The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-07


| fore your Honor has beeo legally proven.
| ruffisn is arrested while attempting to commit
murder accident. not want OF incl inclinssi,0n, sn,n
| to-day on trial for his life.
He is taken TO the Station House by the om-
Ger: he very properly searched, and on mis-
person is found q roll OF naturalization papers
signed flames Ross snowden." with the seal OF
| the Court affixed. The officer takes the papers
to his superior, who In turn sends them TO
member OF the bar already engaged In tue in-
| that such a clear, connected, and eminently
| honest account would be satisfactory to the
Doubt The question OF how tb Q papers came into
| Court. Oficer Fleming arrested Divine, took
Key KEY BaTcus Kept them until the arrival Of Lieu.
| tenant Mckinley, who in the morning took
The Mayer examined them. handed them
back to Mckinley, who kept them until ne
| counsel have adopted another theory. Tney
| say, did Mr. Biddle yesterday, that some
| person put these papers in Devine's pocket. and
then took them out again, and brought them
before the Court This theory Is supported by
JoS1 peyiSe nj bimseif Now ihe conrse of pe
vine is worthy Of note. He was arrested on
Wednesday night, committed to prison, cut off
from access to his acquaintance, abandoned
by Mr.. Daily and mis- partisan co-workers, and
left alone until Saturday.
you will have him here before you on Monday
10 testify. On Saturday afternoon, within three
is baiIed out by Mr.. Daily. Until free access TO
him for Instructions or communication was
III
after the allowance of The habeas corpus he
was baied out by Mr.. Daily Cuiiou coincl-
oencei Immediately that he is known as to be
brought mere. he is released. Now mark the
astonishing conduct of this man after his
h wsnsa 6eIe and WhoT ena az
consultation he came. He comes voluntarily to
testify in case in nv ThiSh Sla he he is n,I likely to
under bail TO answer the charge of felony. Heis
actuatea only by a. desire TO aid the cause OF
What an Astonishing display OF quality
| worthy of his name! What puff of his fitness
| brought here he swears he never had the papers
in his possession, TO his knowledge, that he was
| pistol, and that he had no dinner while in the
Station House-which item is principally relied
on by our learned brothers, If we can Judge by
their righteous Indignation and tender COM
passion. Therefore, they say, the papers were
put into Deylne,s pocket by the policemen.
Why this pretense is so transparent the very
| sun shines throught 1t! Do they expect your
Honor to weigh in the balance the statement OF
this confessed drunkard and would-be MUIR
derer, without a show of evidence to support
the law, who, let me here add, have acted in a
manner which proves them to be faithful
Honor nor any reasonable man will entertain
the idea for one moment. But II we grant, for
be- tne does Il relieSe the or ns
associates? Is 1T not just as great an ofense
for a policeman TO have access to the seal and
records Of this Court as q Democratic rough,
who lives without visible means Of support,
and gratuitously canvasses for his party? II
the theory of Mr.. Biddle be true, it does not
jot or one title. We think your Honor will
recognize the truth of the statement of the
officers and give the theory of substitution the
credence it deserves.
At the outset OF the case we stated that we did
not believe, nor would we attempt to prove.
that the signature TO these papers was that of
s0nepded eisber in his ofiice as was most nro.
bable, or out of It. Whether the person so sign
ing was or was not authorized to sign the name
orr oil tn
| cover and feel convinced from the evidence
| that whatever reflection may rest on the Pro-
| thonotary for careleSSnesS and undue reliance
| on sabofdinates, he has never authorized his
signature to any of these papers by any one.
| These are, therefore, undoubted forgerteS SO far
| as his name is concerned.
| But it was not only mis- duty to keep his sig.
| nature off such pRpers-that was a self evident
| duty-but he was also bound to use extraordi-
nary diligence in protecting the seal of this
court BY statute he is made its custodian; and
| when we remember the high nature OF every
| document to which 1t Is appedned; when we
remember mat ~ Is against tne ne poncy and
| appreciate the important responsibility OF
| Col. Snowden. How has he fulfilled that duty?
| The evidence submitted has proved beyond
| reasonable doubt that the seal which appears
on these papers Is the Impression of the bona
Grattan and Mr.. Price that the blanks used are
| the same.
| We have shown by Mr.. Lovett, an expert
| practical engraVer, and one whose standing in
| The art the counsel for the other side gener-
| ousIy recognized, that in all proba billy the
| seals came from the genuine one. After care
| fnl and mechanical examination of them he
| gave such as his deliberate opinion. In this
| Mr.. Moss, an expert, through whose hands tho
| examination and comparison of hundreds of
| seals annually pass, most heartily concurred.
| Both these gentlemen testified that such i'm
| pressions as those on TIA ese forged papers could
only have been secured from the original or
| frem an electroty pc made from 1t.
TO be snre. Mr.. NORM. an ex pert who was not
competent TO form an opinion as to the impress
sion himself, denied to all his craftsmen suffi-
Client skill, and did so In the imperfect light In
the middle Of the room. expressing his opinion
| before he took the impression to the window.
| The high standing Of Aessrs Lovett and Moss,
both as experts and cautious gentlemen, Is Off
set against this witness. He was aided in his
| theory by an ingenious member of the Bar,
| who showed the Court an impression secured
| from letter-press. Unfortunately Tor eur bro
| theirs standing as an expert. he was obliged to
! wet his paper to secure the impression; the
sizing was thus taken of, and the dull look in-
stead OF the gloss was the result, as your III Honor
| will see for yourself.
On these forged papers there has never been
| any water applied, as ts capable OF ocular de-
tion to this difference. But there is no neces-
| sity for examining the various processes OF
eleotrotPying or engraving from wax impress
| stands In the office of your Prothonotary, and
| has stood there all the time. The Impressions
were taken in the office, and II Is useless To be-
| come scientific over chemical mysteries when
| connected evidence shows that the bona fde
| seal stamped these papers. From evidence
| outside of the Office alone, We have sufficient
| proof of this fact. But, as though to remove
| every possible doubt, We have the sworn states
| mept of clerks employed within the office.
AIthoush three of them swore point blank
| that there mad never, SO tar as they knew, been
| blanks sealed in the Office, yet Mr.. Blair, in
| honest and candid testimony, was COM PEELED TO
| acknowledge that some two weeks ago a mum.
| berthe exact number he could not Jell-were
| scattered on all the desks In the office. and be-
| fore the eyes of all the clerks; that he had at
| least six, possibly more, on his desk at one
| time, and that they were kept 80 loosely that,
| as soon as these forged papers were captured,
| no Of cd haI m