The San Francisco call., 1897-07-20
I MRS. CRAVEN
RESUMES HER
EVIDENCE
She Is on the Witness Stand
Again in the Great
Fair Case.
Mr.. DELMAS SCORES A POINT.
He Has His Opponents Worry
ing Over Some Unwel-
come Evidence.
THE LADT'S WRITING ILLUSTRATED.
More Testimony About the Celebrated
CHATS With Governor Budd
About the Deeds.

ness-stand, and the indications now are
that the great struggle over the deeds she
holds to two valuable pieces OF property
claimed by the Fair estate will go on
without any further delay or interruption.
D. NJ. Deimas, the leading counsel for
the lady defendant, was also in court,
seated at the head of the line of his associ-
ates, and exhibited all of his old-time zeal,
interest and alertness in caring for his
clients claims. His appearance there was
a sad blow indeed TO the know-it-aIl brig
ade which has been so busily engaged
since the last ad iournment of the court in
circulating yarns to the effect that there
was pickering in Mrs. Craven's camp, and
that Mr.. Dslmas had Withdrawn from her
case.
Mrs Craven is not looking we'll by any
means, and it may be that her physical
strength will be found unequal to the task
of maintaining her throughout the re-
mainder of her ordeal on the witness
stand. Yet she seems to have regained
her will power and appears to be perfectly
self-possessed. As has been the case
since the beginning of the great trial, her
pretty daughter, Margaret, is her COM
panion and constant attendant in court.
OOme llIlI6 lluG was 1IlllSISQ away
during yesterday morning because OF the
inability of the court or any OF the attor
neys TO recollect just where the cross-ex-
animation of Mrs. Craven was interrupted
when she was taken i'll several weeks ago.
The record had to be consulted and it was
finally found that an objection emanatlng
from the plaintiffs side was hanging fire
when the adjournment was taken. This
objection was directed against a question
aJked Mrs. Craven by Attorney Delmas 10
this effect: Ibid you give Stephen Roberts
a power of attorney TO attend to all OF
your affairs connected with the proposed
compromise with the Fair estate while
you were away in the EastP In order to
straighten matters out and clear the re-
cord Judge Slack sustained the objection.
Mr. Delmas then announced that he hao
no further questions to ask his client in
Cross-examination.
Before Mrs. Craven was turned over TO
Attorney Wheeler for redirect examina
zion Judge Curtis, the eminent New York
advocate, who is one of Mrs. Craven's
ablest defenders, offered a suggestion to
the court calculated to expedite the trial.
1t was that both sides agree to hereafter
submit all questions arising from objec-
tions to testimony to the court without
argument, unless the court desires to hear
a dissertation. Judge Curtis said he real
lzsd that the jury must be getting tired of
hearing long and needless debates, and
likewise the court.
Judge Slack said he welcomed such an
agreement, ard thanked Judge Curtis on
behalf of himself and the jury.
Taen Wheeler, who had trained his
batteries upon the thin and care-worn
woman sitting in the witness chair, now
jerked the lanyard and let fly the frat
shot. He handed Mira. Craven piece OF
paper on which was typewriter repro
ducton OF her contract with John r.
~ -. l-n1
the margin, with lead pencil. certain
words that Wheeler promised to dictate.
The object of this was to attempt to dis
pute Mrs Craven's statement that she did
not write the pencil interlineations on the
Aitken contract.
Mr.. Delmas objected to this procedure
on the ground that Mrs. Craven had been
made witness for the plaintiffs side and
that this pencil test, being in the nature
OF cross-examination, was highly i'm
proper.
Judge Curtis suggestion that arguments
be bottled did not apply to dispute of
this import. so for the next hour nothing
was heard but readings from authorities
and Celebrations thereof.
Judge Slack finally decided to permit
the test to be made.
Wheeler handed Mrs. Craven a lap
board and wanted her to do the writing
while on the witness-stand. Mr.. Delmas
objected to this and Judge Slack also vol
unteered the statement that Wheeler's
method was palpaby unfair.
II hope will not be denied thAA,privi-
lege, said Wheeler, because there is
evidence here that Mrs. Craven was i'll in
bed at the time that it is claimed she
wrote on that contract, and for obvious
reasons l wish to get a sample Of he r
writing executed under conditions as
nearly the same as possible
well, then, if that is the case" said Mr.. |
Delmas, smilingly, II would suggest that
you bring a bed into court"
Judge Slack directed Mrs. Craven to
write as was convenient to her, and she
took place at her attorneys table. Then,
as Wheeler read off the penciled words
int rlined in the Aitken contract-the
words that are alleged TO have required of
Aiken that he testify that he saw the dis
puted Fair deeds-Mrs. Craven copied
them on the duplicate contract pro vIded
by Wheeler.
The lady then returned to the stand.
and Wheeler sought by inference to let the
Jury know that he suspected Mrs. Craven
OF having disguised her handwriting pur-
posely. He asked her If the sample she
had just given was not larger in form than
1t was her custom to write.
well, | cam SAY as to that. 1t NAV be
larger for all know, and it may not be-
replied the witness. II made no effort to
disguise my writing. am somewhat
nervous and it is possible that l wrote
larger tnan usual"
The sample was offered in evidence, and
while the jurors we're inspecting it
Wheeler took advantage of the wait to
offer a motion looking to the improvement
of the official record.
There was O little bit of evidence that
was given by Mrs. Craven, while under
cross-examination weeks ago, that was
causing the attorneys for the Fair heirs
consid cradle worry. This was her declara-
tion that she signed her deposition be-
cause it was the truth. If allowed TO |
stand it would open the way Tor the de-
frnse to question the lady on any point
contained in the deposition. Besides, The [