The San Francisco call., 1897-05-11
WLD|HG. THROUGH
THE DULL PERIOD
Counsel for the Fair Ex-
ecutors Making Slow
Progress.
Foreman Keeie's Entry Book
Found to Have Bee1
Mutilated.
BE Flippantly Attributes the Tamper.
ing to Carelessnoss, Frivolty
or Humbug."

Recent proceedings in the Fair. Craven
litigation have certainly been dry enough,
due chiefly to the slow progress made by
those who seek to prove that the Craven
deeds are not genuine, but when the hot
wave got in its work yesterday the tired
feeling became epidemic. The elimina-
ton OF the usual morning session, in order
to accomm odate one of the jurors. short
ened the day somewhat, but even after
that breathing spell the case dragged
feeDlv at best
The attorneys for the executors of the
Fair estate progressed but fraction of a
siingy inch, and that was by passing from
the weary discussion of notarial blanks to
the qulzzing of a lone witness regarding
the daily routine of his humdrum life in
dingy printing Office. Blanks were bad
enough, but when this witness began to
read off entry after entry contained in q
series of thum bed order books, covering q
period of several years, those who were
PEELED to remain In court yawned and
stretched and kicked themselves to keep
awake, while every body else cleared out.
Once and only once did there develop
pre- onitory symptoms OF general
awakening That was when D. M. Delmas,
attention of Foreman Keefe of the Crocker
printing establishment to number of
erasures and other evidences OF tampering
in one OF those order-books.
al can only attribute that to carelessness,
frivolity or humbug," replied Keefe upon
being asked for an explanation.
But Mr.. Delmas wanted TO know more
about it than that, so Keefe went on to
say that somebody, "for want of something
else to do" must have been monkeying
with the book.
'Is this the way you have been in the
habit OF Keeping your accounts?" asked
the attorney sharply.
keefe said he did not attend to the ac-
counts himself at ali times. 1t must have
"been the boy" who had wanted for some
thing else 10 DO and satiated his desire by
mutilating the book.
That was as far as the thing went. Mr..
Delmas had made his point by casting
biz black doubt on the reliability of those
records, and did not pursue Keefe further.
Mrs. Craven was absent from court yes
terdav owing to continued illness, but
the defense's table was frightened by the
presence of Miss Margaret Craven and O
lady friend.
The examination of Keefe having been
left unfinished when court adjourned last
Friday, that individual resumed the stand
when the proceedings began. Over two
hours OF Fridays session were wasted by
the attorneys for the plaintiffs in an effort
to prove by this witness what the custom
was in the Crocker place as regards the
printing of legal blanks. Mr. Delmas, for
the defense, professed not TO understand
the motive for interfering such evidence,
and objected to it on general principles,
with the result that, try as he would, Mr..
McEnerney could not get it in.
Just before adjournment, however, Mr..
McEnerney assured the other side that he
merely wished to lay the foundation for
other evidence by means of Keefe's testi-
mony. and on that all objections were
Withdrawn. So it was, then, that when
keefe resumed the stand yesterday he
began the narration of nothing more in
teresting than a seepy story about the
process OF turning out legal blanks When
an order comes from the blank depart
ment for the manufacture of these sheets,
it is accompanied by copy" of the par
ticular one desired. Keefe receives these
and turns them over to the compositors,
proofs are taken, ana when every thing is
in apple pie order the pressmen do the
rest. 1t was in reference to the ramifica-
tions of the ''proofs." however, that the
attorneys wanted Keefe to be most ex.
plicit. for there is one of these things
that figures as an exhibit of great impor-
tance In this case.
Keefe was at last excused, and "the
boy'' who, for want of something else to
do, got the foreman into that scrape about
the records was called and sworn. Dan
Murphy, he said, was his name. Dan is
Just 20. He has been with the Crocker
Company four years. and his job is to as
sist Keefe. Murphy remembers that not
so very long ago he hun ted up package
OF legal. blank ''proofs" that were printed
in January, 1896. and turned it over to his
superiors. And that was as far as he got
for court now adjourn ed. Dan will tell
the rest of hi story to-day.