The San Francisco call., 1897-01-30
NEW COONEY
SENSATION
Facsimiles of Crocker
Blanks Printed by ].
II, Barry.
CAPTAIN LEES INIT
MATES CONSPIRACY.
Simply an Idea to Test the Skill
of Experts, Say the
Defense.
FAIR HEIRS WOULD USE IT as
EVIDENCE.
The Notary's Attorneys Fight Back,
Saying the Incident Has No
Place in the Case.
FAIR HEIRS WOULD USE IT as
EVIDENCE.
The Notary's Attorneys Fight Back,
Saying the Incident Has No
Place in the Case.

A new and somewhat exciting chapter
was opened in the Cooney case yesterday.
From out of the dragnet OF Captain Lees
and his detective force came the fact that
during the past week there had been
printed by James H. Barry 1000 fac-sImlles
of the famous Crocker notarial blanks OF
January s, 1896, with which the Fair in
terests are seeking to identify the acknoWl-
edgments on the pencil deeds.
In the printing of these blanks by Barry
CAPTAIN Lees claims he unearthed a con-
spiracy. He insinuates that on its face
the existence of these reproductions of the
Crocker forms looks like scheme TO
spread them broadcast with view to hav-
ing some of them returned as evidence in
the young notary's favor.
The people who are representing
Cooney deny the chief of detectives
charges. They explain that the printing
of the Barry blanks had for its purpose
plan to test the skill of the experts, who,
according to the programme OF the prose
cution, are to be called to point out the
defects in the Crocker forms and identity
them with those in the certificates in the
pencil deeds. This is ruse generally re-
sorted to when the matter of expert testi-
many is introduced, say COoney's lawyers.
The Barry blanks are fac-simlles of the
Crocker forms. as the printing was done
from a zinc plate made from a photo
graph.
1t was and is their plan to introduce
these blanks in the case, SO the lawyers
for the defense assert, In connection with
a NUM- Der of the Crocker originals, and ask
the experts to select one from another.
The keynote in the case against Cooney
are typographical imperfections in the
certificates he used on Mrs. Craven's
deeds. In the chain of evidence by which
the police seek to convict him of perjury
they declare that in the forms printed by
Crocker similar and identical defects
occur. Witnesses from Crocker's print
ing house have already said that they
could identify any of these blanks by these
same defects in printing.
1t was to test the truth of the state
ments OF these witnesses, the Cooney de-
tense say, demanded the printing of
similar lot of blanks. 1t is customary in
all cases where experts on typography or
handwriting are called in to subject them
to every possible test. In the Sharon and
Martin cases these tactics were adopted,
much to the discontinue of experts. Fol-
lowing the logic of the Cooney side of the
case. if one of the experts could not de-
tect the difference between~the Barry and
Crocker printing the cause of expert testi-
mony would receive a body blow.
Captain Lees and Charlie Fairs attor-
neys are not inclined to give great deal
of credence to the explanation offered by
Cooney's attorneys The chief of detec-
ho ,iv 81.
bud. He says that if the object of print
ing the Barry banks was simply 10 test
2 the skill of experts, 1t was not necessary
to strike off so many of them. He hints
that had it not been for his timely discov-
cry plan was on foot to scatter these GER
tihcates among notaries and attorneys
for the purpose of regathering them at the
proper time as evidence in Cooney's be-
half. Moreover, he declares that it was a
questionable transaction for Barry to
print the footline of the Croker printing
house on the margin.
James H. Barry and CooneY's attorney
are equally emphatic in denying that it
was ever intended to put the blanks into
circulation. All the forms, with the ex-
csption of a half dozen submitted to
Cooney's attorneys for inspection, are still
in his possession, according to Barry, and
have been there for a week. This in itself,
be declares, is a strong indication that no
idea of putting them in circulation was
ever dreamed of.
Some days ago." said Barry, "I was
called to the Office of Attorney D. M.
Delmas and asked by Mr.. Delmas and De-
tective Stilwell if l could reproduce the
Crocker blanks. 1 replied that 1 was
afraid that had not the proper typc. [
was finally obliged to use photograph
and make zinc etching of it. Now the
blanks were printed in four patches.
''In the first bundle Crocker's name ap-
peared at the foot of the document to
complete the reproduction, but the print
ing was bad, and was satisfied the ex-
perts would detect the flaws. 1 came to