The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-06-10
A Claim for $4,000 Set Up Against the
Estate of the late j. Henry Hoppe
PrOtracfed Trial-Its origin and Pro-
gress-TestiTuony, &c.
HAGEnsrowN, Nd, JUNE LIST, 1882.

don't worry yourself about this matter as you see
mother. bnt You have been faithful daughter to
me and have obeye6 me- and you have seen a great
deal of trouble. Don't worry yourself. but take
things easy and do the best can for the present
1 have prospered and accumulated great deal of
money together and intend TO do what please with
it, And Ann. after my death yen are to have SlO,-
CO., this you TO have, will or how'll. Takeeare
Of this letter until my death, Ann, Keep TINS TO
yourself J. HENRY HofPG
This was offered for probate in the Orphans Court
of Carroll county and the caveators being the heirs
at-law of the deceased and his widow and admins
forgery; issues were then framed and sent to the
Circuit Court for trial and the case was removed to
this county ,
The following named gentlemen were empanell :
cd 10 try the ease Jacob t. ManganS. George l.
Adams, Henry b. Bachtell, Samuel W Cost Dennis
Cain Robert H. Cusheu. John Cray John ". Mur-
dock Washington G. SnaVely. Josiah Thomas, Henry
Troup and John 5. watkins
The hrss skirmish to-day was as TO who was 10
open the case and the Conrt decided that the onus
OF proof the party asserting the forgery ont
wTitinr Then tbe caveators wond attack il and then
caveatecs would produce their evidence to sustain
il genuine, AFTER which the eaveators won.d pro-
uce their evidence IN rebutta aud this would close
the case
The opening statements for the caveaiors WAS
made by Mr. Roberts. and thar for the esveaies hy
Col Maulsby ana the Court then adjourned until
HAeEEsTowx, IUxE "a, 1852.
The Court met az Il. m, aud the trial OF the
Hoppe case resumed
Register 81 wills for Carroll county. who pFuuecd
the letter claimed 70 be the wiz and identife il A.
the deposited in the Orphans Court for probate
by Mrs ByeFs-
VIVA q RinehaFt lessihesi he had lived in West
minister Il yeArS had known Jno. Henry hopfe over
- years. he had beeu magistrate = years and y As
also scriveuer and surveyor. and did great deal
Of writing. wines fa the habit Of going " him
a magistrate; was. he thought. acquainted with
Hopes handwriting had seen him write hts nAtiie
frequently and also seen pap<r prepared by hins
tihc witness herc shown the letter and read n
carefully that paper Is ia the handwriting of Buhn
he he his
tthe envei0pe shown hiia1 yes sir that s teo-
Upon cross examination. hadn't anything done.
specially BY Mr.. Hoppe during the last few year Of
his lie he had written wifnes notes several times
in reference his taxes; the tuEn over on The %
per Is Nj Hopes handwriting UituesS > hfetheF-
ii-iAv Of Mr. hycu; thinks there 4 slight difsr-
enee between tbs writing GA TIE two sides tbsre =
les difference ia the two signatures than IN the boy
OF the two writings had seen THE paIeFs before in The
Orphans Court RON and noted the dtaescHce Inc
part ON back appears n have hten uiore eAfeissSy
written In the is7s there l. iie seFateh a. thong "A
the pen slipped II the mark was eaFrirs ots vooia
make 4 lhe n ami } sre more leepe IN one *
nature. there j. difcrcnrc In the ~ also sac "a
fhf n. looked II him a. II sre retains peu i;t
making ps ~ skc.. but couldn't say thsre any
dlnerefca tn the character III the fu0 WEisiuz nor
tina, filcre uniformity Ia one tran Va The
other, Hoppe kept number II pens and ifsSssae>
"a hi ofsre. Col. Manishy herr oereA iRcyieencs'
iestlon henE made WithdreN and Ksste h3t cas-
The jury then retired % the eoanssl ro0n And
spent some time In examining The tHo hcssess-
M wadiog was recAiict aud hstiasd be bad
taken the paper In dispute . NJ IA lamar. =
trtlEf fft4s- AAtAFN. At-fA
pciitoE Sled I,l L - b desae he Psy-iaeca The
peIlioa bat ti Neulsay o5ectcd - ~ being Ftasi.
The Court Tulssi there Was ip neet so - A. no q
trnps bad been made 70 shgz any tnpFoF-fs a. ~
NJ kos,er,s thcu oacrc,i ~ produce nc aeaoans
aiiudcd m GupFc< husasess letter knd follpw u
up vita pEsoL that he haxA es5ieesei i an order
from Nf aud Ms EyeSr and credited u GF q nntas
Scr SO he heid arsioss Nr hyers
To this also COL Nanisby objected aud the to1ft
ruled this would be AnsScsinE IN Asivaare What
msght wine from The osher sisls and Sas noa now
NJ Wales resauss.i-hE had taken The PAPER -
Mr. Ia CaEa3ras aasi TesAnea IN change Of Il " bic
j. "a la CausnrA trsslaca he bad eoadnstssi ptao.
srgraph gallery ta Mtssmiuztet last ycAr ana sAsi
teen ~ INC hatsiness Z yeaFl Tie Mas teVn she-n
the paper bat Objection made " Ms ssyt
uhefheE ~ had taken photographs es ~
Ne. isaaerts aid b. otessf The 'sss1snty % .asS
that the photographic uua dfsssose s1fe tatiy tie
true character Of the Tapcs sud Also that 0as uAs
written via ,siaervlli iak fsum he etlsss
Aft4 arlsafaefs the Court decided thst Ne p.htto
srsf.s ~ ti f1Fcr IA isspuse sssIid - szaitted
bat the Cnurs Eus< frst tr s4Ss2scd tiaAt tsc poo
ErapheF Vas = eeEsgetent Istson ssd hlet 1sel esot
Use Jury AID e. enable them - seAeA prefr
ronciu.isia, Mr., IN CaulaES tlra tzstari ~ The
pafer and segerAfs enc. ~ t4e 5glaasSgss and hos
BE bad done a. hes instruuacS< safe 81 one %
4. Iis - a. ,.s.rs. - ssss s~il A.
qstaiufsd ulth All The Us9Sra appliances u rs Aff
and bad esd tsen - sAltsi'y = -. a. ~.
~ "a dessFcsi &na - had excluded ever ty fas.s
ihe whon - work vas exesssaingsS ssfgs;al.
A. to he dfsaeat steps ~ shs pspcess ard Shat ASH
whoa each sAsnS was a0ur; bow ms l1eht As, Ae-
1as tIses ssSsss ", plsnlerspks and issfiasa ~
bad tss-s tllfzi and they we're seeef1ss s.Pass %
faisi Ma he Ai rs,ic the larger f;siaFcs b tt-
icg jug them on ssreen ;rgns tbs uezauf4 Ia the
cS4era, lz aid tlAt When this wa4 des'e tae li<et
usfstrd evcFs litie MARI "a the pscsure. they
a arrurete cepAez a. could bx Eiadr b any phois-
graphie pnsecsa knoNn The PisntssFsi'his pfucsss
Qua bsi hin ~ distinguish 4 dsitzesfr "a tia ct,s
efink = A5r Instance n os paper written vita
black ana the other vita tire lax this Soalid -
thosIrh sius fsase-i With ne naked eye. Wbesi BE
made tbsse negatives b. had 10 dil8Colg uilh ultf
sde % The p4Pef iihe oGsiness eiaefi ~ stiins
clear ard dsstBcs aaaiTe and ~ defctopRk essaf
plate bat IN masking NEGATIVES q tbs other SIDE tths
sIiewed ioHEcTy using the sAfae cheFalezls, same
leiIt and sane time o. exposure he spsHd thai ~
ri einst nothing. he tried another piair slth nAHie
result and knezs prePers % make zter plate 81
Inr Il hanger cxlSurV bins oa bite b1ck gsslna
takes q longer cxposarc in phutgETathihE. be gave
the ether piEie ten secuIads haageF rx7zSafV and
then gu good inlFcsion. came - Tie conc ssiiil
prsusaea that one HAD abine tlnge ia is he kne~
mai blue would have thAs cfcct oa bis chemicals,
be thought there Nas aiaefSsee n ulr pFitiig ~
he was thasl crssse examined AZ isng,h By coiourl
Mzassby - what be had doile ard lsosed etit 70
lin, tie differences be found Ia the tw0 writiar,.
lie said there dlfervnes IN the y hole appear-
ance ms, and then IAgtcnlaTinsd IN ,he eAraescr.
ton in one did-usd from the ofhefs ~ u Ncrn
Joined IA and Ia one he loSer faFf d TIE sas
rounded. differences we've IN y Ia tSo sigtiaiures,
A. the dlsseFences ia the distinctions ~ the tgu
pieturs indicated b bis mind dtDefciicc In the
sir "a the 4. the words turn over wers nos a.
distinctly developed cIher Tart ii picture. this
tnirhf have been beuause they near the cEc 81
the plate aud he made nc special es.rt - Eet theni
chelnleas ART poured thc plate &c one corner and
thai i generally darker the photographic wefe nps
a. plata clear and distinct the Tsge7 hat Tar
~ detail concerned they were faithful pictures
the day the photographs Nese HAeir the latter Pafi
Of october OF fiFst OF November Sas particularly
he ssS then examined On the photographs Of Tho
sisnsiule- aud pointed out the siieresles he "a
II Huber testihe,l-IIas resldesi Ia Westminster
since 1871: tsen In the drug business siiice lsf aud
was appointed fSstnas.er IA lsas; for SIX YEAR. q
and WAS acquainted with his handwriting. oseanie
~ frem copying and fecurding deeds, Sc written
by him aud vas familiar with his magistrate "a
psrs shown the papers the bcsi Of his kngN ledge
and BEL lei the hsiyaDd signature was not Ia hoppe
ting the sigEaiurc did not s0aPpaaf % him
Cross-exsminsti-sGid Il vas NOT Hpppe's hand
writing As u Iaatter Of opinion and not mattes
OF fact wines familiarity with lioppes hsndNfii
write ia the fcSt0flce Hoppe was a magistrate uF
70 lsss there were iaany deeds mortgages aud 0ihe
papers written by him IA the CLERK orice hewrois
frquenty When he came into the psss0ices Civ ina
checks for money oTes D. his aget iH lows. on als
write In his Once had him wFite his name e. 4
check within the lasi three year.: could not poin
cut specifically wherein the handwriting OF the Pc
10 roint out any one feature bat said II did gen
orally; here he was shown the enyolopel wouidn'
swear positively that ii was the Westminster post
mark on It.
Mr. Roberts said they would admit il was
George X GehF-Iived In Westminster nearly al
his life and is Cashier OF the Frt National Bank IA
which Hoppe kept an account had seen his check
aud his endorsement Of other checks, also had
him write; the signature 20 the paper did not 10 IN
mind ap.ear tsl be in the handwriting oil Mr.. Hoppe
IN the body OF the writing some letters somex hat
senble It. tut as II whole IL did not look like hi
handwriting.
Crossexanlined-H been Cashier since 1873: u
the best OF his knowledge and belief ii not hi
signature; IN his opinion IL not; had seen Mr.
Hoppe write in his Office when witness went Their,
10 swear 10 the reports OF the bank a number o
times Judged of signature To checks by its genera
appearance. had examined his signature in Mr.
Roberts Office ON some checks last "Wednesday night
and had seen one that morning before leaving home
had seen this paper once at the Court House; tn
writing on the other side had Hopes signature u
H. didn't undertake to point ont differences but onl
Judged Of the signature BY is general appearance
+ examines paper and points to a difference In tn
loop of the '.y'-One was unlike any other In tn
Z genuine letter.
Isaac Z. Pearson, member Of the bar in westmin
ster-Had seen Hoppe write his name aud seen pa
pers written by him. acquainted with his hand
writing more than % years. don't think the hand
writing Of the paper or the signature is his.
Crosse xamined-Spoke from his general knowl
edge Of Hopes handwriting: didn't think the
looked like the way he made his: hadn't seen Hop
pes signature for some time; that did not look liz
his idea of what his signature was; looking at bust
ness letter believe that is Mr.. Hopes handwriting
there differences in Us, in HIS in Os; can't poin
out features OF difference exactly had never seer
the paper before nor expressed an opinion II was
forgery, that he remembers Hoppe had difeTen
! bottles and pens lying about his Office.
, Z To Mr.. Roberts-HoPpes handwriting was yer.