The Washington times., 1894-10-17
TRIAL OF THE ACCUSED BEGUN
Strong Effort Made to Prove That the Pris-
oner Was Physically Incapable of the
Crime Alleged Witnesses Declare That
the Signatures Are Not Genuine.


his own signature well enough to distinguish
he false from the genuine.
While it is expected that man Will know
his own signature under all circumstances,
cases are very numerous where intelligent
and eminent men have been in doubt, and
The present will be added TO the list. Judge
Cole has already confessed uncertainty as TO
one signature. AS his Endorsements and other
business transactions with Aldridge extended
over a period Of ten years, he has also found
himself at fault as to dates.
Frank Aldrich. when he appeared in the
courtroom yesterday before scores who had
known him for wears, was greatly changed.
He has lost much in flesh, and instead OF
full beard wears only mustache. He Is
large, compactly built broad shouldered,
fine-looking fellow. with a Dronzed face,
wavy. iron gray hair worn rather long, and
gracefully dropping mustache. He Is slightly
~rrinkled. a little care-worn, and his blue eyes
CLEAN frequently with an intensity that be-
travs nervousness under strong control. He
was dressed in a good suit Of blue stuff, and
has the appearance Of business man tully
able to take care OF himself. He was accom-
panied yesterday by his wife, who showed
considerably more nervousness than he did
himself, and by her father, MIR. Smith, we'll
fo-dC business man, apparently sixty years
old On each side Just back OF Mrs. Aldrlch
sat two lady friends with whom she and her
father are stopping. Aldrich was the center
OF the group.
OPENING THE CASE.
The defense is conducted by Samuel D.
Truitt and Philip Walker, while District At
torney BIrney was yesterday aided in the
prosecution by Assistant Attorneys Tracy l..
Jefords and Harvey Given. The jury, as
selected after two or three challenges, con-
sists of w. A. Eliason, Charles A. Krause,
Frederick Rogerson. Charles Z. Galleher
Daniel T. Batson, Louis Edel A. Geary john
son Winter b. Mifieton, Dorsey B. Myers
Samuel McMonigle, Jacob Burch, and John
IS. Hayes.
District Attorney Birney, in his opening
statement. said that Aldrich was charged
with forging Judge Coles endorsement upon
seventeen notes ranging in amounts from $50
to $3.50. the proceeds Of which he used for
himself The total Of the forgeries is about
G.. 900.
Mr.. Truitt. replying for the defense. said
the signatures Of Judge Cole were genuine in
every case. He paid a tribute to Judge Coles
character for uprightness and intelligence,
but said like every busy man he was liable TO
forget and make mistakes. He SAID friendly
relations existed between the judge and the
accused from 1882 to the present time. he be-
heved In that time Judge Cole had in
dorsed for Aldrich scores OF times and had
forgotten some OF the instances The
proceeds of the notes, it would be
proved, were used for the promotion
of the Hanson Electric Light Company busi-
ness and when Aldrich went away it was on
business in connection with that enterprise,
not as a fugitive from justice. When he
reached Chicago he wrote TO Judge Cole and
others, winding up his affairs here the best
he could.
The first witnesses for the prosecution were
William Mayse. the banker; Seth II. Terry,
y nar- TFn of
tional Bank; Z. ii. Neumeyer, F. w. Graham,
the real estate dealer; w. ID. Slater. the
broker: Lewis J. Davis. of Lewis Johnson 6
Co.; John A. Swope, and Simon Bien. All
except the last two had cashed for Aldrlch
one or more of the alleged fraudulent notes.
SWope and Bien had eashed them for Terry.
After these came the chief witness Of the
prosecution. Judge Cole. 1t is not often that
the presiding Judge of one branch of a crimi-
nal court is the wronged person and leader IN
the prosecution III the other branch, but it
was so yesterday. and for the day criminal
court No. 2 was adjourned.
AT ONE TINE HIS COUNSEL.
Judge Cole testified that he had known
AIdrich for some twelve years and had been
at one time his counsel. With the forged
notes in his hands, after a careful inspection,
he swore that he had neither Endorsed them
nor authorized any one to indorse them with
his name. Some Of them he had first seen
after the protest, while others had been
brought TO him before they were due.
He said he had Endorsed no note for Aldrich
after May IL. 1888. His first lndorse-
ment for Aldrich, ne thought, was on
a note for 5000 in 1887. In 1887 he
purchased some of the stock of the
Hanson Electric Company, Of which Aldrich
was manager. Later he indorsed a number
of notes for the defendant and in 1882 he had
required of Aldr1ch written statement ofthe
notes outstanding, and after that he lndorsed
no new notes.
Il am positive" he said. 'that I indorsed
no new note after September 8, 1892" He also
said he had indorsed no paper at all for Aid
rich after May H. 1888 and then the amount
outstanding could not possibly have been so
large as he had been called upon to pay.
Upon cross-examination by Attorney Walker
Judge Cole examined a number OF notes
handed him. and said his Endorsement Of one
in 1884 was genuine. This showed that his
memory was az fault when he thought his
earliest signature in Aldrich's favor was TO
the 5000 note in 1887. Upon examination Of
another lot Of promissory notes handed him
by the defense Judge Cole picked out several
that he said bore his true signature while
others. with one exception. were forgeries.
AS 10 the exception be was in doubt. All
the notes but one had been indorsed in his
Office, and that one in the courtroom. He
had not been called on 10 pay but one OF
Aldrich's notes previous to June last. He
denied under further cross questioning that
he had told Lewis Davis, of Johnson & Co.,
that be was in doubt about his signature on
another note. He paid at least four notes
that were forgeries, two to S. II. Walker. one
TO W. ii. Slater, and one to B. Il. Warner.
INVITATIONS OF HIS SIGNATURE.
Some Of the notes, he said, bore excellent
limitations Of his signature. and he was in
some doubt himself about that held by Mrs.
Walker; others were easily detected.
Newton Donaldson followed Judge Cole on
the stand. and said the Endorsements were
forgeries After him came Judge Coles
brother and former partns-. Wyman L. Cole,
who said the signatures were forgeries. He
was present at the meeting between his
brother and Aldrich in their Office in the fall
Of 1892, and heard his brother insist that the
notes must be paid of and his liability cur
tailed, and he would 20 on no new paper
The amount outstanding with his brothers
Endorsement at that time. he understood, was
about q 900, in addition TO $500 to Mrs. Lee.
Aldrich urged that by continuance OF in
dorsements he would be able to pay all off
and come out ahead. He heard no statement
Of the number Of notes and saw no written
statement.
Augustus Ritter, an expert on comparison
OF signatures at the Treasury Department, for
the prosecution compared number Of sigma
lures Of Judge Cole. and pronounced those on
which the indictments are based TO be false
A batch Of checks which had not been brought