The morning times., 1896-06-24
BATTLE OF WORDS BEGUN
Arguments in the Holt Will
Case Commence.
NINE HOURS OF TALK
Three Were Consumed Yesterday by
Messrs Lee and DarlingtOn-They
Denounced Expert CarvalhO as
Fraud-Resume of the Evidence
Both Mastery Arguments.

nine hours yet remain In WDcn tne iedrheu
| counsel may discourse TO the jury. They
We're granted twelve hours in all, and
three OF those hours We're consumed yes
tertiay afternoon.
The period or expectancy is at hand. II
is as il each side in this famous case,
that undoubtedly stands without an exact
counterpart III the history OF American
Jurisprudence, had cons tructed noble
house.
ON either side the lawyers have builded
| upon rock. Their respective structures
| seem almost fla wless. And now in flights
of eioquence and with keenness of Oh
servation that carries conviction with
Il well-nign Irresistible force, they are
testing every element OF each strong
work, are clnching the last nails OF evi-
dence, and are embellishing their handi-
! work with rhetorical adornments that
make them little short of perfect.
Every bit OF evidence is now in. 1t
closed with sLe examination of two wit
nesses yesterday morning and the intro
duction OF some more letters that Judge
Holt had written. The jury was excused
for short time and counsel discussed
the prayers that would govern the courts
charge 10 the panel. On their return
arg dncnt was begun.
MIR. BELLS TESTIMONY.
Judge Jere NJ. Wilson was absent when
court opened at 10 O'Clock in the morn
ing, and Mr.. WorthingtoU was compelled
TO go through, the day alone. The latter
introduced James E. Bell, superintendent
of the delivery and collection department
OF the city postoffice, us a witness who
would be likely TO throw some light on
where the viii was mailed before ii drop
ped so mysieriously into the Office Of
the register of wills.
Mr.. Bell testified that the envelope con-
tanning the paper must have been posted
sometime between the hours of and
O'Clock on the afternoon OF August "a, last.
lie could also swear that ii was matted
somewhere in what is known as the north
west section of the city, but not III George
town. Had it been mailed within the limits
OF the latter section it would have been
marked with an "A the designation of
the substation of West Washington
Charles WickIiffe Throckmorton, son
of Major Ttrockmorton, came forward at
the request of Mr.. Darlington TO give
some apparently unimportant testimony
about his visit to Washington in June SS5
and his subsequent visit to this city in
september of the same year. on the latter
occasion he saw Luke Devlin and gave him
some letters that Judge Holt had written
to members of the Throckmorton family.
After the witness was excused Mr.
WorthinSton made use OF the little expense
books of the Judge This time he did il TO
counteract any claim that might he n ade
that the dinner of February. 1873. that has
SO frequently been referred TO, occurred on
the 18th instant. 1t had been said on the
witness stand several times that there
was dinner at Judge Hol; IS house during
that month, and that Gems Grant and
Sherman and their wives were among the
guests
Mr. Worthington read from one OF the
little expenditure books to show that the
dinner must have taken plac on February
Il. There was an entry in the book to
show that at Some entertainment of that
date the judge had expended SI1O5O to
a caterer for his services uDon some
function.
LETTERS TO MRS. RAY.
Following this Mr.. Darlington came for
ward and read number of letters that
the judge had written Mrs. Mary Ray, he
tween the years 1882 and 1855 All un-
kindly feelings that might have existed
previous years were banshed and the
writer fthc letters always sent his respects
TO Mr. Kay, Whom be had "a one time chided
severely.
The case was then ended so far as eyi-
deuce was concerned
hours and the lawyers arrayed themselves
before him TO get the prayers out Of the
way. MIR. Darlington and his associates had
dn even dozen OF these and a noteworthy
thing was that almost all of then, were
granted
The jury came back at O'Clock and
Blair Lee began to address them. He
spoke for exactly two hours
The courtroom was filled with interested
In his or her seat. The chairs that are
reserved Tor spectators were all filed.
The hangers-o on, who have become f:,-
nillar figures, because Of IL cir Unsyery-
Ing attendance, wero there. Ealr the
audience, or more, Were ladies' Back
or the railing the members of the bar
dropped In and out as the notion moved
them, or as their time permitted or all
who have followed the trial day 10y day.
Judge Wilson aluDe was absent
II was the restful hour of entertainment
and instruction in the long trial
Mr. Lees effort was an able one. He
argued that though the other side claimed
That Judge Holt would never have made
Major Tlrockmorton the trustee in so
large an estate, yet two of the couDtry's
greatest generals signed their names 10
the paper without questioning the ability
OF Major ThrockmOrton. Anyhow, Miss
Throckinorton came of age before the
Cndrses were ever brought against her
father.
WAS IN ONE PIECE.
AS to the condition of the peculiar sheet
when il reached the office Of the register,
all things pointed To the fact that il was
In one piece. The most honorable Of
witnesses had testified as to the gepu-
lneDess OF the signatures on the lower part
of the paper that was now disiDtegrated
from the rest.
There was no evidence to show that
Judge Holt ever 'tried to destroy papers
or documents by burning, Mr.. Lee pointed
out. Washington d. Holt and others, who
made search after the death of the Judge,
though. bad destroyed many papers in
that manner.
Almost every important point in the evil
dence was touched upon by the lawyer
in his address. He talked in a slow and
manner and was listened to
with the greatest attention by everyone
in the room.
Mr.. Lee closed promptly at O'Clock,
and Mr.. Darlington Immediately picked up
the chain OF argument. He prefaced he
remarks with the statement that he would
consume but little of the time allotted to
his side.
There were but two questions. said he.
for HE jury to decide. One was, Did
Joseph Holt execute the will? If he
wrote it, did lie afterwards revoke it?
WHERE HAS 1T BEEN?
There were many other questions the iury
was not called upon to decide which the
principals in the trial, the lawyers and