The evening times., 1896-06-18
JUDGE HOLT's FINAL rs
Expert Witness Learnedly Di-
lates Upon Their Character.
THE FORGERS OFLETTERS
Professionals Do Much of the Work.
Amateurs Only Occasionally Try
Their Hand in Initiating Others
Prof Hagan Sticks to His Belief In
the Genuineness Of the VIII.

Mr.. WorthiDgton continued his cross
examination OF Prof. Hagan, the expert Ia
handwriting, this morning, when the twenty
thlrd day of the Holt will trial began in
Judge Bradley's court.
II find in Judge Hoit's writing, said
the expert in reply to a question. "a re-
production OF many words in fac-simile.
1t is peculiar characteristic of his that
1 never knew to happen before"
when did you make the discovery"
asked MIR. WorthiDgton.
Last night studied all the evening and
much OF the night on the letters and the
wiil.''
What do you think of the value of nom
expert testimony on handwriting?''
Il think it no longer of much value. Sci
ence In forgery has progressed SO far that it
requires an expert to detect it,
What is your experience a S to the extent
of professional forgers' work on wills and
other dOcuments?'
Il have found that many of the spurious
papers are prepared by paid forgers."
But is 1t not fact, Mr.. Hagan, that
majority ityofforgefiesared done by amateurs?''
YES, suppose they are"
EXPERT AND THE LETTER
Mr.. Warrington then caussd the expert
to go through the letter OF February z.
1873, with him and observe the final t's
in the letter. This was the letter from
which Prof. Carvalho picked the first six
teen final t's and found fifteen OF them
without loop" while one was a loop. {.
In the will there are sixteen final rs,
eleven of which are looped, four made with
"blind' loops and one made in normal
fashion. In going through tlfe entire letter
tncvto
fifteen normal t's, no "blind'' loops and
four looped t's.
The examination of Prof. Hagan occu-
pied almost the whole of the time befo,.
recess, and little further Of interest was
developed In the testimony. The expert
made repeated examination of the letters
and other documents under the micro-
scope.
The cross-examination by Mr.. wortbipe-
ton in no manner shook the opinion of the
witness that the hand that wrote the
will was the same that wrote the letters.
The expert manipulated the transparency
over the letters and sho we'd to the jurors
VINO surrounded him wherein, in his opinion,
the characteristics in the will and the
epistles differed.
In addition to the words already found
where similarity that approaches a fac
smile Mr.. Worthington discovered anoth-
er, the word standard" in one OF the
'etters. The witness admitted that the re-
sembllnce between the word as it appeared
in the letter AMI in the will was very strik-
ing indeed. The usual recess was taken at
1890 O'Clock.
PROF. HAGAN'S ADMISSION
In reply to question from Mr.. Darlington
at the close OF the recess, Prof. Hagan re-
peated that he thought the writer of the
will and the Holt letters was Identical.
lie admitted in reply to question by Mr..
WorthingtOn that there We're several words
of more than one syllable in the will that ap-
peared as ia c-s.miies OF words in the letters.
Have you noticed in the letter OF Scpten,-
Der 90, IS73,'' asked MIR. worthington,
THAT there is a whole phrase that CORE
spends and resembles one in the will? 1
refer to the phrase Following Mr. Devlin s
name. whose character believe to te OF
the highest Standard
The expert admitted that tie had not
noticed the resemblance. Mr.. Wortl,ing-
ton held The Transparency urer tie letter
in question, ard traced cut with the wit
ness the words that bs,re resemblance to
each other.