The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-15
EXPERT CR0SS-EXAMINED.
MOLISEUxs COUNSEL CALLS FO1
All SUSPECTED WRITINGS

cion Was Not Observation-Disclosures Renf.
firms His Ruling Admitting Inter-Comr
parison of Disputed Writings and the Ex
pert Lays the whole Mas. to Moiineur.
Tho direct examination OF Handwriting Ex.
pert William j. Kinsley in the trial OF Roland
b. Molineux. accused OF the murder Of Mrs,
Katherine J. Adams. was completed yesterday
and Barlow ). Weeks began his cross examina.
ton. Mr.. Kinsley was tho first expert called
into the ease by tho police. and It was on the re-
suit OF his work principally that they based
their charge that Molineux was the man who
sent through the mail to Harry Cornish the
poison that killed Mrs. Adams. Mr. Kinsley
before he had finished his direct examination
made n statement giving his reasons other
than the lack Of connection between Ger.
tain letters In tho writing OF Molneux
and other than tho similarity In the
formation OF letters for his conclusion
that Moliroux was tho man. When the
court was adjourned for the day the cross
examination had not proceeded far enough to
enable fair estimate to be made OF what 10
would amount TO. SO far as 1t had gone 10
seemed apparent that in addition to the at
tempt to discredlt the witnesses opinion and
judgment OF disputed handwriting an effort
would DO made to show that Molineux had been
picked out AS tho candidate" Ito use tho exc
preston OF Assistant District Attorney Os.
bornel Of the police and to show that the In
vcstigation as to other persons than the de-
PENDANT had been perfunctory and not alto
Rethcr honest. In the line with tho selection
OF MoliaeuS as the candidate" II was dcvel-
opcd that his handwriting was among tho
first submitted to the expert and that while
the names OF the other suspects were
not known to the expert at FIRST, the
exhibit OF Moiineux's handwriting was
on an envelope bearing the imprint OF the
house with which Molineux was connected.
1t was developed further that Moineux was
accused in q newspaper the day after the hand
writing was submitted to the expert. In the
course OF the cross-examination tho original
exhibit Of MolineuX's handwriting was adj
mitted in evidence a. was also a newspaper
facsimile OF the address on the poison package
which was printed on the day Molineux was
accused The courtroom was crowded all day.
Young MollneuS. the defendant, sat beside his
father. Con. Molineux. and his junior counsel.
George Gordon Battle.
DISPUTED HlSDwRITINGs COMPARED AGAIN.
Expert Knslcy resumed the stand tho
moment that Recorder Gon announced that
he was ready TO go on and for the fourth or fifth
day the ettered exhibits were brought out
again for moro Of his OPT nion. When court
adjourned on Wednesday night Mr. Kinsley
poison package with ExlIblt L, which is ono
OF the letters siSarI ~ G9rn's6h M tnas the
Az stated In THE Sun yesterday. on every
previous occasion when the prosecution had
writings the Recorder had decided that under
the amendment, TO the law relating to expert
cislons OF The courts. such comparison was
III II S.es necessary tina. one exhibit should be a
standard-thut lisa genuine handwriting. When
air. Osborpe ask"d that the comparison should
th Gt he has nt"rectod from the beginning oi
the case against comparison OF disputed
ri i ,cd him h. asked the Recorder II he held
that exhibit + was standard OF handwriting
MI. WSc R.A SAID aid the Recorder Il want to
saw 10 You now and have said to you before;
there use = v6 ms % %hst sSa
on these questions as they arise. The Court
cannot answer questions OF the sort that you
Mr Weeks merely want to call your Hon:
or's attention 10 the fact that under the law
and the decisions Il comparison 10 be legal
must be- between standard OF handwriting
! AMI a disputed handwritinG.
"Ovcrrulcd" snapped the Recorder,
Ard mike the spactc objection. said Mr..
Weeks. TO, Il cGrnrarison OF Exhibit with
E%h6 3" 9dIrss on the poison pasf "a +:
the genuine hnnlwrlti M OF any person, nor is
there any evidence here of where either OF
III" The R"cordcr" Both 4 and have been COM
pared, respectively with standard. have they
Mr. OShornc-Thcy have.
The Rccoraer-So that he comparison that
Is SOUGHT to be estae,i.hcd now rs sii tt ths
begun AZ that time ot the two handwritiugs.
vii overdue the ohIyctioA. .,,.
Mr.. Osborne smiled triumphnntly again. and
| turning with an rNuirtnG look at MI kinsley.
repeated his question. which was whether the
same hand wrote both cXhibtts .o,,
wrote both Exhibit 4 and EXhibit f..
And thus was completed the first link that
connected the bogus Cornish and Barnet
| letters with this case. They had been admitted
taken about them bur they we're in no way
made relevant until the experts opinion con-
nGsGa GGm with 'Ps EofC sSd naSs want YOU
| TO compare Exhibit | AN admitted handwrit-
| ing Of Moineux with the exhibits that have
ii have already made the comparison" said
| Mr kinslhX. n my oplhioh' Ole hand wrote
MolincUX sat with his chair, tilted back. a ia:
| to his rur. apparently Intensely. Interested In
| everything II father, who sat next TO him.
had hi AR" "r TS MN rsi nm w on ths rail
| Bartow s. Weeks. his counsel. sat stoldly max
ing an objection to every question that came
NJ. and taking an exception to every ruling
| that tic Recorder made. Mr.; Osborne had an
'I-;old-you;so' swing Of his head, and at each
| answer Ot the witness hn turned to the Jury to
| give this swing before he asked the next cues.
lion. MIR, kn1ey. whose testimony, Il accented
m0ny chccrily, with sm,ln on his face.
| Now. then" said hir Osborne to him. take
| the barnet letters, +. II and e, ami compare
them with Exhibits J.. q AMI A. and tell me
whpt. is yonr conclusion" IL and q are Cor
lin my 1yinqn," said Mr. Kinsley. with a
| smile. zone hand wrote all
SIGNATURES That ARE ALIKE BUT Don't LOOK IT.
| Now. please look Mt the three Barnet sigma
lures, Mr., kinSlcy.' said Mr.. Osborne. and
| compare thnm."
| Mr., Kinsley took n little magnfying glass
| from his pocket. lifted it To the first finger OF
| his right hand aud examined the signatures
! letter by letter. Then. with tho same smile.
| he said: while they vary greatly rs to pctor-
| ial APPEARANCE there is 10 question in nv
mind but that all were written by the one
| hand
-, Again Mr., Osbtrnc turned to the jury with
| the sw!ng of his head that denoted a satsfac-
| tiun, Turning back 10 NinSlcy GGain. he
| salt: And now. Nj k,nSlay, compare all Of
| the Cornish letters that YOU have with all OF
| the Barnet letters that You have"
| u have already made q comparison Of these
| letters many times" snid Mr.. knslcy.. and
say now that in my opinion one hand wrote
them al
= call your attention. said Mr.. Osborne. TO