The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-05-19
THE HUMES TRIAL
The Defendant on the Witness Stand
Evidence all Closed.


testimony thus far adduced, and then called
the respondent, Albert H. Humes, who testi-
fed substantially as follows:
Reside in Portland; am the husband of
Fanny U. Humes; married her two years ago
last November. [ lived with her in her house
corner OF Wilmot and Oxford streets until we
went to the St. Nicholas Hotel which opened
the flrst of May. $780, Mrs. Humes had loaned
me money prior to this time and signed and
endorsed notes for me. My wife furnished
the means to carry ON the hotel. 1 had no
means and she understood it. Witness was
shown the Ridlon note. l wrote my name to
1t and Fanny G. Humes wrote her name on
the back at my request The note put in yes
terday as being received in letter from me
while in Montreal is all in my handwriting ex
cept the endorsement of her name on the
back. received the note in blank except her
name was written on the back. In the letter
she requested me to fill out the note, sign my
uame and return it to her and that would con-
vince them at once that 1 made all the notes.
filled it out and sent it to her. l received
another letter from her after that but the
letters are destroyed
The paper marked govt. 2 published yester-
dayl I wrote in my wife's private room in
the hotel the day went away My wife fur
nished the paper and wrote Just what she
asked me to and gave it to her in her own
hand. The next saw of it was in court three
weeks ago. l wrote it as part of the under
standing between US. We talked Of it the day
before | went away. She thought she was be-
ing pressed more than she ought to be ON the
notes that were out 1 went away Friday,
Jan. 14th. Nv wife carried me to the train at
Woodford's. L arranged with her that nv
name should be Albert n Smith I after
wards telegraphed her and signed my name in
that way, and when she wrote me she wrote
me in that name.
When left my wife knew was in insol-
yency and told her they couldn't arrest mo
for anything here She said if | would 90
away she could settle the notes at her own
price, that her property was entalled in such
way they couldn't take it away from her and
she could fix them up better if was out of
the way.
The witness was then shown seridtim the
letters put in by the Government, and he said
they were all in his handwriting. In one let
ter, what is called the confession, where he
says he will write her name so they can see
that he forged her signature, he now testifes
that he left a blank space and did not write
her name. but that it has been filled in by her
since. He was asked in each instance if the
statements therein contained that his wife's
name to the notes were forgeries were true or
false, and he said they were all false, but writ
ten and sent to her to enable her to defend sue
cessfully the suits in Court. The name of his
wife, written on the bottom of one of the let
tiers from him to her, in imitation
of the Endorsement on the note he ad-
mitted he wrote.
The witness continued. When went into
the hotel my wife furnished the means She
became responsible to two different markets
White q Knapps and White & Pickett. We
were both together when hired the house of
Mr.. Walker. She signed bond for me when
l was to be elected constable There was some
delay about the Council and Aldermen meet
and she tnd mo she tba hopI
We went to Scribner's Office and he hadn't the
bond with him, but would have it the next
day. She said if she didn't get the bond she
would declare it was forgery and she never
signed it; said that in the presence of Scrb-
ner. L went into insolvency and this note here
was given to Mr.. Ridion as he states My wife
knew was going into insolvency. took this
note to the house, told her the purpose want
ed it for, and she put her name on it. 1 had
not then made up my mind to abandon the
hotel business; / intended to keep along.
The day came back from Montreal 1 sent
word to my wife that was in town and if she
wished to see me l would call at the house.
She sent word for me and l went to the house.
When got there the door was unfastened
and walked in. She sat back the further side
of the room and looked a little sober said,
morning We'll she said Il think pIft ou .
to, you came back here when you promised
you wouldn't come" l said, "You told me
gou WoIO SOiuS W llA butS6 l1dtLofS up. linen
the bell rung and she handed in Mr.. Ray, her
attorney. | was standing hat in hand. Ray
took his off and invited me to sit down and
talk the matter over. 1 said I had nothing to
talk over; if my wife did not want to
see me privately L did not crave
me If l wasn't afraid of being arrested after
hearing the report. asked him what for? 1
went into insolvency and that killed my debts
Said l, "This woman of mine isn't in as good
disposition as when l left here-when she car
ried me out of town." Then Ray got up and
went out. 1 told my wife she had done
wrong; that the notes belonged to her to pay
and she ought to pay them, for I could not.
She said she wouldn't pay them now it had
gone SO far she wouldn't knuckle down to it.
The reason l came back was after 1 got out
from under the doctors hands 1 thought the
matter all over carefully and thought 1 would
come down here and tell the truth. No one
held out any inducement to me.
When Sheriff Hartford came to serve the
summonses on my wife was in the hallway.
L went to my wifes room, told her Hartford
was there 10 make service upon her. She was
not properly dressed but said she would throw
shawl over her shoulders. She opened the
door about foot; Hartford pissed them in. /
did not enter the room but went down stairs
with him and remained an hour before [ went
back to the room and then / say them. She
has handed me notices of protest more than
once that have been served up her. l was in
the city OF Portland about ten days before I
was arrested.
merely asked to identify some letters written
by him from Montreal which he did. They
were in the same strain as those already pub
lished.
Daniel W. Fessenden, the next witness, tes-
title to calling twice at the hotel ito see Mrs.
Humes. Waited an hour or more each time
but was unable to see her. Humes stated as to
where she was Witness went to Mrs. Humes'
room, as he knew where it was, and raped
several times but got no response. Tried to
get in and couldn't
David Hooper, who held note for 500. II
for balance due on carpets for the hotel with
the name of Fannie G. Humes upon it, testi-
fed that he called upon Mrs. Humes, told her
that her note was overdue and unpaid and
wanted it settled. He was very sure that he
said her note. He did not show her the note
hut had it in his hand folded up. She said
that it would be fixed up but that he had bet
ter see Humes and find out what he had to say
about it,
In the afternoon Edward G. Reynolds was
called to testify that he wrote deposition of
Fannie G. Humes, and in it she said The enve-
lope that contained the summonses was sealed,
but didn't remember whether her name was
on it or not. At this point the counsel said the
defence was in with the exception of one wit
ness, Mr.. Pickett, and possibly another, but
the witnesses were not present. To save time
the County Attorney consented to go ON with
the rebutting testimony and allow the defence
to put in the testimony of the witnesses when
they arrived.
GOVERNMENT REBUTTING TESTIMONY.
Frank W. True testified. Am a collector;
have known Humes five or six years Last
winter was employed by Humes at st. Ncho-
las hotel to tend pool table and cigar stand and
acted in capacity of clerk in his absence. I re-
member of Mr.. Fessenden and MIR. Cobb and
others coming there and enquiring for Mrs
Humes. Humes told me his wife was sick and
nervous and he didn't want her to see them,
and gave me instructions in regard to keeping
them away from her. I saw constables round
inquiring for Mrs. Humes, and L told Humes
if he had gone into insolvency these matters
ought to be in his attorneys hands. He said
they were trying TO get his wife to sign bond
or something to clear him. asked him if she
had signed anything; he said no, only two
notes of 1913 each to Edwin Dow, and they
couldn't trouble her ON them for when they
went to protest she wasn't notified.
Fabius NJ. Ray, counsel for Mrs. Humes,