The San Francisco call., 1897-05-12

is given its chance to return the assault
and tender its proof intended to demon.
strate that, after all that has been said, the
deeds held by Mrs. Nettie Craven, and
claimed to have been given to her by the
late Senator Fair, are genuine.
The change OF base took place during
the aftern DON session. and it was indeed a
relief, for tine morning had crept away,
like many another session that had pre-
ceoed it, in dull and listless inquiry as
to the minute of Crockers printing es-
ia blishment. Men who are wise, or al
legged to be wise, in the lore of upstrokes.
dottng of ''Ps," crossing of its" and the
peculiarities in general of millionaires'
chirography, come now to the front and
with them their magnifying glasses,
blackboards and sticks of chalk.
Those who appear first are the hired
experts OF those who seek to prove the
signatures of Fair to Mrs. Craven's deeds
and to the notary's Acknowledgements TO
be forgeries. And then there will be
others. They will demo strate by equally
scientific methods that Fair signed those
documents, each and every one OF them.
So there it is.
Foreman Keefe of the Crocker compa-
ny's printing-room was once more found
on the witness stand when the trial was
resumed yesterday morning. Keefe took
occasion 10 explain to the court and jury
why it was that his office accounts had
the appearance of having been kept in a
haphaZard manner.
AS matter of fact these records. accord
ing to Keefe. were not considered i'm
portant enough to require any great de-
gree OF exactitude. All they were kept for
was to serve as ''tracers" in case of dis
pute between the printing department and
any other branch of the Crocksr establish
ment.
No one in particular was required to
keep these accounts. They constituted a
sort of family affair among the printers,
and were intended more as a record OF
protection than for any other purpose.
Tnen, as TO the erasures appearing in
the records, he explained that it fre.
quently happened that the presses would
be stopped on "home" work in order TO
accommodate some "outside" job, and
the change would always necessitate a
correction of the records.
Dan Murphy, the bov who "for want Of
mething else to do" as Keefe said at
Mondays session, mutilated the printing
room records. was now recalled to the
witness-stand to be questioned regarding
his knowledge OF that troublesome copy
OF d proof of a notarial blank. which the
attorneys for the estate have been trying
to get into the evidence for fortnight.
OF course there was the usual objection,
then al argument, and finally the ruling
out again OF the copy as being mad mis-.
sibe.
Mr.. McEnerney for the plaintiffs then re-
sorted TO q new trick. Abandoning his
effort to have Murphy divulge the con.
tents of the copy to The jury, he asked the
witness to describe the appearance" OF
the copy. Objection and argument-that
| was natural, for this was only an attempt
to beat the devil around the stump. But
this time the court ruled that the question
could be answered. provided the witness
did not attempt in describing the appear
ance of the document to give its contents.
Triumphant smiles wreathed the coun-
tenances OF counsel for tie plaintiff, for
they conside ed that they had won grea t
point, but this Immediately gave way TO
an expression of chagrin when Murphy
answered the question over which there
had been so much debate. Murphy said
he couldn't to save his life describe the
copy-in tart, he was not sure that he had
ever seen Ii-and roar f laughter went
up at the expense of Mr.. McEnerney anu
his associates. Even Judge SIacks placid
countenance relaxed.
Forman Gllmartin OF Crocker's press
room succeeded Murphy and briefly told
what he and his department had to 90
with printing legal banks. Then the
lunch hour recess was taken.
H. R. Davidson, assistant accountant of
the Bank of British Columbia, was called
at the afternoon session, and there was a
moving about in the line OF plaintiffs s at
torneys. Mr. McEnerney forsook the lei
ing counsel's chair surrendering to Robert
B. Mitchell, his associate. The makeup