The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-07

men:s after his wife left me stand. and
told how ne had examined the papers in
Lapt Biafys safe depcsst box after the
ALTERS DEATH No duplicate OF the Wright
contract was among the papers nor was
SUCH contract found elsewhere when the
bulk OF the remainder OF Capt. Blair's pa
pers vas examined By the witness
After the noon adjournment Robert
Gourlay, ct Cedar Mountain. was called
as witness by Mr.. Hughes He testified
that for soFne time in 1876 he acted as sn-
persnsenaent OF the Cedar river coal m.nss
Tor Capt Blair ut q salary OF Sis month.
In the fail o. that year Wright came up
10 the mines and colIected two months
REM from the s,orekeeper for the building
occupied BY him, and refused TO turn the
money over TO him sGourlayl- Wright
also requested the witness to fire" the
pumprnan at the mine and hire his
fWrtahss1 brother. Witness refused to
make any such change on advice Of j. n
Colnan, to whom witness had been told
By Capt. Blair 10 90 for advice. Wrighs's
action led witness 70 write a letter 10
Capt. Blair asking for instructions, He
received an answer telling him tha. Wright
was not authorized 10 come upon the min
ing property TO collect rents or NEEDLE
with employees. and further telling him
TO throw Wright of the premises II. he
attempted TO enter upon them for SUCH
/ purpose. Witness was shown his own let
ter. which was found among Capt. BIair's
papers. but he failed to produce the letter
nc claims TO have resolved frem Capt.
Blair and told the court that he thought
II had been destroyed.
Gourlay was cruss-examned at consider
able length by Mr.. Piles, principally with
the object OF showing that after Gourlay
and others leased the coal mines from
Capt Blair. they employed Wright 10 rep
resent them in certain litigation.
Another fact brought out in this eress-
examination, which afterward proved I'M
portani was that In the fan Of 1875 Gour-
lay met Capt Blair a, the Butler. although
the latter was q guest at the Rainier-Grand
at the time.
Capt. Blair's Son.
The defense then called as witness VIII
liam Blair. the son Of Capt. Blair. who
gave his age at IS years. He testified that
for the fourteen years Immediately pre-
ceding his fathers death he was the book
keeper IN the latter's office in San Fran
cisco. and was familiar with his signature
Mr.. Hughes handed the note upon which
Wright Is suing to the witness.
Judging from your knowledge OF your
fathers handwriting. do you think that
is his genuine signature?" he asked.
II do not replied the witness
Then Mr.. Hughes showed the contract
In controversy to the witness and asked
a similar question. The witness replied
that the signature was not his fathers.
The witness went on TO state that when
in San Francisco Wright was continually
asking Capt. Blair for money; and that
when Capt. Blair came to Seattle Wright
made like demands. The relations be-
tween the witness and his father had al
ways been cordial. They had never quar-
eied. and his father had no iii-wlll against
him. He was quite familiar with his
fathers habits in business. They were
good. He would discount his bills eyea
if he had To borrow money TO pay them.
Cross-examlned. Bla.r testified that he
was absent frcfn his fathers office during
his employment on occasional vacations,
once for three months. and once for a
longer period when he was In Europe
Witness did not know who did the ot3ce
work. when he was a.-Ss1s. His father
had no other clerks. Mr. Piles Owed deep
into an investigation OF the knowledge OF
the witness regarding W. o. Hayden and
Sammy Ross. both OF whom had been o.
caslonaIly employed in Capt. Rla.rs Of
fee The witness claimed to know ex-
ceea.ngiy little about them.
Then Mr. Plies wanted 10 know where
the witness had been a various times in
September 1884 Witness was not posted
on the subject.
During this cross-examina;ion Mr..
Hughes objected several times ~ Mr..
Piles. questions. Finally the latter turn
ed 10 MIR. Hughes and remarked:
..counsel seems 10 me 10 be little too
th.n-skinned In this ease. IL he will allow
me 10 conduct my cross-examinat.oa IN
the courtroom as / please. then. IL counsel
objects he can meet me outside ard settle
II there
words or deemed II wise not TO take no
tee Of them. and IN a few minutes the
two lawyers were again bask'ng In the
sunshine Of peace.
Cant. Hairs Fingers.
Miss Jennie NJ Blair, the pretty daugh-
ter Of Capt. Blair. succeeded her brother
on the witness stand She was asked by
Mr.. Hughes what the condition OF her
fathers right hand was during his life
time.
MY fathers fingers were not supple"
she replied. They we're rather clumsy.
He was awkward with his hands. Then
his right arm was stiff, he had IL broken
SIX or seven years ago
The note was then handed 30 her by Mr..
Hughes and she was asked whether the
signature was her fathers. She said /;
Was rot. and proceeded 10 give her Tea-
sons
The lfats Of this signature" she said
In substai1ea "are very fine az IL Il had
been written by a woman. II woa.a have
been absolutely Impossible for my father
20 write 50 fine When papa dotted his
Is he always filled his pen full Of ink
and whom he pat II dawn IL made blot.
rot a 3ae point like this. Then there II a
break ia the line o. this - ln Samuel
DOVE at tae bottom. IL would have been
Impossible for papa To make this kind og
Children should always
increase in weight. Not TO