Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1894-1895, 1895-10-25
CHEMISTRY IN CRIME.
One of the Most Remarkable Forger-
les OF Record.

| nectlon with the general suspicion thar
the sender of the document has a SIMS
| ter motive in cOncealing his identity.
| brings to memory a rather 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. ]. Ii. Livingstone brought
suit against W. W Ward. the ex Sheriff
| of the county. for the recovery Of So
600, money loaned on Wards sealed
note. The court was presided over by
Judge I. :. Mackey. BY consent OF
parties. the case was heard without
jury. Livingstone. the plaintiff, proved
the execution of the note, and closed his
case. The defense set up the plea that
the note had been paid. and produced
a receipt signed by Livingstone, dated
two years previous To the trial for
the whole amount of the note, principal
and interest; and q witness testified
that he had seen the payment made in
500 bills, and four $500 bills - Liy-
ingstone himself. on the day named in
the receipt
The plaintiff took the witness stand
and, on examining the receipt, admit
ted that ii bore his true and genuine
signature. He solemnly protested, how
ever, that he had not received one dol
lar from Ward. and had never uttered
Wards house for any purpose he de
clared that he was ruined, and that he
and his wife would be made homeless
Nv COL T..
explain. but which he had never know
ingly signed. On cross examination,
Livingstone. who was an old man, ad-
mitted that his memory was ylry in
firm and that on Il previous occasion
he had received a payment OF 500 from
another debtor, which he afterward
denied receiving. but which he recalled
TO memory when shown his receipt
The plaintiff and his counsel at this
stage of the proceeding were n utter
despair, for their cause was apparently
lost
Judge Mackey. who had made Il close
study OF criminal history. however. di-
rected that the receipt be handed TO
him. He then ordered the Sheriff 10
purchase a drachm of mUridtIc acid
and small piece of sponge ON the
return of the officer with ne articles
named the Judge said TO the plaintiff:
Mr.. Livingstone. did y0u aver adj
Sress letter 10 the defendant. Ward.
demanding payment of your money
Yes. sir answered the plaintiff II
wrote him many letters. bat mayer re-
ceiyed reply from him
Judge Mackey then said 70 Ia Coun-
sci:
Il perceive that on the face of this
receipt there are several peculiar brown
spots. and the original surface 0r sizing
of the paper has been removed except
In that portion OF the paper where the
signature was written. The body ot
the receipt is in the handwriting of the
defendant III my opinion the defend
ant has taken letter OF The plaintiff
and removed the writing with muri-
attic acid and then written ne receipt
above the signature. | vii! now apply
this acid to the writing on the back Of
the complains, i'll this ease and it VIII
be seen that the writing viii instantly
disappear and the paper VIII at once
exhibit several brown spots IDENTICAL
with those ON this receipt"
The acid was applied 10 he paper,
and as the writing diSa ppeared the
brown blots were seen upon the sur
face. and the crime of the defendant
was clearly revealed.
Ward. at this iuncture. looked as
horror-stricken as Lady Macbeth.
when. gazing upon her fair out murder
Gus hand. she exclaimed. as she vainly
rubbed it: "Out. damned sDOtr' The
Judge Immediately rendered decs-
ion IN favor OF the plaintiff. adding
that it was the duty Of the solicitor TO
have Ward prosecuted fo~ his auda-
cious forgery.
The next morning Judge Mackey left
for Georgetown. forty miles distant. to
hold court. While there he received a
letter from a friend. warning him not
10 return TO williamsburg, is he had
promised 10 do in Il few days, for the
purpose of hearing an argument in
chambers. as Ward had solemnlv
sworn 10 kill him OH sight. In five
days, however. be returned - Williams
burg, and seeing Ward in the street
demanded if he had threatened 30 take
his life. Ward answered that ne had.
but had abandoned his purpose Ward
was indicted at the naNt term Of court
and placed on trial for forgery When
the verdict OF guilty was rendered.
Ward rose and discharged his pistol
at Livingstone, the prosecuting witness.
and one Of the balls passed through his
coat He was instantly diSIrmed. and
sentenced 10 a term of seven years at
hard labor in the pententilry, where
several years after he died Ward had
been Il man of wealth and high stand
ing i'll the community Washington
Post.
Through Animals.
A correspondent writes TO say that
many fires originate through animals.