The herald., 1897-11-20
Bird Threatened to Shoot
Himself
WHILE AT CANARY COTTAGE
EXPERTS PUT ON TO IDENTIFY
FORGED SIGNATURES
Preliminary Examination Of G. L.
Wilde on Forgery Charge.
Bennett Given a Lecture

The Bird forgery case continued yes.
terday in Judge Smiths court. Tho
first witness called was Mrs. II. G
Wheedon, who testified that she had lived
q Canary cottage for the past foul
paars. She saw Bird Aug. 10th in COM
pany with Carmen Montez. They came
to her house about o'clock in the after
noon, Miss Montez stating that Bird was
blue, and she brought him to the cot
tage to cheer him up, and IL witness
would sing and play for him Miss Monte2
thought that 1t would revive his spirits
She saw Bird have lot Of papers and
some checks in his possession while he
was there, and saw the name of G. J.
Griffith on the checks. They were sim
liar to those shown the witness by the
prosecuting attorney. Mrs. Wheedon
saw Bird destroy many of the checks,
and he asked her where the kitchen was
and IL she had fire. She directed him
to the kitchen, but could not say that
he put them In the stove. though she
saw him tear them up. Bird said he
would die at o'clock. After that he
walked around, had little lunch and
drove away with Carmen Montez about
o'clock in the Wheedon's private car
riage. Witness thought that Bird was
sober at that time.
II. G. Wheedon, husband of the first
witness, being called testified that HI
lived on the El Monte road outside the
city limits. He was at his place of bus
incss on Aug. 10th and saw Bird there.
He ard Bird say he intended to shoot
hims If at o'clock, and that he had a
revolver in his possession. Just at
o'clock witness went into the back par
lor to persuade Bird not to shoot him
self. for he did not want any shoot
ing in his house. Bird was there about
two hours but witness did not see him in
possession of any papers, and was not
In the parlor much OF the time. On
cross-examinatiOn. Wheedon testified
that Carmen Montez was present when
the incidents related occurred, and that
he was positive that Bird had revolver
in his hand.
Miss Matilda Berth, a musician who
plays in the Palace saloon, was put on
the stand She testified to never having
received letter from Bird nor that she
had ever said SO to Mr.. Horton.
"Since the month OF August" ques-
toned the prosecution. did Mr.. Bird
make you present of diamonds worth
several hundred dolars?"
''No, SIR promptly replied the wit
ness
I'VE object, your honor; the question
Is irrelevant, incompetent. immateriaI
and suggestive" shouted the attorneys
for the defense in chorus.
This is id absurd" calculated the
accused in an audible voice, as he
twisted uncpmfortably in his chair.
"Shut up" commanded his attorney;
you can't help it.
Then the witness, who replied too
promptly to the foregoing question,
had an opportunity to say that she did
not know Mr. Horton by name. but
might recognize him by sight, after
which she was excused.
w. Hoyle, an expert accountant who
lives in Ventura, said that he met Mr.
Griffith on the evening of the 10Th of
August. and went to his Office the next
morning to examine his books, in which
work he was engaged most of the time
for the fourteen days following Bank
books and checks We're presented for
Identification, which were in the same
were torn out at the end of the book,
which were compared with the stubs
This testimony precipitated another
scrap among the attorneys, and the
court was compelled to instruct the
prosecution to confine itself to the point
at issue; whether the party accused of
forgery presented the paper at the bank
lie was tired of SO much unlawyer-l like
and uncourt-iike discussion.
4. A. Gibson testified to the fact that
the bank books, vouchers and checks
we're sent to Mr.. Griffith of the First Ma
lional bank.
A. w. Seaver was then called. When
Mr. Seaver took the stand the accused,
for the first time, lost his debonair man.
ner and sterotyped smile. Previous wit
nesses, regardless of what was ex-
pressed or implied, had apparently not
affected his spirits, but when Mr.. Seaver
took his seat and began his explanation
Of the difference in the admitted and
alleged forged signatures. Birds face
flushed, his head dropped and he sudden
ly became intent in drawing figures on a
blotter.
Mr.. Seaver testified to being a resident
of Los Angeles for the past ten years
and has exported over hundred cases
Of disputed signatures in this city alone.
He was shown the disputed signatures
on six checks signed on August 10th,
July 18th, August 7th, July 10Th, and said
they were not in Mr.. Griffiths hand
writing. This testimony was given
under persistent and insistent objections
from the defense, which were promptly
overruled by the court.
After the noon recess F. A. Gibson was
recalled and gave substantially the same
testimony as that of the morning, after
which Mr.. Seaver was again placed on
the stand.
An admittedly genuine check was
handed the witness, with the disputed
checks and he explained fully to the
court and afterward to the jury the
difference he had detected in the hand
writing. He said that it was impossible
Tor two men to write precisely alike and
then proceeded to show the difference in
the shape of the letter G in the two in
struments. He described the variance
In the r, !, and the dotting Of the is
The two signatures had been written by
the pen being held in different positions
This was all elaborately illustrated on
the blackboard for the benefit of the jury
and the board put in evidence.
On cross-examfnation witness denied
having said in the presence of c. W.
Pendleton and others that but one sig
nature out Of eight was forgery. He
would take oath that he said there were
six forged checks.
On redirect examination the witness