The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-06
HE MADE His MARK
And Then Could Not GetSl
His Signature Ronored.
A LAWYERS PRED,CAMENT
Photographic Are Not Used for
Identification, but Sign atures
Are.

"When they talk about positively iden-
tifying a man in criminal case by his
personal appearance only" said promi-
nent attorney of this City day or two
ago, 81 always have a slight feeting of
pity for the accused, no matter who he
may be. And that is all because of my
very positively refusing to identity one of
my own clients, and that, too, not long
ago. But it was, [ admit, under condi-
tlons that. thank heavens, are not found
every day IN life"
Pressed for details as to the matter he
said 'Mr Long, who has been for years
client of mine, as well as being my per-
sonal friend, callei at the office one day,
and. while | had known that he was a
Or ttv sick man for some time, he APP
peared TO me to be rather more worried
and pale than usual. After some pre-
liminary talk, addressing ne by my
my Christian name, he said: George, L
am going away, to be gone six months
1 am getting worse rather than better and
all the physic that am pouring into me
does me no good. | have resolved on n
change of air. My interests will want ~
good deal of attention during my ABSENCE,
and if you are willing l wish you would
draw up power of attorney for me (men-
document), and then if you'll get me out
some notes as to Just how my property
stands at present I'll feel better SATISFIED
to go off and rest The news did not sur
prise me much, for he was pretty shaky,
and although he had tried innum Table
remedies and doctors to the point OF folly
he seemed to be tossing ground all the
time. A couple of days after l was able to
send him word that the power OF attorney
was ready and the memorandum OF his
affairs completed. Next afternoon he
came down to the Office, and it seemed to
me that even then | could notice change
for the worse since l had seen him last.
His hand-never very steady for a couple
of yearS-shook so that he could not sign
his name, and he had TO simply make
cross, which l got duly witnessed, and
when everything was completed to his
satisfaction ne pocketed the papers and
off he went in a carriage For months
heard nothing OF him, until one day out in
the park / saw man no resembled him
somewhat in his former days, but it was
only a passing glance and l paid no
attention at all to it.
During the time that l failed to see or
hear of him the gentleman who had his
power of attorney was continually send
ing me sums OF money so that | might
place them to Mr.. Longs credit, the
understanding being that | was TO honor
any draft that Long might make on me
ing banks one day | got a draft purporting
to have been drawn by him for 5000. The
writing was somewhat like Longs had
been some years before, when it was bold
and firm, but it bore no resemblance to
his wretchedly weak scrawls of the past
| two years; and then again l remem bered
/ that when l saw him last he couldn't
write at all. l tried to get at his friend,
but he was out of town, and so OF course
returned the draft with a note saving it
was not signed by Long. Two days after
came telegram asking me to come to
Santa Cruz and bring some money. It
was signed Long / went down, 49,
on arriving at the hotel was told that NJ
Long was on the veranda, l was walkine%
around the porch when man came up to I
me and shook me by the hand heartily,
saying, Why, George, I'm very glad to
see you. The voice was Longs, but the
face and form, no. Whist does all this
mean?' l asked. Yes | see' he said.
you do not believe it is me. l can't help
it, but 1T is. / had intended to send YOU
my photograph when l drew on you, but
remem boring that that would not help
identify me, and knowing that could not
write in that old shaky way that you
knew so well any more, just asked you
down. 1t was hours before was actually
convinced. Here was the wreck of a ner-
vously Frustrated man brought back to
perfect health. In The evening he told ma
what he had done He had driven straight
from my office to the great Hudson Medi-
cal Institute, on the corner of Stockton.
Market and Ellis streets, and placed nim-
self unreservedly IN the hands of the doc
tors there. He had stayed in secIusion in
the City for three months, not letting any
one know where he was, and then he had
come down here for a short rest. What
treatment on earth did they give your I
asked, almost in awe. Nothing but that
marvellous Great Hudyan' of theirs he
said; and producing a stack of reading
matter out of his pocket, which he saws
the Institute sends to all inquirers, he
said: Read some of that testimony;
there are many quite as wonderful cases
as mine l did so. and there certainly
are some most astounding cures-some
having been made in thirty DAYS"