The morning times., 1896-05-26
JlB ON JUDGE Hollis is
Witnesses Explain a Popularity
of His Signature.
DEVLIN'SAUTOGRAPH ALBUM
Fellow Clerk Testified That He Col
1ected tn e Signatures of Many Prom
inent People-Yaung Miss Sterrett
Raised "a Laugh by Her Testimony
Her Visits to Judge Holt

Her Visits to Judge Holt
An even half dozen new actors in the
shape of as many witnesses were intro
duced in the Holt will case Yesterday There
were no startling climaxes and practically
10 Developments, though the proceedings
OF the eutire day were OF Il trifle more than
usual interest and d pleasing sketch of
comedy was iHterjected late in the day
when the frank and child-like answers of a
young witness made wreathcs of smiles on
the faces Of both court aud spectators
The examination and dcounter-questioning
OF Col. William Winthrop, Il retired arfny
Officer occupied the whole OF the morning
hour, as was told fully in The Evening Tin 81:
Both he and the next witness Francis ID,
Saxton, who has been in the Judge advocate
generals office since September 2, 1869,
said that they did not Believe Judge Holt
The latter witness said that Ec had al
most daily opportunities to see the Judge
advocate sigu his name. and frequently saw
him write. He is the only official in the
office that was there daring Judge Holt's
the testatoI's characteristics of phrascology
and punctuation.
JUDGE HoLT'S PUNCTUATION.
He produced a number of papers from
his office i'll the handwriting of Judge
Holt. One OF these was written on Feb
ruary 4. 1873, a week after the alleged
viii was written.
The VIII was finally shown to him
''At a first glance" said be, there is
something i'll this that looks like Judge
Hollis writing When ! look at il closer
the likeness seems to leave and do not
believe he wrote it,"
Considerable time was spent during Mr..
Darlngton's cross examination in having
the witness point out the specific places
III the alleged will where the character
istics of Judge Holt's handwriting were
missing
He was shown the letters and documents
that had been Offered previous witnesses
for identification and declared them TO
be in the handwriting of the late judge
advocate.
Mr Saxton, like Col. Winthrop. called at
tention to Judge H Otis beginning his
~ with a jab OF the pen, thus ma king !;
dot at one side OF the letter
Didn't Gen. Butterworth show you some
signatures at the War Department where
the iab in The j" was lacking?" asked
Mr.. Darlington.
Il do not remember that he did, re-
piled the witness.
MISS STERRETT ON THE STAND.
Miss Willie G. Sterrett. the pretty fif-
teen-yea r-OId daughter OF Col. william
Sterrett, one Of the heirs-at-iaw, succeeded
Mr.. SaXton upon the witness stand. She
told how she had come to Washington
with her parents in 1889. The frequency
With which she saw her Uncle Joe" as
she and her younger sister were accuS-
toned TO calt the Judge advocate, depended
upon the condition OF the latter's health,
which was quite bad at times during the
last years OF his life.
They would go TO Judge Holt's house
on New JERSEY avenue, and ne would give
them candy and money. He would take
the smaller sister on his knee and treat
her as his own daughter The girls gave
a birthday party once and their uncle"
furnished the money for expenses. He
would frequently go around To the Sterrett
home and take them and their mother out
riding in his carriage
"Oh, of course he didn't treat her like he
did u.s. answered the girl, as a ripple OF
mild laughter ran through the audience
and was enjoyed by Judge Bradley.
Mr.. Darlington objected to further CUES
tioning along this line. as it did not go TO
prove the genUinenesS of the alleged
Will
No, but We want to show that Judge
Holt was not a man without family
as counsel on the other side has said"
answe red Mr.. Worthington.
The court oyerruled the objections.
HINT OF ANOTHER WILL.
Did you ever find any papers in Judge
Holt's house?" asked Mr.. Worthiugton.
Yes; l was going through some papers
in my uncle's roam one day looking for
stamps. came across a paper about three
by five inches in size. 1t said: Date of
will, January /, 1856 and then the name
Roundtree and some other name was on
the paper gave it to my mother"
The paper was not in evidence and Mr..
Darling gton again objected.
I'VE expect to prove later in the trial."
said Mr.. WorthiEg gton, ''tbatthis paper, with
others, were placed in a satchel belonging
TO one OF the heirs. We will-show, too,
that the satchel was stolen while it's owner
was going South, and that the papers were
destroyed"
A colored servant, Emma Board, formerly
with the family of Washington D. Holt in
Kentucky, testified that Judge Holt fire.
queHtlycame to herempIOyer' S house, though
she could fix dates in no instance TIE rela-
tons existing between him and the Holt
family in the Blue Grass State were of
the friendliest.
One day Judge Holt told her to stay in
the service OF her nephew and she would
be provided for as long as she lived. for"
said Judge Holt, I've provided for Mr..
Holt in my will"
The cross-eNamination of both of the
witnesses was brief and unimportant
William II. Dobson has been a clerk in
the office Of the judge advocate general
since October, 1890, be said on the wit
ness stand. He had frequent opportunities
to become familiar with the writing and
signature of Judge Holt
Il don't think that is his signature
said he when he looked at the viii 1.-The
writing in the will looks like his, but I
am unable to say whether it is his or
not''
Mr.. Darlington placed him through a
rigid cross examination to make him show
why he had reached the conclusion he did.
NOT HoLT's SIGNATURE.
When Albert l. Smith of the Sixth Au-
ditor's Office, who was the next witness,
saw the viii, he said:
''If that is his signature it is not similar