Los Angeles herald., 1890-11-09
Bringing Home the Forgery
to James the Penman.
Judge Shaw Asserts that DAM
ron Wrote the Names.
And Jim Alone, Says Kelly, Derived
the Benefit of the Notes.
The Expert Testimony Is Damaging to
the Defendant-A Strong Case Against
Him-The State Confident that 1t
Will Secure Conviction.

The trial of James NJ Damron, before
Judge Cheney, charged with forgery,
was not resumed yesterday until IL 80,
owing to the absence of Juror Beck, who
was detained by the wreck OF freight
train, near Spadra. Superior Judge Lu-
cien Shaw, called by the prosecution,
testified that he had been q partner in
the law firm of Damron & Shaw two and
a half years ago. He knew the defend
ants writing well. A document handed
him for inspection he declared to be in
Damron's handwriting. When next the
"Wright" note was submitted to him
he asserted that, in his opinion, the sig
nature, E. Il. Wright, was writ
ten by Damron. The judge,
on cross examination, said that
Damron had two ways of writing
the letter ct" and one of them was like
that in the signature of Wright. The
witness was asked if certain letters in
the signature and those in the docu-
ment written by defendants were not
very dissimilar. He answered that there
were certain slight differences, but he
had never seen man yet who had only
one way Of forming letter. To prove
that the signature on the note and the
words in the document were written by
the defendant, he showed other letters
in them that conceded in formation.
The Judge asserted that his relations
with defendant had always been
friendly, their only difference having
been one in which he had felt more
sympathy than condemnation for his
ex-partner. That occurred over a year
ago, and he felt no prejudice on that
account.
Edgar Moore was called as an expert.
A document which he had heard Dam
ron admit as being in his handwriting
was filed in evidence.
Judge Shaw, recalled, gave it as his
opinion that Damron had forged the
names OF Lindley and Perry in the other
notes. The Lindley note was then filed
as evidence, as collateral proof of guilt.
The court would not allow the matter
of the difficulty between Damron and
Shaw to be gone into.
G. A. Hough, teacher of penmanship,
gave it as his opinion that the document
known to have been written by Damron
and the Wright signature were the
handiwork of the same person.
District Attorney Kelly testified that
defendant had exculpated Lockwood of
all blame in the forgery. He, at that
time, stated that Lockwood had derived
absolutely no benefit from the funds OBJ
tanned by means of the forgery.
G.. A. Hough, the expert, was recalled
and his testimony was damaging to the
defendant. He was cross-examined
at length and was finally excused for
the purpose of examining some docu-
ments having bearing on the case.
w. F. Bosbyshell testified to the cash
ing of the $75 check in favor Of Aocl-
wood. 1t was only paid upon it's second
presentation, there being no funds to
meet it the first time. In his opinion
that check was signed by Chadwick.
After this witness had concluded his
testimony, court adjourned until tomor-
row at 10 o'clock
1t will be seen from Yesterdays testi-
mony that the prosecution is making
out a much stronger case than was anti
cipated on Friday, and the state is now
very confident of securing conviction.