Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-24

II looks more like his writing than n no,a
which hold. which ir admitted 70 be cenuino.~
he was then shown four Of the notes alleged
! 10 be forscrice and asked by Mr.. Carter IL thcv
dluorcd as n whole from tho genuine panors
/ The reply was that he would have dls,ountci
| Them All as Mr.. Ludwigs notes, unless sone
SUSPICIOUS circumstances had surrounded thc
MUST BE MoRE THAN A MISSING PERIOD. 4
! Tho Commonwealth's Attorney thcn re-oyi
anincd the witncss The latter in reply 10 y
| query from MIR. Smith stated that no wae mo-,
familiar enough with Mr.. ludwigs handwritinv
] Tho witness Was then requested by Tho Co..
ncnvoalihs Attorney TO pick ont the ir,ee,,-
| larltics or differences between the adrnittnt
genuine and the alleged forged inst-uments
In being questioned Mr. Wallace stated thnt
| ne "tAla not turn down q paper because OF n
! missing period or up-stroke. Very few men. ,n
/ his opiuOn, have tnyariable Signatures
TWENTY YEARS ExPERIKNcR
! !. {. joplin Was sworn and testified that he
] ha1 bccn teller in the First National Bank Tor
/ iwcniy-odd years; that he had been i'm the
habit OF examining doubtful signatures: but ala
NOT claim 90 De ~ expert
Counsel for the defence wanted his testimony
/ ruled ouL uut the Commonwealth ATTORNEY was
| backed 10y The alihoritios which be read re-
citing That the testimony Of "bank officers reil
road authorities. ana others Of experience In the
| comparison % handwriting" was admissible. and
1 his point war sustained.
NIGHT RE A CHANGE OF PEN.
The witness was handed the papers admitted
- be genuine aud those said 20 bs counterfeit
ties lac could discover. He SAID he was entirely
unfamiliar with Mr.. Ludwigs handwriting but
[ NAT there was something irregular about IA q
Sl,@1u that Gld not appear IN the other potes
lie asserted that The characteristics in tho ad.
miici genuine papers did no appear In tho
one said % be forged, though II could have oc-
( Cured by ine use oi pen 70 which the writer
Mr. Nooinaslo, 81 the Jury. asked the witnessif
! ne NvIii nave PAID check with that signature
| II NJ. Ludaig was dcpOsitOr as his bank.
na n Has not
! viz universal signature had been deposited in
| the hank.
MIR. Joplin, have you not formed a very de-
cijei opinion on this question, anyway" inter-
| rocGted Nr. Wise.
NO. SIR replied tie witness. who subse-
| gucntly went ON to say that he always based his
| opinion upon the formation of the letters. tho
| general character OF the writing. and the indi-
! Niduaiity expressed therein. lie concluded by
stating that there was in the signature Of the
| papers said TO be true remarkable nrmness,
which. 70 his mind, did not appear IN the false
! note.
! COMMONWEALTH ARRESTS THE CASE.
The next and last witness called by the Com
! monVcalth Was Mr. II. {. Boudar. who upon
beng asked 70 state o tho Court his occupation.
| ctc.. Said hc was a book-keeper and accountant
| ani had been for the past thirty-sx or seven
| years. Tie did not claim 10 have any peculiar
skih m regard 10 the expert discovery Oi crook
"dness IN signailres, but asserted that his long
and careful experience hgd given hun sOme
knowlcige In this work. when Mr. Bou-
| zeal instruments and the ono claimed
| 10 be false. De stated that there was di=sim-
| inrity which struck hlm very forcibly. "1hs
dissimilafity,' continued the witness, consists
chiefly in the formation Of The letters and IN the
! general formation of the writing. The man who
! wrote these lmeauing lie genuine papers) could
| possibly have written the other, but should not
| have felt warranted in passing them all TO- the
! same Handwriting"
NJ Wise: "Mr. Smith called upon you and
| had "a talk about these very notes, did no nOt7
| "Only oncc-last Saturday.
The witness stated that ne was not very fa-
! miler With Ludwigs signature; that he had
| first seen it the afternoon of the preliminary ex
animation IN the office Of tho chief Of Police. lie
! concluded his Testimony by saying that lie could
noi pronounce the $3.50 not forgery.
| u arrest The case here for the Common
that all the papers here VIII be put in evidence
| Judge Witt then stated that he thought It was
quite eo0l timc and opportunity to adjourn for
| dinner and couns ON both sides agreed to take
! a recess until ! O'Clock.
| The Afternoon Session.
The largest audience that has yet witnessed
| any session Of the iiusiings Court since the
! Deshicll trial began was that which jamrled It's
| way through the doors at o'clock yesterday
| afternoon. There was a perfect rush for the
front of the railing. and tlo entire room was
| packed with spectators
Craig. clerk in the City Tre asurcr's Onco, upon
! the stand as an expert. tie Was first examined
| by counsel tor the defence, ana stated that he
I
| lauty IN signatures OF persons. He was then
| shown the papers in the case and asked by Nj.
| Carter II he thought the note for Sl,|oO was
signed by the same person who signed the genu-
"ihey wore ali written by the same man, in
| my opinion replied the witness.
| "Mr. Crnig. have you ever been q cashier Of a
| bank ?n inierrogated the COnmonwcaiih's At
| tOrney.
s.No, cir; but ! Was for awhile a teller in a
| bank ab0ni twenty-seyen years ago.
| re The lYflf- 0f npnk-kt tIeT ~lfN as ff-
| ouiro him to pass upon all checks before they
! are entered upon the bOoks?' quered tho Com
| monwealih's Attorney.
| They arc"
After the routine work Of examining each Of
| the papers admitted genuine and alleged forged,
| the witness was asked IN how many oi the
| genuine papers the capital G started with an
| upsiroko. The reply WAS that all began In that
| manner.
| .Now viii You examine them aud see how
| many Of the "us' in Ludwig start with an up
! stroke Of the pens
| sponded the witness.
fashion, but IN give the prisoner the benefit OF
| the doubt said Mr. smith.
| "Tbe general characteristics of the hand
writing is that il is nrm bat Irregular, asserted
Now. can you detect any nervousness in the
lea - cannot say tha, do" responded the wit
Now. look AT that note for $3.50 and these
four alleged forgercs and state II they are
"Idctect no nervousness in them," replied
~ IN Won look at the $3.50 note and say
| whether or not the ana l. are lo'nei'
The witness went on TO say that in the $3.50
note neither the nor the ." began "l'n an
De- Sou observe that four characteristics OF
the admitted genuine signatures are totally
absent in the alleged forged instrument?
q a.uftff
| Mr. John :. Wise then asked few questions
which elected laughter and caused the Judgo 10
come do9n with fury with the gavel ana assert
| that ne WDuir cieau out Tho courtroom anu VlOso
| the doors If the disorder did not cease.
Mir. Bernard Peyfon was replaced on the me-, s'ahu ma
! ami handed the papers. After very rlglu e1-
| animation he testified that ho DeheNeuthc9 "eto
all signed by tie same man.
Dnshiell on the stand
Tho nrisonef was then sworn anl took the
| rtand and during the three hours that ne occu-
med The chair there was an almost GREATNESS 81
| i,nce IN the large audience. ,s. ....
| Ills examination Oh his own behaf was con-
! sr.,od Inv Mr.. John :. Wise and his testimony
| ysss e-ivefi in a clear, unevasivc, ana positive
| manner The prisoner manifested no degree ol
| Embarrassment nor was he AT any lhne 'hfvush-
o-,t me investigation at loss TO repy 10 ln,ot-
| ynyafious nut 10 him. lie began by stating mat
he was thirty-siX years OF age ana he M Mas ~ .;
present engaged In the real $50 ,ei, his a..
| ihia city: mat he had known Lud"ls, ms az
| r,-.r sinee September. 1870, when no was
| award of J. Thompson Brown. ,. AL.
as ast"oE-keepcr, and all money paid to Tie Lud-
| wi, boys was by bin. little later D. L. Luu"is
| sned for and obtained his share Ol MS lalnei 1
estate lie then went West, where ne renia,aot ,a
NTH isSs. when his brother. VIC. Ludwig dleu'
TIE Bg0THEBs ESTATE
| ~, ,,o.e.sos loft his estate 20 his two bro
| - / + and j. A. Ludwig. This estate con-
si',ei oi what is known the McGraw notes.
cash balance, ana debt Of S6,OOO III me na.."s i
| Iii M. smith 4 CO. Shortly AFTER the iuheIai
81 ~. q. Lndwig the papers were hxed up anu
sitncss qualified az administrator oi inc estate.
the proceeds from the McGraw notes d' ahu os su9
.asn boIance that remained in the hahds OF ..
| sSs,,,,e,n % Erown were. by an ARRANGEMENT
l,o,t INTO TO have been paid 10 the distribu-
| 80 hv Mr. Brown, and not one dohhr ol tIht iit
| money ever passed thr0ush N''
| hands ,...o.s ..rtinoed IT, NJ