New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-11
THE NOTE OF WARNING.
EXPERT soUTHwoRTRs DISCOVERY

EXPERT SOUTHWORTIPS DISCOVERY.
INTRoDUorIoy OF ADDITIONAL PAPERS AT The
WHITAKER COURT MARTIAL - MAJOR MERRILL
A GERMAN SCHOLAR Mr.. soUTHWoRTHs
TESTIMONY.
Major Gardner opened the proceedings at the
Whitaker Court Martial yesterday by announcing thaI
he should be unable to produce the specimens OF wng
marked No. o. which Mr. Chamberlain had asked for on
wednesday Captain Sears had them in his possession
and he was unwilling 20 produce them without an order
from the Court They we're introduced as evidence
in the Court OF Inquiry and as they were private
property Captain Sears was OF course Responsible Ior
them Captain Sears said that he thought the papers
ought to be produced II WhIttakers counsel desired
De s,mply wished the Court to order him to
do this so as to relieve him OF all
responsibility The Court accordingly voted 10
order him to produce them aud also the specimens OF
writing of twenty other cadets Captain sears then
went after the papers and when he returned lew min
utes later Mr. Hagan, the expert was put upon tne
stand The papers we're then handed to him, and Mr.
Chamberlain asked him If the writer OF the note OF warn
ing wrote the specimens marked No. 81 AS Re was not
prepared to answer that question immediately, MI
HaRan was allowed TO retire until nc had ume 10 OK
anime the specimens carefully
sephen Jossa German barber OF West Point was the
next witness He spoke English very mperfecty and All
interpreter called IN. He testified that be hau cut
Whittakers hair last March Whitaker, he said hau
told him 10 cut short 'front.' but to leave II long be-
hnd 1t was the custom then TO cut the cadets hair
short behind.
Mr. Chamberlan-Dld you testify at West Point that
Whitaker asked you cut his hair long behind or only
In cut II not quite 30 short behind az in 'front.'
The interpreter then put tns question to tue witness
Major Merrill-This Interpreter isn't translatnR ne
Governors question properly. He is asking the Wlthcss
If he testities now as lie did ut West Point 80
The Interpreter instructed 10 CONNIE nnseI1 70
trauslating questions they were asked He accord
ngy did So barber SAID that Whitaker had told
hin TO leave little longer behind than IN frOnt
Albert I. SouthwOrth. OF Boston, an expert VINO leu
fed al the Court Inquiry, the next witness Alter
fine usual philosophical dlsqusitiOn with when an e1
pert proceeds bis testimony, he pulled out large roll
OF manuscript from which he proceeded 10 read ms re-
pOrI. The note Of warning, he SAID, was eVluenty
written la an unnatural hand He then took up the dir
feraut words which made the note, aud discussed
them one by one. The paper which this was written,
lie had discovered half OF sheet OF paper the
other half Of which Whitaker had used for writing
letter 10 his mother which was dated April o. This was
shown that the ragged edges OF the note or
warning and the letter fitted together exactly The wit
ness had also discovered about three weeks that the
paper which the note Of warning was written had ut
one been written over with pencil and that this
writing had afterward been erased by means OF rubber
had discovered this by examining the note with q
powerful microscope, in what is known "enRravers
light" The words which had been erased were those used
in the note OF warning and they in the hand writing
OF the specimens OF Wnlltakers writing given 70 hn
witness concluded his report by advising the Court
DIN light 80 these erased words would becOue ap
parent -, 49,,
niolOck