The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-17
HE SAYS xBLACKMAIL"
Cranes Plain Answer to Mrs.
DearbOrn's Story.
MANY EXPERT WITNESSES.


The time o. Judge Osbofn's court was again
tnksu up yesterday with the trial Of George w.
Cranes suit against Dexter Horton 4 Co., and
there et1f appears to be no prospect Of it, eariy
ConciusiOn. II was hattie Of the experts with
TIE edvantaee strongly IN favor Of the plaintiff,
~ IL q the number and experience Of his wit
lense closed IT. case with the evidence Of two
czpefse who stood pretty we'll TO their guns I'M
der cross-examinstion. The trial was then sus-
pended TIL afternoon, - Colonel Carr was sick
- I'D and the plaintiff attorneys, not having
expecssd the defense TO close 20 soon, were not
ready.
Colouel Carr opencd Mr. Crans'scase after din
ncr, though evidently unfit for work, and stated
s. strongly. the keynote being ablackmail.y He
then called Z strong array Of witnesses, who had
had long experience - bankers, officials in
high positions under the government and in
gchQnl business, who one and all testified that
the dlDputed signature WAS not genuine. Col
ouel Hsinss vainiy strovc 70 disprovc their
claim 70 - exper.a He moved 70 exclude Mr..
Graves Testimony. but could hardly have been
serious IN 70 doing and his motion was promptly
denied His attempts to break down the testi-
1mOuy met with poor success and In the case Of
Nj. Backus he drew forth an opinion only more
enaptatfc against the eenuinencss Of the dis
puted signature. More experts will tcAtiiy to
II. W. wheeler testified a. an expert for the
defense. He bad twelve years experience as a
banker and broker in examining signatures.
He w4s given about fifteen genuine checks by
M Dlsine TO compare with the disputed one,
PM ~. Preston objected to the sciecsion Of .
~ sor comparison catches selected ny both
eades we're submitted, and the disputed sigma
sihe WA pronounced 70 De that 81 Mr. craue
Hfseason was the character and general sim
Raffty OF the signatures The witness was
ee'ieN upon 20 point out s1miiarlties ana dis
osmalarisies peiWeen inc disputed ana genuine
eSuasufPs M. Preston objected that this
Womb &c Allowing the witness 70 argue tie
go - tue Jfiry. Inc court sustained the OBJ
yeenoa' hosdiug tnas Witnesses mist simply
ssatc tneir opinion AZ experts wifnout pointing
0uf Summarizes OF alxsimiiaritiea
eros sexamirca, ar Wheeler said that ne had
zen SHOWN INC aisputea writing ny Ar. b.aiHe
-; me supposed writer Of the signatnre had said
oii oath That he had not written y, Il would not
e6ense his opinion IN the slightest. II ne had
nao aaaiings win the supposed writer Tor years
en0 always iound nm honorable IL his deal
xuss ana that nan oeiiied on oa'h that ti.at was
NJ signature. be would consider it subject for
investigation. They had had case OF the kind
sn nls 1ank recently. lie noticed the difference
e me for'nation OF the small "a ut the top: 1t
vas mads WIN TWO Strokes o. thc pen, while
tue gcnutne signatures were made with one
s1rokc
Y waA nervous signature, or the signature OF
4 person IN nervous frame OF mind or in
e5ampeQ position. JIG did nor think the Slgna-
Surc WAS good enough to be forgery; the for
4er Wouhs nave done better piece OF work
xnan tllhs. lie was asked whether man writ
INF cncrx ~ me honse ol the man whose wife
Nc had sedsired wonid be likely TO write ner-
vousiy, bat Mr. Preston objected and the Object
Ion WAS sustained on the ground that the jury
n ffn
. pcfeon who wrote the signature alone would not
euro1naTily write with the same regularity a. II
hehao previously written the body OF the check.
Il I. CFowgfli, note teller OF the Washington
savings be nk, testified that he had been In the
banktng business about twelve years in Seattle,
Chicago and Washington city, In all capacities.
The witness thought the disputed signature was
genuine, Judging by comparison with genuine
sienatures He had had no transactions with
Mr. Crane which would enable him 70 Judge of
the genuincness OF the signature.
The defense here rested it, case and the trial
Wa adjourned until lao In order to give Mr.
Preston an opportunity to consult Colonel Carr,
who WIS III, In regard to the opening and con-
duct Of the case.
Colonel Carr put in an appearance after the
noon adjournment and stated the case for the
plAintih. He thought the Jury knew from the
main witness Of the defense what the case OF
the plaintiff was. sour answer" oaid he team
- summed up in one word Blackmailv We
will call aome OF the leading citizens of
Seattle, whose lifelong business has entitled
them to be heard as experts in handwriting, and
&wGW will show by them not only that Mr. Crane
did not write that signature, but that Il was i'm
pnskible for him TO have written it. We will show
that about February 10 Mrs. Dearborn wrote Mr..
Crane letter demanding that Mr. Crane nav
her 500 per month from that time on The de-
mand was refused. Afterwards Mrs. Dearborn
3aAztk
give her back the letter and then burnt il in
the stove. On April IL she came to Mr.. Crane. q
oflce In his absence aud created quite scene.
saving that she would hava revcnue ~ n,
crane and left : note conf.;niry i. der, IA e..
~...s.,, ne. $50 - -. - rs usla'u so'
sa.s1s.s- ms N.Y.. = NV IL 'ns hsuus Oh inc
court On April ~ MI Dearborn came to the
Osiicc and placed an order for the hire Of q man
for his logging camp. Mr. Crane thea showed
him tbis notc and con.p;aineta of Mrs ne.-.
Nom, ,,euara
am, a. ,,ss.h. -
- -, va ~, ~, npa,. :, nsalooln went nome
enu OIL April ~, apOnt I:.D r. M. Dearborn
came into NJ. Cranes Office, sat down, said he
never expected to find Mr. Crane treating hin,
q nc was doing. pui,cd n revolver. aimed II a,
Nr crane and said NV vsss h.. -, 80. az
- - S-','9 -" sss sa "iis Has ahaoe con
lesion. pr. ,fane replica III your wife has
tou you ali this you would not believe me,
anyway wonder that she has not made con-
fcssion before: she has threatened ~ ofta,,
enough, At that moment son,ehniv cn,rs ~,
sehn cs,ca aud nca,ho,,, r,, go /, ,sa.e.t..sD
- !. - -. -. - "as Has iesoiscr
Ahu went ous. FROM snas uihc tnerc was no
question with the Dearborns but how much
they could get ont OF Mr.. Crane under threats
20 blast his reputation Some time after do NOT
know whether IL WAS n, a moment ~ wsas,,ss.
- -. na..nsp,, "a a., rs.r - Assss
49, ~, s. ~ ~, ai'e ioss,ug camp
s- Gus ~ ios so ia Excess on its value,
Tor *s,oW Decided some lots 10 Mrs. Dearborn and
gave Dearborn 5000 in cash. Dearborn gave
Mr.. Crane a declaration acknowledging that