New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-27
TILE SHARON DIVORCE CASE.
SENSATIONAL AND CONTRADICTORY De
NEIOPMENTS

san FrAxC1sCo. July 19-Thc trial of the Sharon
casc recommended on Monday. The latest sensation
at that time appcrtainng to it consisted in the publca
ton of "A card 10y Nelson, who had been one of the
pillars of the prosecution, stating that he had deter
mined to Withdraw from the ease IN consequence of
certain discoveries which I'd changed his conclusions
regarding it, II was further published through :" in
tcycws" that the discovery referred 10 was neither
more nor less than the presence Of rckcry or woree in
the so called dear wife" letters. Mr. Nelson said
that he had made the discovery in February bu; Miss
Hill ha. now given to the press series of letters from
Nelson TO her which put a different light on the case
II appears from thc4c letters that hc offended
because she would not allow him 10 control the case
and tina, lac had no scrlpc, of conscience at much
later date than that given by him. The public here
however are not disposed to attach much Importance
10 Nelson's withdrawal or to accept the reasons al
legcd by him Mis-, Hin tells the reporters TINT she has
no idea what Nelson mean, about the letters, but
these letters have been examined 10y experts in Court
and analysed, and discussed, the ultimate Judgment
concerning their gcnuncncss of cannot be- deter
mined by any irresponsible expression of opinion.
Since tho ease was rc-opcncd the Court has been
Chiefly occupied by the photographic experts, who have
been testing IA theory of the defence At first it
was coutendcd that certain of the letters which pur-
ported to De the hand writing of Sharon forgcr
lated The new theory i, that some Of these letters
racings and 10 examine and test this hypothesis the
expert has been fitting up AL kinds Of apparatus, and
giving the Court specimens of his work in this
line. Among his incidental discoycIes one 10 the
effect that III making traCiag the hand invariably
tended 10 make certain letters i'll peculiar and anor-
nal way and ne thought he could detect evidence of
this i'll of the letters of the dear wife series
After several days of this expert business which in
the of it anything but lively and interesting
TO the spectators and the public the defence proposed
to have the ink with which the letters and the
riagc written, tested with chemical re-
agents. for the purpose of asccrainng whether one of
the eX eTts theories correct namely that some of
the letters written with two kinds of ink The
difficulty of applying the proposed test consisted in the
fact that it could not be done without DESTROYING the
eVidcntia value of the documents. Tyler, the l1nci-
pal counsel for the prosecution had AT early stage of
the trial offered TO accept such chemical test if the
defence would agree TO rest the upon il his offer
was refused. and when the new proposal made by
the defence he objected, the grOaHd that the doci-
ments might be required in another several other
trials and that therefore his client could not afford
let them, and especially the contract be talnpcIed
with. Judge Sullivan took the point under advise
ment and yesterday decided that he could woId
not order the test TO hc applied, practically taking
FLYERS view Of the question. Upon this the defence
surprised their opponents by announcing that they
rested their here. Tyler said hc was nprcpared
and wanted 10 Tc-cxnc of the witnesses for the
defence and the hearing OF the was adjourned
until next Monday.