The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-13
TRACING UP The LETTERS.
The Investigation Of the Charges
Against Miss 0liVeira.

MIR. Wilson and Mrs. Meyers Testify
as to Insulting Letters Received by
! Them and the Manner in Which They
| Traced Them-Mr. r. D. Munford
! Examines the Letters in the Capa-
city of an Expert-The Hearing Ad-
journed Until Tomorrow Afternoon
The hearing of evidence in the case Of
Mamie Oliveira, charged with sending
obscene matter through the mails, was
resumed before United States Commits
sioner Isaac Beckett yesterday afternoon.
Only three witnesses were examined.
Mr.. J. n. Wilson, Jr., was the first. He
testified to being annoyed by anonymous
postals of a very insulting character.
This began several months ago. In
sulting postals were also sent out to
various parties with his name signed
to them. He conferred with POstofflce
Inspector Bulla about the matter and re-
ceived instructions from him as how to
proceed to discover the guilty party. A
few weeks ago he found that similar let
tiers had been received by Mrs. Hattie
Meyers at Barnard and Second streets,
and also by other members of her family.
Mrs. Meyers also had a letter to which
Miss Oliveira's name was signed. The
letters were compared, and it was con-
Guided that they were all in the same
handwriting, and that Miss Oliveira was
the guilty party. MIR. Wilson said he
knew no reason why she should have I'M
dertaken to prosecute him.
MRS. MEYERS STORY.
Mrs. Hattie Meyers was also a with ess.
She lives at the corner of Barnard and
Second streets, and is a next door neigh
Dor to Mrs. Emma Hoges, who is so
severely attacked by miss Oliveira in her
letters TO various parties. She is also a
particular friend of Mrs. Hoges. Mrs.
Myers received a letter purporting TO be
from Miss Oliveira in February, replying
to some criticism which the writer had
heard that Mrs. Meyers had made upon
her conduct upon one occasion. The
matter was very trivial one, and not at
all worth the trouble of such lengthy let
ter as was written upon the subject. The
tone of the letter was very sharp, but
| there was no scurrilious language used
in it. II was after Mrs. Meyers and Miss
OHveira had met as result of this let
ter, and had expressed their mutual lack
! of esteem for each other that the insult
ing letters began to arrive at the Meyers
| tributed to Miss Oliveira, and it was only
| after Mrs. Meyers brother-in-law had
| mentioned the matter to Mr.. Wilson, and
after comparing the letters that all
parties came to the conclusion that Miss
| Oliveira was the guilty party.
Both witnesses were cross-questioned
| at great length by Mr.. McAlpin, Miss
| Oliveira's attorney
AN EXPERT ON WRITING.
| Mr.. r. d. Munford, teller of the South
ern Bank, was put on the stand by In
spector Bulla to testify as an expert on
handwriting. Mr.. Munford was strongly
of the opinion that the handwriting of
some of the anonymous postals
was the same as that of the letter
signed by Miss Oliveira. OF others
he was doubtful, but said that in nearly
all the letters and postals there were
traces of resemblance in the style of ad-
dress and signature and in peculiarities
OF expression, going to show that all were
written by the same person, though the
| handwriting in some was evidently dis
guised. One of the anonymous commu-
nications was rejected both by Mr. Bull a
and Mr.. Munford, as having been written
! by another party than the majority Of
| the communications. This letter was not
of Importance, however, as it contained
no obscene language.
| At O'Clock the hearing was adjourned
| by Commissioner Beckett until o'clock
Monday afternoon. A MORNING NEWS
reporter learned yesterday that insulting
| letters had been received by several
| young ladies living in the same neighbor-
| hood with Miss Oliveira, but no COM
plant had been made, as the parties de-
sired to avoid any notoriety in the mat
| ter,