Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1895-09-20
CHEMISTRY IN CRIME.
One of the Most Remarkable ForGeries on
Record Exposed by Acids.

From the Washington Post.
The interest in questionable documents
coming into court in one form or another,
which has been excited by the mystery
surrounding the character of the VIII of
general suspicion that the sender OF the
document has a sinister motive in conceal
| er remarkable crime which occurred IN
Williamsburg county. South Carolina. in
the spring OF 1879, At the spring term of
the court OF common pleas FOR Williams
burg county, J. il. Livingstone brought suit
against W. w. Ward, the eH-sherln of the
county, for the recovery OF 5000; money
loaned on Wards sealed note: The court
was presided over by Judge T. 5. Mackey.
Iiy consent OF parties, the case was heard
without jury. Livingstone, the plaintiff,
rIosad' his case. The defens. sci Nh Tho
dueod a receipt signed by Livingstone dated
two years previous to the trial, for the
interest; and witness testified that he
| had seen the payment made IN Sl0 DIS
o on the iSuI day W named @ in the reeeip S
The pluiuuu took the witness stand and,
on examining the receipt, admitted that it
solemuly protested, however that he had
not received enc dollar from Ward, and
had never entered Wards house for any
purpose. He DECLARED that he was ruined.
and that he and his wife would be made
homeless by a false receipt which he could
not explain, but which ne had never know
iuEly signed. on Cross-eNaminauOn, Liv-
ingStone. who was an old man, admitted
that his memory was very intlrm and that
on a previous occasion he had received a
payment OF 500 from another debtor, which
he afterwards denied receiving. but which
he recalled TO memory when shown his
receipt The plainuh and his counsel at
this stage of the proceeding We're in utter
despair, for their cause was apparently
Judge Mackey, who had made a close
study, Of criminal history, however, di-
rected that the receipt, be handed to him.
lie then ordered the sheriff to proceed TO
drachm of murIatc acid and a small piece
of sponge, On the return OF the officer
with the articles named the judge said TO
%,Mr, livingstone, dld yon ever address
ing payment Of your money!"
"Yes, sir" answered the plalntlT. "I
wrote, him many letters but never re-
Judge Mackey then said to the counsel:
~ perceive that on the face OF This re-
OF the paper has been removed, except in
that portion OF The PAPER where The Sig
ceipt is in the handwriting of the defend
ant, In my opinion the defendant has tak-
the writing with muratic acid and then
written the receipt above the signature.
] Will now apply this acid 10 the writing
on the back oi the complaint In this case
and it will be seen that the writing Will
instantly ,G,isapnear ana the paper VIII az
with those on this receipt"
The acid was applied TO the paper and as
were seen upon the surface, and the crime
of the defendant was clearly revealed
Ward, at this juncture, looked as hor-
rOrstriCken as Lady Macbeth when, Eaz-
ing upon her fair but murderous hand, she
exclaimed, as she Vainly rubbed IL. "Out,
damned spOtr' The judge Immediately rem
dered decision in favor Of the plaintiff
adding that IL was the duty of the solicitor
to have Ward prosecuted for his audacious
forgery,
The next morning Judge Mackey left for
Georgetown. forty miles distant 10 hold
court. While there he received "A letter
from friend, warning him not TO return
TO Williamsburg, as he had promised TO do
I'm a few days, for the purpose Of hearing
an argument in chambers, as Ward had
solemnly sworn to kin him on sight. In
iiye days, however, he returned to Will
iamsburg, and seeing Ward in the street
demanded II he had threatened to take his
life Ward answered that he had, but had
abandoned his purpose, Ward was indict-
ed al the next term of court and placed on
trial for forgery. When the verdict Of
guilty was rendered, Ward rose and dis
charged his pistol Al Livingstone, the pros
ecuting witness, and one of the balls passed
through his coat. He was instantly dis
armed, ana sentenced 10 a term OF seven
years at hard labor In the penitentia
where several years after he died. Ward
had been a man OF wealth and high stand
ing in the community.