Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-22
ain their information wherever they

can
Mrs. Briggs, was Judge Holt a widower
al the time you are referring TOP
He was At least said Mrs. Briggs,
correcting herself, The was to the best of
my knowledge"
This reply caused a ripple of laughter
about the court room. and there was even
a twinkle in Judge Bradleys eyes.
When was this reception at the White
House that you have referred tor
Il think it was during President Arthur's
administration
DO you know Mr.. Julius Truesdell of
The Starr
Il do rot recall him at this moment"
Did You not tell Star reporter that it
occurred during Hayes administration"
Il do not think did
Daring the course of her testimony Mrs.
Briggs spoke OF one occasion when she was
visiting at Willett's Point and made a call
upon the Throckmortons at Fort Schuyler.
An Emphatic Denial.
Did you not on that occasion ask Miss
Josephine when she had last seen Judge
Holt?''
Il do not think 1 did. 1 should have
thought it very delicate question. indeed,
and it is far more likely. that they would
have asked me such a question"
rs it not true that you then told them
your visits to Judge Holt had ceased, owing
to the impertinence Of his seryantsT
Never, never, never, never" said Mrs
Briggs. with rising infection that carried
her onto IT feet.
Il will order this court room cleared IL
there is any more audible laughter" said
Judge Bradley. sternly.
At this point Mr.. Worthington read a
portion Of the deposition of Mrs. B. B.
Ricketts, of California, setting forth that
about three years after the date of the al
legged will, and again at d reception given
by Mr. Blaine in honor of the foreign visit
OrS TO the Yorktown celebration, she heard
Judge Holt express himself in tones of the
bitterest feeling toward the elder Mrs.
ThrockmoTton.
Mrs. Briggs was again recalled for cross
examination and questioned in great detail
as to her reasons for thinking that the al
legged will was not in the handwriting of
Judge Holt.
Character of the VIII.
On redirect. Mrs. Briggs was asked
whether she formed fer opinion that the
viii was fraudulent from anything else
than the appearance of the handwriting.
Indeed i do. L"
Her further answer was stopped by the
objection of Mr.. Darlington.
Mr. "crthington thereupon insisted that
as Mrs. Briggs bad practically studied lit
erature from the precept and example of
Judge Holt she was particularly qualified
to speak on the subject Of whether the
composition of the alleged will was SUCH
as to make 1t likely he wrote 1t.
Yes. indeed" said Mrs Briggs II was
the first woman in this country to enter
L
tercsts of all my sex were conferred upon
me. No man can understand the strain
under which l labored in the preparation
of my letters. At first 1 knew that my
work was crude. and / used to go to Judge
Holt and show him my letters, and he
would aid me by correcting my style. The
fact that 1 earned the reputation of being
a great writer Is largely due to the inter
est that il dge Holt took in me-
Objection was made to th.s line of evil
derce, and another lively debate between
the lawyers followed over the admissibility
OF evider &c showing the probability that
the Will was not such a paper as
Judge Holt would have written. Mr.. OAR
lington II sisted that this was a matter OF
opinion on the part of witnesses. The
other side read extensively from legal au-
thorttieS in support of the claim that such
evidence ought to be competent.
In the course of the argument Judge
Bradley suggested that in the case of at
tempted Identification all sorts of charac-
teristics are elements in the decision. A
witness might say that he thought he rec
ognlzed a voice that of a particular man.
but from the character of what was said
he did not believe 1t could be that person.
For instance. the language might be in
terspersed with slang of a sort that the
individual in question was not familiar
with. 1t might be profane or obscure,
while the man was known to be both moral
and religious and very careful in his use of
language. In such an event, Judge Bradley
said 1t seemed to him that the witness
"Ould ne JuStlneQ IN saying tnat he was
confident it was not the man.
Mr. Wilson argued that If 1t was allow
able for witness to testify that his opin-
ion was that person was insane there
was equal reason why it should be cOnpe-
tent for a witness to look at this alleged
will and say. from the literary and legal
character of the paper, that it was his OF
her opinion that it was never written by
the man whose name appears as the signer
of the will.
An Important Point
recess was taken before the Judge had
made his ruling on the point at ISSUE
Afterward Judge Bradley announced his
decision to the effect shat the question
should be allowed
Mr.. Dorlin gton noted an exception
In this ruling the caveators won one of
the strongest points they have yet made In
this sharply fought contest. for 1t let's in a
lire of evidence against which the bene-
fciarfes by the alleged will contended
strenuously. 1t Is now within the province
OF the caveators to bring in a considerable
mass of testimony. outside of the one ques-
tion of handwriting, to attack the validity
of the will.
Mrs. Briggs said her opinion as to the
will being a forgery was based partially
upon the composition of the will.
The witness said that she grounded her
opinions on the subject of style upon a
speech made by Judge Holt at Charleston,
On his letters to her and on what he said
IN the course of their conversations.
In answer to a question from Mr. OAR
hnston, she said that Judge Hollis style
was perfect while the style of this paper
was not The absence of propar punctua-
ton marks showed that the writing was
not characteristic Of Judge Holt Whatever
there was in the will that was not per-
1ect was evidence to her that the will was
not genuine She never knew him to use
dashes in the place of commas but 1t was
the general appearance of the paper that
led her to form her opinion.
Mr.. HOdgkins Next
Mrs. Briggs was then excused from the
stand The next witness called was Mr.
Samuel Hodgkins. who was formerly con-
rected with the War Department, and was
very familiar with the handwriting of
Judge Holt as contained in his official pa
pers.
The will was handed to Mr. Hodgkins
ana he was asked what he thought of it
he said that he was positive that tho
oody or the paper was Eot in the hani-
writing of Judge Holt. There was some
thing about the signature also that made
Why"
Judge Holt wrote what 1 should call a
cramped scratchy and jerky hand The
whole paper Is different from his styIe.
There are words in this paper that are
marked by an easy flow that Judge Holt
could never have written. This paDer