Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-05-20
Shall Mrs. Dickinson be Allowed to
Testify as to an Envelope 2
TONNES LETTERS TO LILLIAN.
n, Last Wrote from Little Plymouth in the
Month Of March.

admissibility Of question proposed by
the representiyes Of the Commonwealth
TO Mrs. Dickinson in reference to a
letter mailed to Lillian and falsely
purporting to have been written by O
former schoolmate, who invited Lillian
to come to Richmond and accompany
"Mrs. Herbert " TO Old Point.
THE RUsE.
This letter was the basis OF the russ
by which Lillian induced Mrs. Dickin.
son to permit her TO visit Richmond in
March.
The letter, il is believed, is in the
handwriting Of Lillian, but Mrs. Dick
inson thinks that il came in an
envelope addressed in the same hand
writing as that Of other letters address
ed to Lillian supposedly by Gu
verius), and what Mr.. Meredith desired
Mrs. Dickinson TO do was TO look at the
Tappahannock postal and see if it was
the same handwriting as that in which
the envelope enclosing the "Mrs. Her
bert " letter was enclosed, and if so, to
state the fact TO the jury.
MRS. DICKINSON NO EXPERT.
Mr.. Pollard contended that the letter
was irrelevant and was not part of the
res gestd,. Furthermore, that Mrs.
Dickinson does not profess to know the
handwriting of the prisoner, nor does
she profess to be an expert in hand
writing.
Mr.. Meredith insisted that it was
now too late for the defence TO make
these objections. They should have
done so when the paper was shown
Mrs. Dickinson.
In the discussion Of this question
Mr.. Meredith and Judge Crump used
pretty stiff but not impolite language
towards each other.
Colonel Aylett, following Mr.. Pol
lard, argued on behalf of the Con-
monwealth that the postal-card post
marked Tappahannock, March 10th,
was admitted TO be prisoners; it is
properly in the case, and therefore the
postal becomes standard Of COMPARE
son which Mrs. Dickinson can use.
"MRs. HERBERT"
Mrs. Dickinson had said in her testi-
mony that the handwriting Of the en-
velope NOW destroyed Of this "Mrs.
Herbert" letter was like that Of the
other envelopes coming to Lillian land
which she had been told was Clu-
verius's.l Prosecution wished to al
low her to say whether the Tap
paharnock postal is TO the best
Of her knowledge and belief in the
same handwriting as the envelope of
the Mrs. Herbert" letter.
BIO TALK.
The discussion Of this question gave
rise to the most extended argument of
the trial. Mr.. Pollard presented his
points with calmness, good temper, and
force. He succeeded in rousing up Mr..
Meredith two or three times, but kept
his own temper unrutlled. Colonel
Aylett spoke with warmth and earnest
ness, throwing into the law he quoted
occasional sprays Of rhetoric pertinent
TO the pending case.
The prisoner calmly listened to the
speeches, and was apparently so un-
concerned in the issue that stranger
might have looked upon him as a
wholly disinterested spectator. He sat
back in his armchair, in easy attitude,
and listened with tolerable attentive
ness, but with no exhibition Of feeling
one way or the other.
Mr.. Meredith followed Colonel Ay-
lett in grand array Of authorities to
sustain their position in the matter.
He seemed to be thoroughly prepared
and well fortified on the subject.
THE JURY.
While all this eloquence was falling
upon the Judge, reporters, spectators,
and courtroom walls, the jury were on
the Capitol Square, standing OF sit
ting in the shade, looking a good deal
like prisoners. Already bored look
possesses their manly faces. Before the
trial is over-before ten days more have
pasScd-they viii be glad enough TO get
their freedom.
HAYDEN's CASE.
One of Mr.. Meredith's citations was
the Hayden Casa case where Con-
necticut preacher had ruined young
girl and she threatened exposure, and
he killed her. Mr. Meredith dismissed
the case with the remark:
a. needn't comment on the compari-
son -; but Cluverius, who had his at
tention on Mr.. Meredith at the moment,
did not show that he felt any allusion
had been made to him.
"MoNsTRous."
Judge Crump answered Mr.. Mere
ditb, cutting at the real points with
great yigor and directneSS. He stated
that they did object on Monday, and
yentured TO say that outside of the law
yers interested in this prosecution
there isn't one in existence who
can think Mrs. Dickinson is in a
condition TO testify as to this
matter. Mrs. Dickinson never saw
prisoner write; she does not profess
TO be an expert, and yet she
is called TO testify TO prisoners
writing. "A more monStrous pro-
position was never presented in court
and this in Christian, not in pagan |
court" Judge Crump expressed great
astonishment and horror at the PROPOSE
tion of the representatives Of the Com
in this case in proposing to
prove by an inexpert witness can es-
tirnable lady, y, who shall look at =
postsl-card now in evidence and say
that il is the writing Of the man who
addressed an envelope which she saw,
perhaps for moment, on March 10th,
which envelope is not produced.
The Court: would like to look
over the authorities. Can't you 20 on |
with some other part Of the evidence?
Mr. Meredith Yes, sir.
RETURN OF THE JURY.
AT ll:i0 the jury were brought back
into court.
Mrx Dleh fo~on