The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-18
a LAWYERS BATTLE.
Struggle to Keep Out Evidence
in Cranes Case.
MORE EXPERTS ON THE STAND


The case Of the plaintiff in the suit Of
George w. Crane against Dexter Horton q
Co. was further developed in Judge
Osborn,s court yesterday. The expert tes-
tinnony was closed with that Of Mr.. Furth,
whose opinion was received with the re-
opect due to it, and Mr.. Robinson, who
showed considerable knowledge Of hand
writing. Then came several gentlemen
who can speak from knowledge Of Mr..
Crane extending years back, and who
stood their ground In spite Of the ability
with which Colonel Haines sought to
break them down. Next came witnesses
as to the fascinating transactions Of the
Dearborns, and in spite of objections sus-
tanned by rulings Of the court, by which
evidence material for the proof OF this
point vas excluded, many important facts
were gotten before the jury.
Jacob Furth, cashier and manager OF the
PUGET Sound National bank, testified that
Ne had been in the banking business eight
years, and had occupied almost every po-
sition. He had been q paying and receiy-
Ing teller three years, and often at other
times relieved the paying teller He had
acquired knowledge Of handwriting and
compared signatures daily, the bank TAX
Inc the risk OF mistakes. He had known
Nj. Cranes signature for six years, as he
kept an account at Furth's bank about
1e0l-85. After Mr.. Crane took his account
sway, his signature very often came under
his observation, and he had seen Crane
write his signature. Crane had had an
account there since the latter part of No
vember. The disputed signature was not
Cranes. After comparison with genu-
Inc signatures, Mr.. Furth reiterated this
opinion.
Colonel Haines asked questions as to
Cranes transfer of his account from the
Puget Sound National to Dexter Horizons
bank and recently back again. with the
apparent design of showing bias, but Mr..
Furth denied any rivalry between the
banks, as there was plenty of business for
more than one bank. He had seen Crane
write prior to April 20, 1890, a number of
years ago, but could testify in regard to
his signature from that knowledge.
Re-examined, he said the account was
removed from his bank in 1884, at the in
ptance of Mr.. Dickey, but further ques-
tions ON the point were ruled out.
Frank w. Baker, in charge of the finan-
eial business Of the Seattle Hardware Com
pany for four years, and before that cashier
and head bookkeeper for jobbing house
ii Detroit, testified that he had slight
knowledge Of Crane and knew his sigma
tnre. He had taken Cranes checks and
drafts for payment, but had not seen Crane
write.
Colonel Haines objected to questions in
regard to these signatures which Mr.. Crane
recognized, on the ground that the defense
had objected also to admitting the mort
cages taken by Mr.. Crane to Mr.. Latimer,
which purported to bear his signature
This witness did not know and could not
testify that he had seen Mr.. Cranes sigma
ture, and for all he knew Crane could not
write at all.
The court ruled that unless the witness
testified that he knew Cranes signature,
his evidence would be ruled out
Colonel Haines ELECTED that the witness
Ind not seen Crane write, did not know
that he coulo write, but supposed he could
- he looked like an intelligent man. He
was looking after the interests of Eastern
parties in the business, and he and Mr..
Burnett examined checks together. Coll
Oncl Haines moved to reject the witness as
not an expert, but was overruled. The
witness examined the disputed signature
and pronounced 1t not Cranes signature.
He swore positively that Crane did not
write it, though he admitted to Colonel
Haines that he was not with Crane all day
on April n, 1890. He would not, however,
modify his testimony. He examined For
rests check and pronounced the signature
Cranes, in his opinian. He did not be-
long to the same church as Crane.
]. p. Wilson, teacher of penmanshlp in
the Queen City Business College, who had
been in that profession nine or ten wears.
testified that he had made no special study
of handwriting. but had made comparison
of handwritings, and had been asked in re-
gard to signatures, whether they would
justify taking case into court. Cross-ex-
amined, he had not had to pay out money
on signatures. Asked what were the
chemical components of black ink. he said
they were Chinese gall. salts of iron, much
lage, and on these Colonel Haines in
dulged in some POPULARITY. In studying
handwriting, the chief point he sought
was form. He knew the effect
OF ink on a steel pen and de-
scribcd it. He had compared hand
writings as to their characteristics
and similarity. He had never studied the
age Of inks.
The testimony was objected to, on the
ground that the witness was not an ex-
pert. Colonel Carr maintained that he
had been educated in this particular art.
Colonel Haines recalled the objection 10
+. X. Strive and endeavored to apply the
same principle TO Wilson as had been an.
piled in discharging Strive, and made
much of his ignorance of the composition
OF ink, but the objection was overruied.
On comparison of the signatures Mr..
Wilson pronounced the disputed signature
not Cranes. Colonel Haines tried to tran
him on the question whether he swore
positively that Crane did not write the
signature or it was merely his opinion, bu,
failed. He based his opinion on the differ.
ence in the movements required to make
the different signatures. He was examined
Ut length as TO the clemens which would
influence the character of mans sigma,
ture. He based his opinion largely on
points of dissimilarity between the sigma.
lures. The signature of the Forrest
check was genuine, though written
In cramped hand, and the
mere fact that signature wa:
written in cramped hand was not sufii
cient reason for rejecting it. He gave in
detail his reasons for his opinion. He
had been consulted about the matter and
had heard the testimony in court in regard
60 the signature. He believed that q per
son sometimes writes two signatures alike
but he could not say whether two sigma
lures of Crane varied more than those O.
business men usually do. A number O.
details were brought out by Colone
Haines. and he gained some concession: