The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-08

Signature VIII Testify Today.
The sudden disappearance Of Sammy
Ross from Seattle about three weeks ago
Is said TO be worrying the plaintiffs law
yers in the big Blair-Wright note case.
now on trial before Judge Jacobs. Ross
was the ward OF Capt Blair in the old
gentleman's lifetime. and having done
some once work for the captain. II said
to know considerable about the alleged
transactions between John b. Wright and
bis uncle regarding the $25.UOo note and the
alleged contract, which the defense in
the case is attempting to prove to be
forgerieG 1t ID said that young Wright
would like TO have Ross on the witness
stand and Is unable TO find him. This
rumor Is not confirmed by Wright's At
torneys. but the fact that al Of the San
Francisco witnesses called on the day pre-
yious were cross-examined in regard 10
Ross. and that yesterday morning Miss
biaus Capt. BARS daughter. was recalled
10 the witness stand by the psainti1 and
asked further questions coucern.ng Ross
Whereabouts lends an air Of credipility
10 the rumor
The defense continued to call and ex-
anime witnesses yesterday. but there were
no startling Developments in the testi-
mony, most or which WAS corroborafivs
OF That given on the day before and merely
rounded on the rough edges OF the de-
PENDANTS previous days work
capt r. J. Burns, Capt. Blair's admin
isuator for the state OF Washington, who
as such trustee i the defendant In the
case. was one of the witnesses called and
pfonaoiy the most important. Capt.
biairs former coachman, Lawrence E1tz-
gerald. Of San Francisco. also testified as
70 his former employers signature With
this exception the defense did not deal
largely with the forgery question In the
case, and Ames, the celebrated New York
expert. whose testimony Is looked for.
ward TO with much interest by spectators
who are following the defense closely,
was not put on the stand. He will be
called by the defense az the first witness
this morning. proba ". He Is an elderly
man. quietly dressed. wearing full whita
beard, and attracted considerable attsn-
ton yesterday As he sat beside Capt.
blairis son and daughter In the court
room.
Miss Blair. the first witness. besides de-
nytng any knowledge of the present
generally with regard to the correspond
ence between Wright and hts uncle found
among the Iatter's papers after his death.
She was not very familiar with .he SUBJ
ject.
Capt. Buns. the administrator and de-
PENDANT was called next. He had known
Capt. Blair from 1854 until his death and
bad had charge Of the bulk OF his prop
erty In Seattle. He cor-oborated Miss
BARS testimony to the effect that dur
Ing her fathers visit to Seattle in Sep
TENDER. 1886, he was not at the Butler
hotel any eysning, when he could have
admitted to third party In Wrights
presence the existence OF the big note
and contract. Witness knew that Wright
had had one suit In charge for Capt. Blair,
but knew OF no others. Capt. Burns was
not asked his opinion Of the alleged forged
signatures.
Cross-examined. Capt. Burns admitted
that he had given a list Of Capt Bia.r's
property to Wright and had dealt with
the latter In way that might indicate
that Wright was looking after his un-
cle's property. Wright and his uncle
seemed to be on terms of great intimacy
Next came J. NJ Co,man and his son
Lawrence. both Old friends OF Capt Blair
who testified that they, and not Wright.
were employed TO look after the Cedar riv-
er coal mines. They corroborated Robert
Gourlay's testimony to the effect that
Capt. Blair had directed emphaticaliy that
Wright should not be allowed 10 look after
business matters connected with the mines
or collect rents for the store buildings
there. Cross-examined, they admitted
that Wrigh; had had some litigation for
Capt. Blair In hts charge. The Colmans
were not asked anything about the gem
uineness of the signatures In controversy.
In the afternoon Frank La Roche, q
photographer. was called to tel, how he
had made photographs OF the note and
contract, which were introduced In eyi.
dence- He was cross-examined by At
torney Dore. who In quiet way hid
considerable fun with the witness. car
rytng his Inquiry up into the thsrry-sec-
end degree OF the technieaii;les of pho-
Biography, and at times seeming to puzzle
the man OF dark rooms and chemicals by
hewi.derirty questions involving lenses,
bromide paper and other apparatus and
materials. OF which few besides the wit
ness and his cross~examiner had appar-
entity ever heard.
n. NJ. Carraher..a real estate dealer, was
called TO testify a. 10 the value of Cant.
Blair's property. and the balance of the
6ay was devoted to the reading Of fhe
depusitioas OF Fitzgerald. the coaehmsr,
who had filled In checks for Capt. Blair
TO sign. ef w. j. Duiton, who was inter-
essed In some real estate in Fremont with
Capt. Blair, and OF j b. Donovan. or
San Francisco. who Is noted as an expert
IN the photography of disputed signatures
having figured In the Fair VIII case the
Blythe case and other celebrated cases
In the San Francisco coGrts. number
OF large photographs OF Capt. Biair's sig
natures made by Donovan vii. be offered
In evidence later.