The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-30
THOUGH SLIGHT DISCREPANCIES
ARE SHOWN IN STORIES OF
WITNESSES.
TRIAL OF MOsHIK CASE DRAGs.
Only Seven Jurors Secured-New
Venire Drawn-News of Min
neapOlis.

the blotter in the hands Of Mr. Ryberg,
and was asked if it was the same in
appearance as when he saw it. He
explained that he had seen Mr.. Ryberg
let blot of ink fall upon it since, but
the rest Of 1t was the same.
what was the color of the Ink marks
upon it them" was asked.
"Lightish. greenish blue
To all these questions the defense
offered vigorous objections and also to
the Introduction of the blotter in evil
dence, but they were all overruled.
Then for the first time the defense was
allowed to handle the blotter and copi-
Gus notes were taken as to it's appear
ance by Mr.. Welsh.
"Were you present when this blotter
and the book were examined by a num-
Der of people?"
Yes, sir. They were examined by
Judge Russell, Judge Elliott, County
Commissioner Conray, County Attorney
Peterson, yourself, Mr. Dickey, Oscar
Day, Al Smith and Mr.. Ryberg. We
examined the book, going over the
pages, and made memorandum show
ing the pages where the authorizations
at the heading of the page were either
where the wrong abbreviation was
stricken out. This examination was as
to fresh ink marks as 1 gave them last
week"
Did you make another examination
after that?"
Yes, sir, somewhat later, and when
we did SO we found those same ink
marks almost entirely black That was
the Monday after the Saturday on
which we made the discovery.
On cross-examination Mr.. Brown
asked questions to see what was done
with the tax book during Saturday
and Monday. The witness stated that
it was opened and closed, and was
handled considerably during those days
The main point of the questinner was
to show the kind Of ink used in the
clerks office, to all of which C. C. Cur-
tbs, the expert in handwriting, paid par
ticular attention. The witness gave the
information that there were two kinds
of ink used, both writing fluids.
Upon close cross-eXamination, the
witness admitted that he was not ex-
pert enough in inks to tell whether ink
was one or twelve hours old on page.
Further cross-examination showed
that the tax book was not in perfect
condition, even as admitted by the
state. There were thirty eight pages
upon which mistakes were found, ten
Of which we're not in new ink. Some
of these showed no erasures at all,
leaving the description both lot and
block and town and range; some had
the lot and block erased when it should
have been town and range, while
others, it was shown. had been cor
rected by the fresh ink marks so that
they read properly after the marking,
but not before. This line of evidence
was brought out to show that the book
could not be depended upon.
1t was also shown by the witness
that there were a large number of de-
scriptions erased entirely by blue pen
ell. which. the witness said, he could
explain from his own knowledge.
The examination of these pages in
detail was tedious. and took the entire
morning.
In the afternoon the witness was
questioned as to an envelope which the
defendant and his attorney had drop
ped in the vault. 1t was shown that
the defendant and his attorney had
left a paper in an envelope upon which
were noted authorities to be used in
the arguments on demurrer. The wit
ness had picked it up and put it in his
pocket. and when asked by Mr.. Num-
if he had seen it, he replied that he
it in his pocket for a day and a half
and then gave it to the county attor-
ney.
Judge Russell was sworn and gave
evidence as to the appearance of the
ink marks on the tax book. He was
called into the clerks office on the day
in question, and was shown the book
with the fresh ink marks He was also
shown the blotter at the time, and took
a memorandum of the pages upon
which there were fresh ink marks. He
only took the numbers of four pages,
although he looked over a great many
more.
'eThe marks over the heading Of the
pages" he said were black and some
light blue. On page 157. the words lot
and block were blue shade, and town
ship was black. The same was true
of the other pages 1 took the numbers
of. On page 1T, the lot and block
were black. and the town and range
were greenish. There was one page
which I noted at the time that had
mark in greenish blue; that had a
mark similar to the top mark on the
top of the blotter here"
did you notice page 220?"
"I can't recall the number of the
page. 1 see that page 220 has that
shaped mark. The ink on the blotter
at that time was Of light greenish
blue"
Cross-examined, the judge. said that
his memorandum showed sec. or
town" in green ink on page II. This
was a point for the defense, as the
other memorandum showed that 1t was
Tot or block" that had been in fresh
ink.
c. N. Dickey, clerk of court, was
sworn and gave somewhat the same
story as Mr.. Altnow. He also described
ii To-
book and explained that the lines in
serted in different descriptions were
corrections made at the time they were
compared There were some pages
showing blue pencil erasures, and the
words, "reinstated should not have
been erased"
'FWere those put on by the order Of
any court?" asked Mr.. Brown.
mo, SIR" '-s 'e 7
"Do you alter the complaints in your
office, without order of court?"
"Do you or your office force, in the
case of any other pleading, aside from
the states, alter them"
mo, sir"
"Now, you know this is a pleading,
a complaint in the states case and
you alter them at will?"
Charley Dickey put in the red ink
marks
'Well, he is one of your deputies, is
he pot?"
Eyes, SIR
HAS it been customary to make
these attentions in these state plead
ings, in the clerks Officer"
Eyes, SIR
The aim Of the examination was to
show the jury that from the time the
tax list was filed in the Office it had
been repeatedly marked, erased and