New-York tribune., 1881-03-29
THE U4HOR OF no. 27.

AN IMPORTANT QUESTION IN THE WHIITAhEH IN
CURRY.
The session of the Whitaker trial yesterday was
of unusual interest Mr. Gayler was called to the
stand in order to present the exhibits of Dit. Paul.
who was unable. on account OF sickness TO be mes
emf. The Pain exhibits consisted OF comparisons
bntyyeen the various letters ard GyllaDeS ~ te note
of warning aud similar combinations in the stand
ards The croSs-examnaton was very snort.
Mr. Southworth was then recalled. he had pre-
viousIy profcssed to have discovered that the note
of warning was written on piece OF paper torn
from one OF Whittakers letters. To test his ABILITY
10 match pieces of paper so cut or torn, the GGurt lou
number of divided sheets OF paper 70 matcl, re,
tanning the key These papers were suDmltte'l, ana
on com ,risOn with the key IL was found that they
had heen PERFECTLY matched. and that Mr.. South
ortb's absorption Us to how they had been cut was
correct even to the smallest detalis.
The orOSs-eXamnation OF hir. AmeS was theh con-
'In saeh investigations do you ever reach such n
state of conviction as TO be able to say that you eau
not be mistaken
N No expert can do that" r.
@"Well, do you not think that conclusions from
such data as these are open to very high degree oi
"No, not high degree" n.
"Wcli, do you not think, for instance, that the
characteristics which you pave pOn5si OUT
could be found In some other mars WrbhgT
mo sir few might, but not all."
Now Mr.. Ames, you reached several different
conclusions IN your several reports at west Point
Uave Won anV reason 10 suppose that with more
teriaI YOU would not reach another concusionp
al do not admit that there rs any likelihood OF
nv doing So The only difference IN my conclusions
was the subsequent removal OF tho doubts when 1
az first entertained" ,
do YOU regard your first cOncusionaas strength
ening your last y
"Yes, sir'
How many blundors docs it take to make GER
tanty in expert testimony T
This question was not pressed.
Centain Sears was next called. A few questions
were put TO him By tho Judge Advocate and. then
ex-fSovernor Chamberlain asked:
YOn have heard one expert testify, nave you
not hnt he at first came to the conclusion that the
mote of warning was written by the same person as
his standard, NO. 21T
have" - -
"DO you know the author Of No. 27'
al dO.n
Who was il ?"
Captain Sears replied that If the Court pleased he
did not not wish TO answer that question. Inc
Jud0e Advocate offered an objection. and Major
Merrill said: " This No. % was written by cadet
10 whom some suspicion afterward attached. IL
would be very unjust TO blm TO make hrs name
public while ne - under such SUSPICION
MIR Chamberlain then gave his reasons for press
ing the question The questiSn, he had supposed:
would be challenged. but he regarded 1t as ono Of
the most important clues OF tho Whoie tfial One
eXpert had testified that he thought No q wrote
the note Let them get fifty standards from No.
27 ns they did IRON Whitaker, and compare the
note with those. No new iInputahon could De cast
an the cadet unless tho evidence should preponder.
ate AGAINST INN. Captain sears was tho only man
in the world who could disclose tho authorship OF
No Of The expert testimony had brought thaf
oJaf into the trial lust as much as thny had brought
in Cadet Whitaker, and n the authorship OF the
standards written hy Whitaker himself had been
made public by what right could the author o, 40. %
he known except through the mouth OF Captain
SsarsY Tho Court could have 10 choice between
No u and Cadet Whitaker:
An objection was made to discussing the matter ~
open Court, and the Court adjourned before deci-
SION reached