Morning journal and courier., 1880-10-30
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. PUSHING THB INQUIRY. The Mercy Letter, and Its
 Author.
  ABUNDANT EVIDENCE OF FORGERY. Democratic Bungling Coming Home to Roost. POINTS IN THE EXAMINATION. ] Experts Testimony Going Strong ly Against Philip.
 
ABUNDANT EVIDENCE OF FORGERY.
POINTS IN THE EXAMINATION.
POLITICAL.

| POLITICAL.
 Philips Trial-Weaving the Chain o1
 Guilt Around Hfm-Further Evidence
 of an Infamous Forgery-Experts Dis
 cussinS the Handwriting of the Mercy | Letter-A Remarkable Similarity to the
 Prisoners.
 NEW YORK, Oct. 29.-The court room was again crowded this morning by persons in. terested in the trial of Kenward Philip, charged with forging the celebrated Chinese letter. MT. Hart was recalled Mir Brooke stated that the envelope which Judge Davis had directed MT. Hart to produce was ready, whereupon MT. Hart was purged of contempt and left the court room.
 | Robert s. Southworth, an expert in hand writing, said: compared the photographic copy of the Mercy letter and the photo-litho- ! graphic copy of it with the Rockwell and Jewell letters and do not think they are in the l same handwriting; also compared the Mercy letter with exhibits marked A, B, c, D, etc., l (which are the exhibits on which the warrant 1 of arrest was obtained) and find suficiency \ of characteristics to enable me to form an opinion that they are in the same handwrit- | ing. My best judgment is that the hand writing in the Mercy letter and in the exhib- hibits marked A to K is the same William l B. Hagan, another expert testified to similar effect.
 Allan M. Leet, formerly associated with Philip in the reportorial department of the Tribune, who was familiar with Philips hand ! writing, testified that the exhibits marked A l to were in his opinion in Philips handwrit- ing, also the Mercy letter
 Mir. Bell, for the prosecution, then asked for an adjournment, saying he had important l witnesses who were not available at present To this MT. Brooke and General Pryor ob- jected, demanding that they be allowed an opportunity to prove that the letters were genuine Judge Davis gave his opinion as follows:
 feel it my duty to sit as the examining magistrate ana a16ougn le IS nos usual TOT justice in the su- out precedent. Chief Justice Mansfield in a case similar to this sat. and committed the defendant in fact, written by General Garfield expression the sentiments he on the subject of the letter. it not only unworthy of him, but should condemn him. There is possible doubt think in the minds of thinking men in this country that the idea with which this letter closes the treaty with great power so far population is concerned the largest earth, should not be abrogated until manufacturing and other corporations are conserved the question Of labor, simply means until the cheap labor of China Such sentiment uttered by Presidential candidate would, as a matter course have serious edeot but if it be not genuine, and forgery. every thinking man not only will admit, but will at entertain with promptly and severely condemned. Now, under such circumstances felt it to be my duty an purpose of subserving the interests of any party. No approach to me has ever been made that sub ject by any person connected with any party and it is not my intention so to conduct this to pre- clude any other than the perfect and absolute This application for an adjournment is an ordinary one, and ordinarily would be granted It is in formity with universal practice, and beside the part Of the prosecution extra delays have been occa stoned by the nonproduction of the letter which the court obliged to postpone the hearing in the first place something more than three hours, and then, by resort to what must appear to every very strict construction of language the envelope stunned. These extra delays caused loss of nearly ble this. not willing to be put a false po- stion and will give both sides opportunity to present their evidence. If the prosecution not ready, the defence proceed and give way when the prosecution are ready. will adjourn the case until o'clock.
 During the recess the court room was cleared by order of Judge Davis and thor oughly ventilated The spectators were all rejected and when the case was resumed only few were admitted. Witness Hagan was recalled and examined by Colonel Bliss. He testified as follows: I am familiar with the use of the microscope in the examination of
 
 such an examination and find ensures. I also find on one stamp that the figure ''2' was printed, while what call figure ''1' is not printed, but is longitudinal stroke and is not set in the same field with the figure 9 Above and little to the right of the word 'sMorey'' there is evidence of two ensures, one the word that I think is Esq.," and in the other there is word. The erasure to the left of 'sEsq." is continued and is nearly in line with it. The stamp on the reverse also shows evidence of two erasures with the ring under the word ssMorey." There is ev- idence of an erasure just under the letter ''y." The letters tor' are written over an erasure. The word fLynn" is written under a portion of an erasure, and there is little erasure above the 'tMass'' Cross examined by Mir. Brooke: I examined the envelope at the postofice in presence of MT. Bliss MT. Stoughton, MT. Gaylord, Mir. Finn and Mr. Knox. I do not know who brought it there
 Judge Davis-I entrusted it to MT. Bell MT. Brooke-I understood it was not to go out of your honor's control, and call atten- ton to the fact that it is not in the same con- dition as when we delivered it. Judge Da- vis-I cut off part of the edge. The tears in it were all there.
 Charles Hoffman was called and testified as follows: The photograph of the envelope was made under my supervision. Ireceived ! it from MT. Hart, and it is in the same condi- ! tion now as when received it. I noticed no
 
 the letter and the envelope to the office.
 John Phen was called and testified: re- side in New Jersey. I am the editor of the | American Journal Cf Microscopy, and have made it a study for twenty-five years. I l have been called as witness and an expert before. I saw the Mercy envelope two hours l ago. and have examined it under the micro l scope. The surface of the paper is disturbed l in many points, which you can discover by 1 holding it to the light. At several points | along and above the name the flores are dis | turbed. There is an erasure above the | word 'EMorey." It had evidently been | the word Esq The disturbance of the f. bres is on the outside of the envelope There | is no disturbance onsthe stamp more than or l dinary friction would cause. I don't think it | been an extra degree of rubbing. The mi | croscope shows that the letter 'I'' alongside | the figure ''2'' was not stamped. On the face of the envelope I saw the word Esq, but l could not tell what the other erasures were. There are some small spots of ink Under the word representatives there is an era sure.
 Judge Davis-Can witness fix his micro I scope so can examine the envelope ?Witness Yes, sir. The instrument was then ar ranged and an examination made by the Jus tice
 MT. Phen was then cross-examined by Mir. Howe He was shown part of the envelope with the words J. A. Garfield, M. C., and the mark of stamp on it. On request he made a microscopic investigation of it and testified The mark is stamped. It has been stamped twice.
 James Gaylord, general superintendent of the city delivery department of the New York postoffice, was the next witness. He testified regarding the system of stamping letters that passed through the postoffice. He had examined the envelope to the Mercy letter and it showed evidence of disturbance. Witness produced copies of station stamps and then continued: The abEasure on the station stamp covers where the dates would be. have seen many of the stamps on let ters received from Washington. The figure 1 adjoining the figure on the reverse of the envelope in the stamp is not made by die
 The next witness was Assistant Postmaster Henry J. Pearson. He testified that for eight years previous to his assuming this of fee he was in the railway service on the route