The morning times., 1896-06-18
SAYS THE JUDGE WROTE It
Expert Hagan Thinks the Will
Is Genuine.
ALL DAY ON THE STAND
DEMONSTRATORS In Hand W riting Made
to the Jury-words in the Holt
Letters OF ia Sa m 9 Year Compared
to Those In the Will-Interesting
Minor Developments Appear.

The entire time OF yesterdays session
OF the Holt will trial was consumed in the
examination of one witness, william E.
Hagan, OF Troy, N Y, a handwriting cx pert.
Professor Hagau first examined the will
in january de then compared it with
the letters that have been placedin evidence
In the case There were no evidences
to the mind OF the witness Of an attempt
at imitation or forgery in the will, while
there were many characteristics that led
him to believe the writer OF the mysterious
papers was the writer ofthe Holt letters.
MADE "A KINDERGARTEN.
After the noon recess Mr. worthington
caused to be produced a board some twelve
feet in length oil which all the letters
In evidence, from 1861 to 1895, were held
in position by rubber bands. The board
was placed before the jury and rested at an
easy height where lawyers, expert, and
jurymen could easily see it. An enlarged
photograph of the signature and Of the
date of the will was tackled to the black
board back OF the witness chair.
Professor Hagan walked along and viewed
the letters, his head coming just above the
edge of the board. He examined all of the
epistles closely and said change was
observable in Judge Holt's handwriting
as years grew on him.
To judge OF the gcnuineneSs OF par
ticular signature the expert said it should
be compared with writings OF not more than
two years before or after the date it bore.
For two solid hours Mr.. Worthington
kept the expert under his searching cross
examination. Specific letters. parts of
letters, words, phrases, and sentences
were called to the attention OF the witness,
who was requested to find them in the
will VI 10 hp a I'M rad n ~ lott nr
to designate them in the letters when they
showed In the will
The letter OF February z, 1873, was
called into considerable use. and points
designated that might indicate it had been
used as model for copying.
Mr.. worthington produced thin piece
of glass with a photograph of the will
across it. This was held up to the light
by each juror in turn and closely examined
in every detail. Again it would be placed
directly over an epistle. in order that GER
tain words might be compared with similar
words in the epistle.
WORTHINGTON AS AN EXPERT.
I'VE will put the transpa rency over the
letter Of February z. 1873" said Mr..
Worthington. with the suavity OF a Her
mann. II will place the Holt in the
signature of the photograph over that of
1t comedies. What do you think of that?''
well, it is rather remarkable" re-
sponded the expert. yet it is not entirely
coin oident."
Suppose 1T were an attempt to trace
by an amateur forger. would you not say
1t was pretty good?''
We'll. yes, it would be-"
Now, is it not peculiar that there should
be some of these words and phrases, as
Washington the Holt, the city Of
and so on and SO on, where there is such
a strange coincidence between them in
papers written on the same day. while
other common passages of the same papers
differ in the writing?"
II think it is unusual A mans writing
on the same day should maintain the same
chara cite eristlcsthroughoutal all Of the words,
. The hour of 4 o'clock arrived at this
point. and court adjourned until 10 O'Clock
this morning.