Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-17
He Denies Ever Having Forged
Judge Coles Name.
WENT AWAY ON BUSINESS
Prosecution Closes and Defense
Commences Its Case.
ANTS CORD

| The trial of Frank Aldrich, charged with
| forging the name of Judge c. c. Cole to
/ numerous promissory notes. was resumed
before Judge McComas in Criminal Court
| No. this morning. AS on yesterday. the
| court room was greatly crowded. The pris-
! oner soon after being brought I'm the court
/ room was Joined by his wife and father-in-
| law, Mrs. Aldrich being accompanied by
one of the ladies in attendance yesterday.
| Aldrich, while visibly intensely interested
| in every feature of the proceedings, sat
most of the time with folded arms straight
and erect in chair beside his counsel, cool
| and collected, and seemingly absolutely
| confident of a favorable termination of the
| trial
| After The Stars report of Yesterdays
| proceedings closed District Attorney Bir-
| ney called David A. Ritter, Treasury
| Department clerk, as an expert in hand
| writing. Mr.. Ritter explained that for
about nineteen years he had been engaged
II: the comparison of signatures. A bundle
| or Judge Coles checks was handed the
| witness that ne might tamIllarize himself
| with the judges signature, and then pass
| upon the alleged signature OF Judge Cole
on the notes mentioned in the indictment
| Sounsei for the defendant objected to the
| WllIeSS inspection OF the checks on the
ground that they were papers not con-
nected with the case. Judge McComas in
| tlmated that he thought the objection well
| taken, when the district attorney withdrev
the checks, and submitted TO the witness
| notes admitted by Judge Cole as having
been Endorsed by him. After studying these
| admitted signatures for some time the Wit
ness was given the alleged forged notes
/ whereupon he stated that in his opinion
| the notes at issue had not been signed by
Judge Cole.
Before the conclusion of Mr. Ritter's tes-
| timony the court adjourned at 3:lO until 10
| O'Clock this morning. when District At
torney Birney called Purser e. A. Conway
| of the Washington and Norfolk steamboat
nne. Mr.. Conway produced the registers
| OF the line, and stated that they showed
| that Judge Cole left the city for Norfolk
| Va, on the steamer Washington May IL,
| 1888, leaving Norfolk four days later for
washington on the steamer Norfolk.
A Writing Expert.
| Counsel for the defendant declined to
cross-examine MIR. Conway, and Mr.. Ritter
resumed the stand. At the suggestion OF
Mr.. Birney, the witness explained to the
| jury the differences he had found between
Judge Coles admitted signatures and those
| on the alleged forged notes. The differences
| were we'll marked, said the witness. al
| though the signature OF Judge Cole on some
| OF the notes had been much better counter
| feited than on others.
Ending the Prosecution.
| To Mr.. Trutt, Mr.. Ritter said he had first
| examined the signatures on the alleged
| lOl ecu IAOttS III dllOTIlt. OllCt
several days ago lie had. said the witness,
| noticed that the letter 90 In Judge Coles
| admitted signatures was more upright than
in the alleged forged signatures, and the
| final &c" also differed. The alleged forged
| signatures, the witness thought, had been
made by an easy, free penman. not by a
| hard, nervous writer. While IL usual
| to find a variation in the handwriting of
! the same person, said the witness, the same
| general characteristics OF the handwriting
| remained. Such variations he had found In
| Judge Coles admitted signatures, but they
| nevertheless exhibited the same general
| characteristics.
After stating to Mr.. Birney that the al
| legged forged Endorsements had been made
| by the same person, Mr.. Ritter was ex-
| cused, when the district attorney called as
a witness Mr.. Harvey Given, a clerk In his
| Office. Mr.. Given stated that he had been
| in the office for more than ten years, and
| was very familiar with Judge Coles sigma
| ture. After examining the alleged forged
notes, Mr. Given stated that Judge Coles
| signatures thereon were all forgeries.
Mr.. Given disclaimed, to Mr. Truitt, being
| an expert in handwriting, explaining that
| he testified merely as one familiar with
| Judge Coles handwriting. He gave his rea-
| sons for declaring the signatures on the
| alleged forged notes to be forgeries, and at
| the conclusion of his testimony District
Attorney Birney announced that the gov
| eminent rested its case.
| For the Defense.
Banker VIM. Mayse was then called as
| the first witness for the defense, and asked
If Judge Cole had not expressed himself as
| being in doubt to one Of the three notes
cashed by witness. Mr. Mayse replied that
the Judge had until he had noticed the
| date, May - 1883, when Judge Cole said
| that he was certain that the note had been
| forged.
Mr.. James W. Somervine was the next
| witness for the defense He stated that he
| had known 6pfpndn iCt1t MY
years, and was familiar with his handwrit-
| ing. Being shown one of the alleged forged
| notes, the witness stated that in his belief
| 1T had not been signed by the defendant.
| He did not believe that the prisoner could
| have written the signature as it appeared on
the notes.
Real Estate Agent VIM. Marshall stated
that Real Estate Dealer Graham had hand
ed him note of Judge Cole, and upon taxi
| ing 1T to the judge the latter had objected
to having it cashed by private parties.
Bank officials.
Discount Clerk Jos. F. h. Golden of the
Ohio National Bank Identified two notes
of the defendant, Endorsed by Judge Cole.
Mr.. Truitt explained that he had called
several witnesses, bank officials, but that
| they were not present. Judge MeComas
sharply remarked that some hank officers
labored under the Impression that they
were favored individuals. They were not
so far az the responding to due process of
law was concerned, and the court, re-
| marked Judge McComas, would so show by
| issuing attachments for them, IL counsel
| desired. Mr.. Truitt said that to save time
he would put the defendant on the stand
until the absent witnesses came, and the
prisoner took the stand.
On the Stand.
He said that he had known Judge Cole
since 1881, when he worked in the judges
office. Judge Cole first helped him, said
| the defendant by going on a bond for
$1,000. The defendant started to explain
that he had helped Judge Cole to make
quite large sum by bringing him a client
but Judge McComas stopped him, saying
that was immaterial.
The defendant then went on TO say that
Judge Cole had begun to indorse notes for
| him In 1884, and had never refused to in
dorse one with single exception The
judge had Endorsed them in his Office in the
corridor of the city hall and while on the
bench. Several times defendant had stopped
| Judge Cole in the corridors of the CITY
hall, when, with the Defendants fountain
pen, the Judge would hurriedly indorse