American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-12-08
[corregp ondenee Of the Baltimore Cnpper.l

I WAsHINGroN, Dec. I, 1916.
The Van Ness Case. This being the day for
the commencement Of the reg lar December
term of the Criminal Court, Immediately Oh
the opening of the Court this morning, Judge
CIanch (this being his frs. appearance in pub
lie since his late illness,) announced that the
Criminal would give way to the Circuit Court,
and hold its session in the Aldermen's room of
the building. All persons having business with
the Criminal Court accordingly adjourned to
that room.
MIR. Nicholas Callan, recalled resumed his
evidence as to the handwriting Of Gen. Van
Ness, testifying unfavorably to the genuineness
of the letters. Mr. Calan always knew
Gen. Van Ness TO be very particular in
dividing words upon the full syllable, instead
of indiscriminateIy without regard to sgables
as in the Orphans Court snd other letters here.
He always too used hyphon at the end of the
line, and not at the beginning.
In a cross examination by MIR. Brent, he
stated that he was two days engaged after the
death of Gen. Van Ness, examining his papers,
but saw none addressed to VIM. Wallace con-
tanning lock ofhair-nor did he rccollect ever
saying he had seen such.
Mr.. Houston, of the Treasury Department,
testified that he would not take the letters to
be genuine; and believed Gen. Van Ness and
his brother to have been on good terms in his
latter days.
Mr.. ]. G. Mcguire bookbnder, testified TO his
knowledge of the envelopes made for the Capt.
toll Envelope handed him. Thought it one Of
those for the Capitol, as it correspondent with
the punch which he got from them in ls45,
after the adjournment of congress. The ma
chine is one in which knives and forks are set,
presenting surface the shape of the envelope |
He got new knives on the 9th July, As,
which altered the shape of the envelope, but
broke them before using, and did not get them
back again..unti 4th Aug. On the 9Th Aug.
the first envelopes were furnished from the new
cutter for congress only. That envelope, he
had no hesitation is saying, was made by his
new knife, and thinks the envelope could not
have been got from his machine by the 9th
July, 1916, as it was not then in order, and
this envelope was not at all like the one made
by the old machines. The paper of this enve-
lope is of the same texture as that he used
hich he had made for his own purpose
In cross examination he said the knives in
the machine could not be changed so as to alter
the angles of the different sizes of envelopes
this envelope was not in lis original fold, and
he did not test it by that but by the angles.
MI DIu ulCy plopoSSu W tdiC tHb paper vi
the envelope for some purpose; but MIR. Brent
said no, he might want the paper on another
trial
Mr.. Sweeney, teller of the Bank of Wash
ington, examined as TO handwriting, said he
thought the signatures to the Orphans Court
letters shown him, had the general appearance
of General Van Ness-woud have taken them
apart from suspicious circumstances. Some
of the papers did not look like General Var
Ness's ordinary writing
Mr.. Jos. Gales, editor of the National In
telligencer, deposed that he was acquainted
with Gen. Van Ness since 1907, and thought
he would be able Judge of his handwriting
The last correspondence he had with him was
in ls42. Mr. Gales critically examined tn.
record papers as handed him, expressing opin
ions uniavorable generally to the genuinenes,
ofthe matrimonial papers. In regard to one
of the letters, he did not believe it in the pow.
er of Gen. Van Ness so TO disguise his writing
Several others Mr.. Gales did not think it i'm
possible Gen, Van Ness might have disguised
! his hand to, though he could not see his usua