The San Francisco call., 1897-08-25
The Defense of Mrs. Craven
Will To-Day Come to
a Close.
Detective Seymour Explains His
Connection With the
Plaintiffs.
1t Is Understood That Pretty Margaret
Craven Will Be the Last Wit
ness for Her Mother.


gled jury sitting in the Fair case when he
arose and announced Yesterday that he
had but little more evidence to offer and
then the defense was done.
And in that mystifying way so chsrac-
terIstic of Napoleons double he added
that he had just one witness, whom he
was holding out for the finish-a witness
whose identity he did not desire to dis
close until the wearying demonstrations
as to notarial blanks had been concluded.
This was a glimpse of the end, to be
sure, and the announcement mad the Ell
feet of Frightening up the countenances
of the jurors with joyful smiles. But the
reference to tna last witness also had the
effect of sending significant nudges and
winks around the courtroom, Tor every
body remem bered the disturbing rumors
that had time and again made themselves
audible during the earlier days of the trial
that Delmas had something sup his
sleeve with which to create dire conster-
nation in the enemy's camp when the
time was ripe. 1t began TO look now as
though the explosion was at hand. What
could it beP People buZZed about 1t in
the corridors and even in the courtroom,
but no one seemed competent to solve the
mystery.
promised end of the defense, but Mr..
Demas could hardly be blamed for that,
because he was held back by the failure
of Reuben 81. Lloyd to appear in court
and testify when he was wanted. So the
much -looked-for last witness will not be
seen until to-day, and if rumor has 1t
right that witness VIII be none other than
Margaret Craven, the charming little
actress and daught' r of the lady who is
seeking to hold 81, ,000. 900 worth of prop
erty claimed by the estate of James G.
Fair.
Daniel Collins, General Dickinson's
office-boy was the first witness called
yesterday, the object of his presence be-
ing TO give some evidence regarding the
package in which an important notarial
blank was found by Captain Frank Webb,
a former attache of the generals Office.
Young Collins said that to the best of
his recollection the packages of blanks
were brought over from Crocker's station
ery-house to Dickinson place late in the
year 1895 or early in 1896 Mr.. Stanford,
a clerk IN Crocker's, brought them Over.
The packages, he said, had been moved
about the office several times, but he
could not remember by whom.
The subject Of noterl al blanks was for
the nonce dropped and the theme once
more became the alibi of Martin Kelly
the effort to break down John K. Aitken's
story that he was with the politician on
the evening of July 8, 1896 and had been
on that occasion approached regarding a
proposition to give false evidence in be-
half of Mrs. Craven's claims.
J. P. McQualde, who is saio to be Kelly's
bodyguard, was called and under oath re-
cited that he was in KelIy's company IN
Lawyer Ruef's office that evening until
after O'Clock. After that be accom-
panied the man who does politics to the
latter's home, where they stopped few
moments and then proceeded together TO
the Baldw Hotel, where they attended a
meeting of the Fourth Congressional Dis
trict.
McQuaide said he was positive Kelly did
not see Aitken that evening nor any one
who even looked like him.
An effort was now made to show the
jury what connection the local police ha6
mad with the plaintiffs side of the case,
and Detective John Seymour was called
for the purpose OF elucidation. The hand
some hawkshaw readily admitted that he
was the same Seymour who had frequently
been spoken of during the trial as the man
who had been serving subpenas and dis
bursting witness fees. II said he had also
paid some mileage fees, and in each in
stance had received the wherewithal from
Attorney Mitchell, one oil the counsel for
the plaintiffs. He denied that he had
for use in the case.
Private Detective John Curtin was called
and asked if he had not been employed to
shadow Mrs. Craven's movements, but the
court ruled that the question was i'm
proper and Curtin did not have to answer.
At the opening of the afternoon session
Judge Slack announced that after mature
reflection and delving into the authorities
he had come to the conclusion that the
petition of Charles L. Fair contesting his
fathers celebrated trust" will should be
admitted in evidence as requested by
the defense Mr. Delmas thereupon pro-
ceeded to read the petition to the jury.
The docum ent showed that the heir pre-
ferred to have the now disputed "penciP'
will probated, as he proclaimed to the
court in the petition that he believed the
document produced by Mrs. Craven to be
the real last will of his father. The object
of making this showing to the jury, it was
explained, was to prove declarations made
by the heirs in favor of the genuineness of
the pencil will.
The petition of all three of the Fair chill
dren fo- the probate of the pencil will was
also read by Delmas, for the sumo pur-
pose.
Then there was some more about those
notarlal blanks
Thomas 2. Woodward, a Job Iprinter
OF II Sutter street, was then called to the
stand in the capacity of an expert to make
a comparison of the notarIal certificates
used by J. J. Cooney in acknowledging
the Craven deeds with the blank certifi-
cate that was found in General Dickn-
sons office. He did so, and then declared
that they were identical and must have
been printed at the same time This
would seem TO show that the plaintiffs
theory that the blanks Cooney used were
not in existence at thetime he said he had
recourse to them was erroneous.
Woodward also compared what is
known in the trial as the stamford"
blank with the Cooney acknowledg.
ments and SAID they were printed at diff
ferent times.
The lobby was afforded considerable
amusement by Attorney MitcheIPs pain.
full and Intellectual efforts to learn the
printers art from Mr.. Woodward. The
latter would explain that the discrep pam
ciss and similarities observed by him in
the blanks he bad compared might be ac-
counted for by the fact that the make
readies" were different and that separate
''Iock.ups" could scarcely be alike.
Mr.. Mitchell would scratch his head and
in attempting to repeat for approval what
Mr.. Woodward had said would get it all
backward and elicit derisive laugh. He
finally gave il up as a bad job.
Mr.. McEnerney, who was fortunate
enough to have served an apprenticeship
in a country newspaper Office, was the
only one of the plaintiffs line of attor-