The herald., 1897-03-13
Belle His Character and the
Facts She Says
NO EPITHETs PERMITTED
A Humorous Answer Filed In a Mech.
anic's Lien Case
Madame Clarion's Reputation as an Artistic
Justified
An Exchange Of Trade Tangies Vintage Conn
pany Up-Insane From sympathy.
In Fashions Shadow-Mis-
ceiIaneous Notes
Tbere were no more startling devel-

There were no more startling devel-
opments in the Spencer case yesterday,
but nevertheless the testimony that was
adduced, while not startling in itself, or
even at times particularly interesting,
comes very nearly being startling when
its full bearing is understood.
Mrs. Anna P. Spencer was upon the
witness stand during the entire day.
She was questioned at some length re-
garding certain statements made by
Mrs. Springer of San Francisco, whose
deposition had been introduced and read
earlier in the case. This lady had de-
posed, among other things, that she had
leaned various sums of money to Mrs
Spencer. In the course of the eXami-
nation of Mrs. Spencer along this line
IL developed that she had succumbed
to the fascination of stock gambling
several years ago in San Francisco, and
one speculative stroke was quite re-
markable. Mrs. Springer asked her to
join her in dip in Ophir mining stock,
and she did so. The transaction was not
profitable and the lost all the money
they put in. Later Mrs. Springer invited
Mrs. Spencer to again try their luck.
They bought stock, the name of which
the witness did not specify, and this
time were remarkably successful. AS
the result of their speculation with $500
they made $4,000 and Mrs. Spencer paid
Mrs. Springer the original $500 and they
divided, each having about $4,000
The relation of this splendid coup"
caused the attorneys and court alike
to draw a breath of envy. The witness
proceeded to deny that she had ever
told Mrs. Springer that Lucky" Bald
win gave her tips" on mining stocks.
Nearly all Mrs. Spencers denials were
indignant, because the deposition
abounded in remarks purporting to have
been made by her, in which she is said
to have told Mrs. Springer that she
married Mr.. Spencer for his money, he
being "a rich old man. Mrs. Spencer
said she could not have said this, be-
cause Mr.. Spencer was not rich when
they were married.
When the now famously infamous
garbage can" letters were alluded to
Mrs. Spencer professed utter ignorance.
These are the communications found by
Mrs. c. B. Newton and which Mr.. New
ton on Thursday confessed to having
written. The witness took them from
counsel's hand and for about half an
hour perused the batch, and then with
some heat made denial of ever having
received them or even seen them before.
The witness went on to explain that all
letters that came to her house during the
time covered by the "garbage-can" let
ters were received by Mr.. Spencer She
was very busy during that time and
would leave the house by 6 o'clock in
the morning to go to the ranch. Upon
h., ;,, fla fv,or Gr ~.
would have received and opened any let
ters that came. She insisted that she
never received a letter from Mr. New
ton that Mr.. Spencer did not see.
Proceeding, Mrs Spencer made pos
tive denial that she ever took a meal
with c. b. Newton at Jerry Illich's res
taurant, and explained at some length
the many occasions when, with her hus-
bands consent, she went about town
tc find her son Clint Colman, who was
dissipating at that time. Most emphat-
ically the witness denied that there had
ever been any improper conduct between
Mr.. Newton and herself.
In the afternoon Mrs. Spencer was put
through a very rigid examination by
Judge Works. Most of the questions
were regarding the seven letters pur-
porting to have been written by AM
brose Spencer. several of which were
published by The Herald on Thursday
last. IQlS pdtCn Oh letters consisted OF
communications to Mr.. Spencer's son
and daughter, a statement unaddressed
to any one, and letters to "Annie"-his
wife. Mrs. Newton when on the witness
stand testified that she had herself
taken these letters from Mrs. Spencer's
strong box, left in her care.
Yesterday upon being ross-examined
regarding these curious documents
for in all the circumstances of the casA
they are most curious-testified that
she had left a strong box with Mrs. New
ton, but it contained only some jewelry
and no letters or papers of any sort.
Then in answer to direct questions,
and to the sections of the letters read
seriatim by counsel, Mrs. Spencer made
specific denial of the matters touched
upon by her husband. She knew abso-
lutely nothing regarding the affairs
treated of in the several documents. She
maintained that the illusions of Mr.
Spencer in the letter to her, to his nav
ing been "a coward and a fool' and his
having destroyed your life as well as
my own" was Greek to her. She stated
that she never quarreled with her hus-
band but always lived happily There
existed no reason why he should have
written such letters, and she believed
him to be a thoroughly truthful man
and with a sharp intellect to the time
of his death.
The statements of Mrs. Spencer raise
a broad issue between herself and her
dead husband-if the letters were writ
ten by him. The word "if' is put in, but
1t is really superfluous, it would seem,
for the handwriting is so palpably the
handwriting of Mr.. Spencer that it needs
no expert to identify it. Nevertheless
Mr. Way, the receiving teller of the
First National bank, who is an expert
In chirography, and was we'll acquaint-
ed with Mr.. Spencer's handwriting, at
once pronounced the letters to be in the
handwriting of the late Ambrose Spen-
GER The handwriting being conceded.
the question that naturally arises is,
Why were those several letters never
sent to the persons to whom they were
addressed, and why too, should this
keen business man" have omitted to
put q date upon any one of them? Tn
writing to his son and daughter, and
telling them that by the time the letter
Fached their hands he would be no
more. did he keep these letters by until
the idea of suicide ripened in his mind