Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-28

Mr. Wilson read from the records of that
trlal to show that in one instance he had
said that he relied more on general appear
ance than on specific comparison, and then
a little later on in the same examination
had said that he relied more on the specific
comparison. His attention was called at
the time to the fact that he had answered
both ways. Mr. Hay said this morning that
1t had been long time since that hearing.
but that If this was in the record 1t must be
So A number of other instances were read
oy Mr. Wilson to show that in the investi-
sation as TO whether a man named Finley
mad written the letter Mr.. Hay had given
several directly opposite and contradictory
answers, but the witness said in answer to
. duesti0n this morning that he could har-
monlze those answers without difficulty
Did you not in this court some time ago
pronounce a writing to be a forgery which
aaifterWard ar proved to be genuineT' asked
NO. SIR" said the witness.
w nat case was that. Mr.. Wilson, asked
Never mind that case inst now We'll
bring 1t up later
Some Technical Questions
The witness then went on to answer a
number of technical questions with refer
ence to the difficulty a penman would find
In initiating certain writings. Mr. Hay said
that he himself could initiate pretty closely
every letter in the famous Wessie Brown
paper, separately, but he thought 1t impossi-
Die Tor any one to initiate them as a whole
and at the same time get the general char
acter of the writing. He then went on to
describe a number of the difficulties that q
penman would meet with in an attempt to
initiate or "assimilate'' a writing
Mr.. Hay was asked If he understood the
work OF tracing and combining in repro
ducing paper. He said that he did and
mad himself made tracing for a case IN
until he was called upon to testify that 1t
was a tracing. He did not, however, re-
member a case in the Criminal Court, which
Mr.. Wilson called to his attention in which
certain naval vouchers which the experts
decided to be a forgery were in reality the
genuine document and admitted by the
party interested. Mr.. Wilson tried to call
the case to his recollection by reminding
him that in that case two Of the most ia
nous experts in the country had pronounced
genuine paper to be forgery. He could
not, however, remember the case with any
clearness He did remember that in the
Finley case there were experts called from
all parts of the country and experts from
abroad furnished their opinions, and there
was a very wide divergence of opinion.
by the way" said Mr.. Hay, Il wish you
would ask me whether l was ever paid for
that case. They had twenty-five days hard
work out Of me. for which Congress still
owes me-
II might remark" said Mr.. Butterworth,
feelingly. that the United States govern
ment never pays for anything when 1t can
avoid it"
Perhaps it only likes to pay for value re-
ceived," was Mr. Wilson's comment.
Tracing and Combining.
On examination by Mr.. Butterworth Mr.
Hay explained more fully what he meant by
tracing and combining and explained how
the work was done. either by means of an
Illuminated barrel with glass over the
top or of camera lucida," which casts
upon the paper a reflection of the writing to
be copied. He gave 1t his opinion that
the alleged forged letter in this case could
not have been traced. 1t was not an "as-
Illustration, the reasons upon which he
based this opinion
Continuing his testimony, Mr.. Hay said
that it would not be a difficult matter to
copy particular characters in writing and
If one failed the first time he could try
again and again. When 1t came to Joining
the letters and making lengthy "assinua-
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