The morning call., 1894-08-21

that forgery Is poor game even when
we'll played. On examination OF a letter.
which was pronounced to have been exc
cuted in base imitation Of the late Henry
Martins handwriting, Expert Breckenfeld
had something TO say yesterday. not only
upon the general appearance of the doeU-
ment. but also upon the manifold faults to
be found with the formation OF every
single letter and line in the whole COM
position.
1t was hot day. and DESPITE the words
OF caution previously spoken by Judge
Coffey whole bevy of the fair sex crowded
the astuffy courtroom. as the long trial
draws to its close it is evident to all inter
ested persons that some huge sensation
may be sprung at any moment; cOnse-
quentlv those who have fingered so long in
hopeful expectation are not going to miss
a possible trick by staying away even for
one instant from the scene of action.
Judge CoffeY was graciouslY pleased to
be in a good humor He went out of town
on Friday evening and Oniv returned yes
.terday in time for court. He beamed good
natuTedly upon all present. and his jokes
were we'll delivered, as we'll as fully appre-
ciated. Grove l.. johnson fell asleep upon
theshOulder OF Mr.. LinfOrth whenever he
felt weary, while on the other aide, in the
was pleased from time to time to confer
! with that genteman's clerk, James l..
Robson, upon matters of reference. Craig
and, HeYnemaDD. were there, of course.
When time was called Expert Brecken-
field resumed his lecture upon the amaZ-
ing number of evident objections to the
"Dear Belle" letter Of February q, 1892,
which Mrs. John Martin has the temeIity
TO claim as genuine document. II was
. interesting to follow the expert through
= = r.
aid all the points in the compass of that
branch of science known as the study Of
the double barTeled million horsepower
binOcular microscope.
j.. o. Retouching was subject on which the
expert laid great stress in the progress of
his lecture. He endeavored to show that
while retouching may be a useful art in
the study and practice OF photography, vat
II Is decidedly objection able in handwrit-
ing. Inc number Of words that the
pseudo Henry Martin-whOeyer he may or
may not have been-seems to have deco
= rated by this simple process of retouching
in the course Of his forgery is simply ap-
palliDg, according to the instructions of
Expert Breckenfeld.
Mr.. Breckenfeld took 1t carefully for
granted that some person or other had
been baSely attem ping to deceive by
means OF poor imitation, and never re-
ferred to any documents put in by the
johnson side of the house in any other
TERMS than 1.-THE disputed writings" He
had some more cards carefully prepared,
in Illustration Of the amazing difference in
character shown by various words IL the
two letters of February a, that to Friend
Sergeant" and the other 10 Dear Belle"
For. instance, it was explained by the
. expert that out OF 1S2 examples OF the
initial 'g's" to be found il the admitted
writings, only TWO were found with up
strokes: These exceptions TO the rule the
expert did not altogether admit. but he
appeared to make presents OF them 10 the
: other side In common fairness, II not In
charity, Brsckenfeld Hnally got through
after finding fault with every individual
ietter TO be found in the audaclous epistie
which Henry Martin is presumed to have
= written on the day following the execution
:'"Q{ the second will
Ihep Mr.. Breckenfeld was questioned
:ree&Talng the blot on The My dear Belle
.HteeT, which johnson made such fuss
, au1uG Inc other day, and which caused
him TO assert that the document was not
tDe same that had been originally en-
trusIeu 10 clerk Murphy. TIE expert was
asked TO compare this letter with the
photograph thereof taken some time ago,
and having done so was heard to saw that
it com pared exactly, and that there was no
o. signs OF ltS having been changed in any
away since It's Introduction in evidence.
As matters were slightly dull Grove
johnson liveDed them by disputinr t5at
sbne pnOtOsTapD III question was Introduced
by his side as an EXHIBIT. This called forth
a retort from Mr.. Deimas, arguments fol-
lowed. and il was not until notes ware
referred to and records consulted thar il
was found that Johnson was in the wrong.
Robson is most industrious ia the KEEPING
of these records, and was mainly respon-
sible for the routing of johnson in this
particular argument.
One or two important questions were
asked. 'Mr. Breckenfeld." asked Delmas.
do you say that it is possible or impos-