The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-17

ruled.
qnffed sufficient knowledge OF IL TO pass iudg-
ment on any check hearing the name OF Mr.
Crane: lie expressed The opinion that Crane
70 ". *. Forrest.
Rc-exaninrd. he was asked BY the court
whether ,sss b. had pr. scasls examined the gen.
with the disputed one, bat the question was
ruled ont on an objection. shown an ad-
mttfediy genuine check. be said the signature
was written faulty aud traced over.
q. y. E1gtey. vice president and manager Of
the North End bank, ieSs than two years in the
banking business, testified that be had expert
ente in ring money cheeks. In ISL he
YVES deputy collector of internal revenue Of
the territory ana had charge Of the Office work
ana ler nsHe years held tfatf'osisicYi. n part Of
the time Vt Portland. lie had seen Crane write
bis signature three or fur times. but prior TO
this case had no acquaintance with his sig
nature. shawa Tbs checks, he said he
lay on he talk. Colonel Haiues OBJ
3ecfed. satiig the witness had evidently been
educating himself Tor The occasion. The objec-
ti0n WIG Userriiied and the witness said he did
not think the disputed signature was genuine.
1ross-txEn1isiea. hv said his duties were light,
ar. Bsxby icing paying teller For the last
three or four wesks he mad been paying teller
while Mr.. Bixby Mas out ut the clearing. house.
For yenr previous he was cashier and paying
teller Of tie bank 81 North seattle. When he
was collector of saserfui revenue he did not
eeivc certified cheess The largest check was
about $40 He received uuccrtiiicd checks TN
I'll he lefr money on two or three and then Quit
acccrtiug them. He knew Mr.. Crane, mad
meyer hesil at cbnrcn with him aid did not
know 10 what religious denomination he be-
lphged lie nxauIiued several genuine checks
and pronaurced them genuine. He bad only
Frank ]. Bodgett, assistant cashier OF the
Peoples snsing bank s.;ice is organization,
Ter. testified that nc had previously acted as.
Eistant cashier ni the First National uank OF
olympia fl: six years and for two years was
treasurer OF the TERRITORY. He was not acgrain-
ted with 3fr. Crane and aid rot know him by
sight. He pronounced the disputed signature
not TO he srane'a
once bsiore, but did no. know whether the sig
natures the1 submitted we're admitted to be
genuine. The bank vt Olympus did quite
large Ulsincss. lie never saw the Forrest check
bciors. but would hesitate about paying It.
Other genuine signatures he had no doubt
about. He had made no study OF handwriting
except from practical experience.
y. y. Baxter, cashier o! the Guarantee Loan
ana Trasi Company fOJ Il year from last Septen-
Ter, aid IN the ba;ik for four years previously,
terrified that the bank did general business,
but principally III farm mortgages and savings.
He knew 81. Iralie, but not particularly we'll.
lie ,,rsiioniiccd the disputed check not to be
xetniiie.
indcr crossexamination be said he had been
Isyi;,x nt money on bis Judgment since the
lire. sDloi.el iiaincs asked him q number of
questions, aimed TO dIscredit him al expert
OF paying forged checks did not depend on tho
cxasiisnation 81 the signature, and that its gen.
csll bstsiisss MRS not inrgc Mr.. Baxter admit
ted thet Swings tcplti.c.s were required to
bri,fg their pass books. and that the bank dis
cinisisd responsibility tor payments ON forged
ehetKs except III case OF gross carelessness, but
tialtn:S that the bank had more commercial
business than af. but four or Ave of the newer
basAs IN i1c city. lie had been shown enlarged
photographs II the disputed check, bit was not
a.kud his opinion to its gcnuipeness Colonel
HaiDes askea questions designed TO show that
BIC was partial to Preston. Carr 4 Preston, coun-
sci Tor the persecution. but failed. Before he
leitfiie bAIis tnnt morning, Mr.. Baxter said, he
did Hot know what his testimony would be, but
his impression was then that the disputed check
WIS forgery. lie was shown several admit
eslIy genuine cheeks, with the hope OF his being
tripod w, but pronounced them genuine. Mr..
Nrrne S signature varied somewhat In minor de-
tails he said. but not enough TO raise doubt az
Carr whether the letters in the disputed sigma
lures were shaped like those in the genuine sig
natures. Dut Colonel tiaines objected to going
Into such details, and the objection was sus-
TUNED.
Senator w. X. forrest said he had no regular
occupation at present. He was last county
audisor fsr twenty-five months. city clerk for
four years previously, and before that connected
with the Hall & Paueon Furniture Company
Tor two years. He had known Mr. Cranes
signature for two years. had during twenty
years at Office work passed upon many hend-
writings, and had taken many checks for which
he was responsible He also pronounced the
disputed signature not to be Mr.. Cranes with
out comparison, aud after comparison repeated
the opinion
Gross examined, he said his position as state
senator did not give him much experience in
handling checks, la laug hi but as county auditor
he had many checks, which were generally
written In his presence, but cashed many checks
ior persons he knew and some for strangers.
He mad long experience with handwrlfings
and thereby had acquired "A knowledge OF the
subject He sometimes had money paid by
cheek, and was always glad to get ii. He was q
times had to pass upon the genuineness OF
signatures, as formerly when telegram proved
20 DC fraudulent. tue operator was liable TO lose
his JOB. shown the check drawn to his order
July . $780, he recognized it and said the sigma.
ture was Cranes. He mad seen Crane sign his
name, ana, though no man writes his name
twice alike believed the disputed signature not
70 DC his. lie had not been consulted nor had
ne expressed his opinion on the signature pre-
viously The fac. that men do not sign twice
s alike may DC influenced BY the materials used,
handwriting as an art, nor inks, pens. nor the
constituent materials OF inks Crane writes a
rather nervous, quick hand.
R.J. Ankeny, assistant cashier of the Puget
SOUND National bank for two and one half years.
and Tor five years in other positions than teller
III bank at Dcs Moines, had been bookkeeper,
receiving teller and paying teller, the last
named for one year. lie had judged of sigma
lures and known Mr.. Cranes signature Mr.
Crane having Kept his account at their bank
since the latter part of November and he had
probably paid fifty or sixty of Mr.. Cranes
checks Colonel Haines objected to testimony
as TO knowledge OF Cranes signature acquired
since thls controversy arose, IA Mr.. Crane might
nave altered his signature intentionally, and
the objection was sustained Mr.. Ankeny did
MOI think the signature was Mr.. Cranes. Cross
examined, he said he was 10 years old. and had
been paying teller from August last year. and
that was the only position he had held where he
had to pay money tie had only occasionally
been paying teller in other banks, but every
other efnploye had To be familiar with sigma
lures on cheek as the paying teller, though il