New-York tribune., 1879-12-09
FORGING A CERTIFICATE.
r,RTIING EVIDENCE IN A WILL CASE.

STARTLING EVIDENCE IN A WILL CASE
FoR,tR WITNESSES FOR THE CLAIMANTS TO THE
rtvrs ESTATE EXPOSING A REMARKABLE con-
sPIRACY
hearing was held yesterday before Master In
Chancerv e. s. See, in Jersey City, in tho contest
over the will of Joseph l.. Lewis, OF Hoboken, VINO
left 81 900 900 toward the payment oil the NATIONAL
debt. Testimony Of startling character was gwen
in support Of the allegation Of the counsel employed
on the part of the Government that the alleged
widow of the testatOr was never his VIE, but tnat
she had entered into conspiracy with Marcus
Sacia and others to obtain some OF the money lett
by Mr. Lewis. Elijah ID. Caldwell, one OF the for
mer witnesses for the alleged widow. was called to
the stand and subjected to severe questioning pS
Edwards Picrrepont, one of the lawyers employed
Ia behalf OF the Government. Mr. CaldwelPs testi-
mony was as follows:
"I reside in New-York aud year ago was
nresent at An interview between Marcus Sacia and
Mrs. Russell We talked about forging certifi-
cate of the marriage of Miss Mary 4. Reed and
Francis Fleet. The couple named were married IN
1858 but they separated IN 1877. Fleet subse-
oneptIy met his wife and denied that they had ever
been married, and when she produced The certificate
he seized it. crumpled it up and threw IL
INTO pai. The mother OF Mrs. Fleet took II
out and it was subsequently placed in an old frame
which belonged u Inc. he slo"h hio 10
the one refer to- 1t was forged by Marcus Sacia
He asked me to 60 to st. Ambrose Church, New
York CITY. and copy from the parish register the
entry of the marriage of Fleet and Miss Reed.
did So and Sacia forged ceruncate, using for the
uhrpose INK which he said was forty years old Mrs.
Lewis the alleged widow, has admitted To me that
she never saw MIR. Lewis. and at her request ire
uueutly described how he looked and acted. she
also requested me to describe Justice Fish, whose
is signed TO the marriage certificate produced
by her. Mrs. Lewis once requested mo 20 prepare
"A marriage certificate for her, but refused Clara
Meredith a witness of the Fleet marriage. is dead,
but MIR. Lewis found woman who agreed to per
sonate Clara Meredith: The signature on the Fleet
certificate of Clara Meredith was written by me
in "A saloon at No. 10 Ann-st., New-iork CITY, IN
july 1877. The cOnspiratOrs never called as wit
ness in this case tue woman who was to represent
Flora Meredith. IL the Summer OF 1877 | pnI-
chased some marriage certificates IN store on
Sixth-ave, New-York City. aud gave them to
SAGA; he used two of them in forging cortiii-
Gates for Mrs. Fleet and Mrs. Lewis. Al
though frequently saw women at the
rooms Of Lewis. IN HOboken, never saw
,he alleged widow there. Mrs. Lewis has asked me
what evidence was given IN tins contest but Ire
fused to tell her. always thought hor health good,
and do not attribute her absence from the hear,
ings to III health. She once told me that she should
call as one of her witnesses Mrs. Draper. with
whom Lewis boarded Ia Hoboken. She SAID Mrs.
Draper had some pillow cases on which was written
Lewis's name. Ina my opinion the name on the pil-
low case shown me was written at the same time
the + rged cert fcate was and with the same INK"
William AnlauN, also one OF Inc former witnesses
for the alleged widow. then called 10 the stand.
The important part OF ms testimony was as follows:
ln Nav, 1873. was employed IN "a stable in
Ihirticth-s. New-YOrk City. Mr.. Sacia came TO me
one day and SAID lac wanted to show me how TO make
some money lie SAID that an aged man named
Lewis. who was supposed 10 be crazy, had died in
HOboken and left 70 600 GOO or S3, 100000 to the
Government, and ne had pat up job to get IT. aud
had woman who was as smart rs chain lightning
who would claim to be the widow OF Lewis. and
thus break his will. He showed me the forged mar
rage certificate of Nh and Mrs. Fleet. and asked
me TO forge the signature of the sexton of st. Am
brose Church, VINO was q witness to the ceremony.
forged tie SIGNATURE, and Saca promised TO give
$25. and 81 900 within thirty days. never re-
ceved the money"
The witness cOrrObOrated Caldwell in his testi-
mOny that the certificates were printed IN 1877 ana
W, also purchased that year.
Francis Fleet, another former witness Tor the
alleged widow. was then and testified as
follows:
Il thought my certificate was the genuine one
when so testified now know 1t was forged by
Sacia never saw the genuine one after II was
friend of Mrs. Lewis; they mad some pillow cases
on which they had just written the name of Lewis,
and told me that they to be produced III evi-
deuce The signatures ON the marriage certncate
and the pillow were forged the INK used was
SAID TO be forty years Old"
The counsel on the part Of the Government then
placed in evidence some letters written by Sacla 10
Fleet which the latter identified. Henry Caldwell,
the brother of the first witness testified that the
frame which contained the forged certificate oil
Fleet formerly belonged 10 his father, and had been
| in the possession of the Caldwell family for more
tnan twenty years. The case was then adjourned.