St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-31
The Defense Takes Great In
terest in the "Vanish-
ing Lines"
Judge Shaw Not a Success
as q Blackboard De-
lineator.
The Prosecution May Rest It's
Case Before Adjourn
ment To-Day.


and resignation, as Mr.. Wilson adjusted
his glasses and prepared for the cross
examination. "Mr. Curtiss," said Mr..
Wilson, you testified that you first ex-
amined two of the contested signatures
in the office of Frank f. Davis on the
morning of Aug. 6, and that you exam
ined two more at the Security bank in
the afternoon of that day. Did you pro-
nounce them all to be forgerieS at one
timer"
mo, sir. pronounced two of them to
be forgeries in the forenoon, and later
in the day said the remaining four
were not Mr.. BlaisdelFs signatures"
Ibid you not tell Mr.. Chamberlain,
cashier of the Security bank. that a
part of the disputed signatures were
genuineH'
mo, sir, did not"
MIR. Jamison here interpoSed an OBJ
lection. He said that if it were allowed
to go on and other disputed signatures
were drawn into the case besides eX-
hibit A there could be no end to the
collateral and outside issues that might
be raised.
Judge Hooker said that the defense
must contne its questions to the sigma
luIc Ill QtSDltc duu JllC otduudIuo tllnO
were admitted in evidence.
"Who employed you to examine these
notes?" resumed Mr.. Wilson.
MIR. Davis sent me word that he
wanted to see me on important bust
ness, so l went to the Office, and he
there told me what the nature of the
business was"
''That was Monday, Aug. 5, 1SS9?''
"YeS, sir"
"Did you make your examinations Of
the signatures with a microscopic?
Not at that time, but l have since
done So"
"You say that Mr.. Blaisdell wrote
with heavy pressure. How do you de-
termine that fact?"
''By the burrows in the paper over
which the pen has passed in making
the signature"
Those burrows are deeper in the
genuine than in the disputed signature,
are they n0t?"
Eyes, SIR"
"Now. Mr.. Curtiss. what were the
reasons that led you to conclude that eX-
hibit A is a forgery"
Here Mr.. Curtiss turned to the black
board and went over mainly the same
reasons that had been given by Messrs.
TOlman and Ames, although he dis
claimed being scientific microscopic.
He dwelt particularly upon the heavy
downward strokes i'll Mr.. BlaiSdelPS
admitted genuine signatures:. the fact
that he ended his signatures with a
vanishing line: that he held both nibs
of his pen squarely on the paper with
firm grip, while he claimed that the
writer of the disputed signatures wrote
with much lighter and:mOre practced
hand; that one of the nibs of the pen
bore harder on the paper than did the
other, because it was held to one side
instead OF squarely, as Mr.. BlaiSdell
held his pen.
The witness also went into the tremor
or spasm theory to some extent, and
pointed out where these spaSms oc-
Cured with comparative regularity in
Mr.. Blaisdell'S signatures, while in the
disputed signature he claimed that there
was marked irregularity in their mani
feStations.
"Well, then, Mr.. Curtiss." said Mr..
Wilson in a sharp tone of voice, You
seem to think there is a very wide diff
ference between the admitted genuine
and the disputed signatures"n
Eyes, sir. there is, in my opinion"
'What purpose Go you think man
would have in making such an exagger-
ated and bungling attempt at forging as
you seem to deem this?"
81 did not say that it was bungling.
In it's main characteristics to the naked
eye it closely resembles the genuine.
1t is only by close and critical exam
ination, and the application of phOtOg-
raphy and microscopy, that these differ
mors the copyist noted theirexistenee in
the original, and in attempting to copy
them he exaggerated them"
Tin other words he out-purposed him.
self?''
POSSIBLY So"
THAT is the deduction you make, is
it not?'
.'Well, it may be yours"
'But is it not yours, also?' demanded
Mr. Wilson.
The witness vouchsafed no reply.
"Mr Curtiss," said Mr.. Wilson, ''the
first difference you noticed between the
admitted genuine signatures and this
disputed one was in the terminal |, was
it nOt?'
Eyes, sir.'
''FTave you ever seen any of Mr..
Blaisdell's signatures in which this
terminal is blunt?''
Eyes, sir; but not in such a pro-
nounced manner rs in the disputed sig
nature"
"Have you seen any so blunt as
this?''
"Yes, sir; one."
"Nell. then, would it be possible that
MIR. Blaisdell made this one%'
because it differs from his genuine
signature in SO many other and PROM
inent peculiarities, as L have pointed
out"
"The tremors are not the same, sup
pose?"
mo, sir; they are not"
"Oh. yesl The spaSm theory seems
to cover multitude of SINS" remarked
Mr.. Wilson.
Mr.. Wilson then returned to the pen
nibS question, and asked Mr.. Curtiss If
a man turned his hand to the left which
nib of the pen would he bear the hard
est upon.
MIR. Curtiss answered, THE right
niD."
In this respect he differs somewhat
from experts who have preceded him
upon the stand.
Judge Shaw now took up the work of
Mr.. Curtiss, and entered
upon the subject of blind loops.
Mr.. Curtiss claimed that Mr.. Blaisdell
did not make these loops in writing his
signature, and pointed out what he
claimed was the existence of several in
the disputed signature. During the
questioning Judge Shaw drew ID on
the board and demanded of the witness,
NV hat letter is that?"
Mr.. CurtiSS surveyed il critically for
moment and then gave 1t up.
This seemed to tire the defense, and
the witness was handed over to the
state where he again went through the
SpaSm, -tremOT, Waver and blind-loop
theory until Il o'clock, when the court
until p. N.
In the afternoon Mr.. CGrtiss again re-
mounted the witness stand. and Judge
Shaw returned again 10 the contest.
This time the subject of discussion
was vanishing lines. Mfr. Curtiss
claimed that Mr.. Blaisdeil always ended
his signature with this sort of line.
Judge Shaw submitted large num-
Der of admitted genuine signatures of
Mr.. Blaisdell which are in the case to.
the witness, and he claimed that they