The San Francisco call., 1897-05-21
TROUBLE AHEAD
FOR MAX GUMPEL
Once the Pencil Will Was
Genuine, but Now a
Drawing"
His Corh citing Opinions to Be
Exposed When He Is
Cross-Examined.
Expert Caryalho Finishes His Testi.
mony. and Confesses He Blum
dered on the Morey Letter.
Now it's Expert Gumpel.

Expert Carvalho managed to worry
along through the cross-examination he
was subjected to yesterday in the Fair
Craven trial-true, with the addition of
several more gray hairs to his sprinKleo,
head, but at least alive.
Max Gumpel was next" as the tonso-
rial tist would say, but he did not reach
the cross-examination trouble before the
close of the session. Gumpel is apt TO be
asked some sharp questions when he faces
W. W. Foote, one of Mrs. Nettie Craven's
leading defenders. This because Mr..
Foote is said to possess information to the
effect that a year or so ago Max made an
exhaustive study of Senator Fairs hand
writing and then compared it with the
disputed 'pencil'' will produced by Mrs.
Craven, with the result that he pronounced
that document to be genuine-in the hand
writing of the deceased millionaire. That
was at the time when the Fair children
and their attorneys were all salaaming
before Mrs Craven and welcoming the
pencil will as they would a winged angel
from heaven. But now they are all on
the other side of the fence, the proposed
compromise with Mrs. Craven having
fallen through.
SnllbSQ Alo DdoC, WV 81 tAC
story goes. He now says that the will is
a fabricated instrument, and so declared
under oath yesterday. Undoubtedly Mr..
Foote is going to quiz him on that point,
and the attorney expects 10 bring out
some highly interesting developments.
There was the usual throng in Judge
Slack's courtroom when the proceedings
were resumed yesterday morning-the
crowd that always collects there when
ever anything interesting is on tap. David
Carvalho, the New York expert who has
testified that the will and deeds are not
genuine, took the witness stand lmmedl-
ately and steadied himself for the begin
ming of Mr.. Foote's cross-query.
After Carvalho had been made to tell
about some of the celebrated cases he had
testified in as an expert Mr.. Foote plunked
this at him:
You testified in the Morey letter case,
years ago, didn't your"
II did," was the reply.
As every body doubtless remem bers the
Morey letter was the document that was
sprung during General Garfeld's cam
paign for the Presidency and with which
his opponents hoped to lessen his chances
for success.
"And you pronounced General Gar
fields signature to be genuine, too, didn't
your? continued Mr.. Foote.
Yes SIR"
"And you afterward pronounced it not
his signature, isn't that so, too2"
YES l am satisfied that it was not his
signature.
''But you mad said that it was7"
81 did,
"And then that il was not?"
''Yes."
$50 you made mistake thenf"
81 did,"
Carvalho was going to explain, but Mr..
Foote said he was not asking for that. 1t
was sufficient for the jury to know that he
was not infallibIe.
In answer to another line of questions
the expert said he was receiving 500 a
day and expenses for his services to the
Fair estate. He has already received about
5000, and something like $4,000 more is
now due. He admitted that he had many
consultations with the attorneys for the
estate, but had always assured them that
the disputed documents were spurious.
Mr. Foote wanted to show that Carvalho
had testified that documents in dispute in
the Quackenb bush case had been tam pered
with by use of acids, whereas Judge Sea-
well had ruled that this was not true, but
the court woul0 not permit him to do so
for fear il would involve retrial OF the
Quackenbush case.
The batting of Expert Carvalho by Mr..
Foote was resumed at the afternoon ses-
sion, but was soon concluded.