The San Francisco call., 1899-04-23

The men counted the money to the
amount of $4,000, which was taken by
William after being put into two can
vas sacks, and two notes were handed
over to William, who tore them up.
One of these notes was the one copied
from and was for $4,000; the other one
was for a smaller amount.
Under cross examination by General
Barnes Mrs. Murdock said she was "a
years of age when the note was signed.
The number "93" on the corner Of the
note she thought she copied from
another note. She was questioned very
closely as to the kind of pens and ink
used. The defense evidently puts great
stress on these points, as they will have
considerable bearing when the expert
testimony is all in.
E. L. Robinson, an attorney. testi-
fed that he saw the 100000 note in
Sacramento in 1877. He was intro
duced to Mrs. Murdock by a DR.. Hicks
and he heard the latter talking to
William MurdOclk about the note.
H. A. SlNiff, at one time in the ems
plOy of GWan Murdoch, but now con-
ductor for the Southern Pacific, heard
William Murdoch say to Mrs. Mary
Helen Murdock in 1890: "You ought toi
be satisfied You hold my note for
100000 at l per cent interest"
Mrs Matilda Glover of San Francisco
was at Allen Springs in September.
1877. Mrs Murdoch was there also and
was called home suddenly. She left
her children at the springs in care Of
Mrs. Glover.
Dr. W. A. Sehorn. a dentist of Wood
land heard the late Senator Boggs
speak of a big bill that William Muir
dock owed, soon after the latter died.
and G. B. Ashurst testified that Will
liam Murdoch told him he had a big
bill to meet before he died
William MeUOincO0 of Ohio in
affidavit, testified that William Muir
dock said the bill for 100000 was all
right and in consequence he loaned
money to Mrs. Murdoch on it. This
closed the case for the plaintiff.
In his opening address for the de-
fense General Barnes said he would
prove that the note was a forgery and
Tnat tire crime WIS cUmm1UUed Slice
March u, 1890. He placed in evidence
signatures of William Murdoch ad-
mitted to be genuine, written at various
times between 1872 ard 1893.
There is the full story and the out
line of the evidence as given up to this
time The story seems probable, yet
the defense claim they will knock it
into splinters.
Four famous experts on chirography
say the signature is a bungling and
barefaced forgery, and it will be
claimed end probably testified, that old
Bill on his deathbed denied that he ever
gave such q note.
Afidavits published shortly after Bill
Murdock's death stated that he did
positively deny the making of any such
paper.
The claim will be called absurd by the
defense, and the idea of this miserly
bachelor giving such a note to a wo-
man not of his kin will be ridiculed.
It is a strange case. The matter Of
III digC'n" 10 OF large SUNS fIom un-
der woodpiles and in Out-of- the-way
places is sneered at by the attorneys.
Yet such was the practice in those
days. and hired man of old Bill Muir
dock used TO tell of his once dig
ging up while plowing $4,000 in gold
which had been buried in an old iron
pot.
What will the twelve men decide?
If Mary Helen MurdOck's claim IS
held good the estate of old Bill Murdock
will be insolvent, and his last will and
testament will be just so much waste
paper.