of course all the evidence now coming forward
has particular reference to some point in dis
pute-somethng as to which evidence has
Aoen before given. The evidence of two or
three of the witnesses yesterday went for to
show the probability that such an envelope as
that in which the letter purpoT;ing TO be from
Gen. Van Ness in Philadelphia TO Mrs. Con-
nor, in July Of 1915, was enclosed, might
easily have been obtained. The defence
had, by the evidence of Mr. Mcclure, sought
to show that this was no impTobablity, as no
such envelopes were made by July l945; but
the witnesses yesterday were OF opinion that
they were made much earer-consequentl
one OF the strongest circumstances giving the
Inference that the letter is forgery is wiped
away. The same as regards the Post Office
stamps on that envelope, about which there
has been so much controversy and 50 unfavo-
rable opinions A scientific gentleman, yes
terday, of the Patent Office, by very skilful
tests, identified the stamps as being identical to
that OF others Of corresponding dates, admitted
to be genuine.
The evidence to-day of several gentlemen
connected with the pest Office aud post routes,
has been given with the design of showing that
way letters cannot generally be traced, or at
least, always, being often neither stamped or
entered upon any register. 1t was shown by
tho Washington Office register, that in October
5, lS45, letter was sent from here 90 Green
Valley, " o., which the returns from there show
no record Of All this was with view of
showing that three letters, one from Miss Fow
Ter in August, and one from Gen. Y. N. in
September and another in October, l845, to
Mrs. Conner, whilst at G!een Valley Depot,
and which the post office registers show no re-
cosd of, though they have the Washington pest
mark, might very reasonably have passed
through the port Office notwithstanding.
DIR. McW,l!iams, quite az aged gentleman,
was called to testify to the general guod cha
racter, particularly as to veracity, of Mrs.
Fowler, mother of the plaintiff, WHOM the
counsel tor The defence consider to have been
lmpeached Ia her testimony, from the fact,
that she did not agree as to ore point, with
Miss Serena Connor.
The counsel Tor the defence objected to the
DOCTORS testimony, because, as they alleged,
rth ey had not Introduced direct testimony af-
f0cting her yeracty, consequently It could not
DO merely rebutting proof The counsel for
plaintiff made strong and eloquent appeals in
bshaN ofthelr witnesses generally, whom they |
consider to have been sweePingly denounced |
as guilty of perjury by the defence in the re-
peGted assertions that this case was only based
upon perjury, fraud, sc. They conside. it the
dearest right OC persons TO defend their charac-
lers when assailed, by all honorable means in
their power Authorities were cited on both
sides to sustain their respective positions. AZ
ter muciI discussion, the Court, just at the ad-
journmeRt, decided that the testimony was ii1-
as it infnged upon the settled
rules ofevidence, remarking that though this
might BIO a matter held dear 10 persons, yet 1t
was necessary that the proceedings in Court
Jf law should be practical, aud that it this was
permitted, the thing might 60 on, on both
ii9es, 70 an ondlegs degree.