Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-04
Witnesses Testify as to One of Mr..
Devlin's Pastimes.
THE INTERESTING HOLT WILL CASE
Strong lntimations Given in the
Testimony Today.
COLONEL "BILL' STERETT

when court was opened this morning for
the continuation Of the Holt viii case MIR.
"orthlnSton, for the caveators. called az
witness Mr.. John i. Miller OF The Even
ing Star. He was examined by Mr. Wilson.
Mr.. Miller testified that he had met Mr..
Devlin. The first time he ever saw him
was when he came into The Star Office and
handed a typewriter CODY of the alleged
VIII to one of the city editors of the paper.
Ihat was the day on which the Will first
came TO light.
MI Devlin said that he had brought the
copy OF the Will for news publication. He
said that he had always thought will was
In existence, and had written to the
Ihrockmortons giving the reasons for this
opinion, and suggesting that something
ought to be done in the matter
Continuing, Mr. Miller said that some
time after that he met Mr. Devlin at the
corner OF l4th and + streets. A newspauer
man by the name of Jones since dead was
with him when he met Devlin. The con-
Nersatlon turned TO the subject of the al
fsed Will, and Mr.. Devlin said that whom
ne read OF the judges death ne thought
what fool he had been.
went to the house number of times"
SAID Mr.. DeNlin on that occasion, before
the Judges death, but the servants would
not let me in. 1t would have been to NV
advantage. and now i wish ] had gone in
Garrahan case. McGarrahan and | were
very near TO each other and if / could
have POT INTO his room the night before he
cied | could have signed the next day for
s.""n. It's another case of letting good
thing go by"
Mr.. Darlington entered an objection TO
this whole line of testimony, and quoted
from another famous will case TO sustain
mis- contention.
Mr. Worthington explained that this evil
ueHcc was offered as gong TO show that
Mr.. Devlin either sent the will or knew
something of its being sent
ON that ground" said Mr. Darlington,
object on the ground that it is both
vague and remote"
Il certainly should not regard it as
vague, was MIR. Worthington's reply.
Mr.. Miller was asked what Mr. De;,lin
said as TO what he could have accomplished
II he could have got at McCiarrahan's
papers the night before the famous claim
ant died. but the objection to this line of
testimony was sustained 10y the court
The witness said that several days ago he
met Devlin about the court house Devlin
spoke TO Miller, said that he remembered
the interview near the Ebbitt House. bur
had forgotten Millers name He asked
Miller II he was TO he a witness Miller
said that he had not then been summoned
IN answer TO q further question MI
Miller said that the first intimatjon re-
celved at The Star Office that a viii had
been found was brought by Mr. Devlin him
self.
r
ington. Mr.. WuIthington exclaimed t6at
lhis evidence was offered to contratiict MIR
Deyiin's own statements as 10 his actions
ana movements on the day the will first
made Its appearance
On cross-eNamnation the witness said
that he could not recall whether he had
told MIR. Goodwin, tie city editor of this
interview with Mr. Deylir, nor whether he
rad spoken of iJ to Dr Howe He was
certain that lie had not publ shed an ac-
count OF the interview in The Star as he
ola not regard IL as proper newspaper mat
yer, lor II might have seemed as though he
was trying to prejudice the case
Replying TO question from Mr. Darling
ION, MI Miller said that IN the occasion of
his meeting with Mr.. Devin the latter
gave aim TO understand that If he could
have got into Judge Hollis room lust he
fore his death he would have been bene-
nteG financially. A very short time after
me conversation he reported il 10 Col.
Sterett
Mr.. Beriah Wilkins. the publisher OF Tho
Post, testified that OF the day of the an
pearance Of the will Mr. DevIin came 10
him and offered him a copy of the Will and
a typewrtten statement v bich ne had nre
pared for the papers. MI wilkins thought
II an exclusive piece of news, and thanked
MIN Tor II. but when Mr. DeVlin told him
that lie had already been to The Star Of
flee, he handed back the stateme Mt and re-
marked that the Pest could get an that
was wanted out of The Evening Star IL
was the hrSt time he ever saw Mr.. Devln.
Inc latter seemed TO be rather nervous on
that occasion.
The next Witness Mr. Robert w. Duttcu-
a Star "eporter. sa!C that he met Mr. Dey-
lin in the registers Cfticc on the aay the
VIII was found Witness examining
the VIII wren Mr.. DevliT came in.
Mr.. De,IIn's Movements.
Mr.. Dutton said that it was probably
about l2:30 that he saw Mr.. Devlin. BY 1
o CLOCK the first part Of his story about the
Al of h.. ,,-;lv
Star office.
Mr.. Darlington objected. on the ground
that 1t made 40 difference how soon after
Mr.. Devlin saw the will II was THAI he took
the news to The Star office
Mr.. Northington insisted that II WAS
competent evidence, if only in contradiction
OF Mr DeVlin's own statement that when
ne left the court house that day he took n
cable car al 4i2 street and went To The
war department to obtain Maj. Throck-
mortons address, and to several otner
places before he went to The Star office
The objection was overruled. and Mr..
Dutton said that some time after he dis
patched the first installrnent of his story
ne received telephone message from The
star office informing him that a win had
peen found. He replied that he knew IN -
ana was surprised that his story had nor
yet reached the office as he had son, it
down some time before
MI Dutton said that he made close cx-
animation of the alleged will on the day If
turned up. He was unable to satisfy hlm-
sell even then whether the two fragments
Oh the will were parts of one piece or skill
FULLY pasted together
ON cross-examination Mr. Dutton said
'hat ne did not notice whether Mr. D.yIin
seemed surprised or otherwise when bs
frst saw the alleged Will. There was notb-
ing at all surprising about his mauner
either way.
1t is something of a jump from a ne,vs-
paper office 10 the milk business but tha
next witness called was Mr.. Jos Fought a
dairyman.
Copied Handwriting,
Mr.. Fought testified that from go to 20
he was messenger in the judge advocate
generals office, succeeding Mr.. Dayiin m
the latter's promotion to a clerkshin He
said that he did not recall any occasion
that showed any intimate or confidential
relations between the Judge and Mr. Dev-
lin. He remembered one instance mar
pointed in just the opposite direction A
letter was received at the office from SEN
ator Frank Blair, which made Il evident
that Mr.. Devlin was acting as the Sena-
tors private secretary. the Judge called
for Mr.. Devln, and a stormy Interview
followed. AT its conclusion the judge or
dered that Mr.. Devlin be deprived of his
key to the office, for, while he had no au-
thority over his employees after hours he