The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-21
HANDWRITING MATINEES.
JgTERESIIyG LECrURE At TIE MoLE-
NEUX TRIAL ON Inland REhOHo

the murder OF Mrs Katherine J. Adams. devel-
oped yesterday into sort OF handwriting mat
inse. The witness was John +. Tyrrell. the
Milwaukee handwriting expert. who succeeded
ON the stand William J. Kinsley. the Elizabeth.
N j. expert. Mr.Tyrrell might be said to have
taken for his subject Mental Conception" II
was closely akin to tho subject OF Mr.. kinseys
discourse. his being named Pen Habit"
James g. Osborne. the Assistant District Attor-
ney, appearing a. manager for MIR. Tyrrell. as
he had for Mr. Klnsley. occasionally linked
physical Possibility" with the subject Mental
Conception" and the members OF the jury.
armed with compound microscopes. protrac-
tors, dividefs common AMI multiplying.
etrni1ht-edgcd rules marked In milllmotres.
triaIfgles. UogHrths lines, ordinary object
ives covering .argo fields with from two
TO eight magn iilcntions this being the Official
description. uuadrants and T-sauares. did
their best to follow tho line Of Examination and
20 at oil times keep in touch with the mental
conception" pen habit and tho physical
possibility" OF the witness. OF Mr.. Osborne. Of
Mr.. Weeks and olthe Recorder. II may not be
out OF place to say that the instruments were
needed chiefly 10 follow the lawyers rather
than the witness. Mr.. Tyrrel's ability as an
expert capable Of holding the attention OF
everybody was dcvcloI ed early in the day. He
lectured Tor twu hours aud IA hall on Hand
Reach" and the audience listened with almost
GREATNESS interest and watched his first rate
Illustrations in crayon. When he had finished
them, the Ass slant District Attorney asked"
And now. Mr. Tyrrel. do YOU mean to tell
us that this haudreach about which we have
been talk NJ is ono Of the important things In
connection with this case. one OF the vital
points,"
"oh. no. not at ALL" said Mr.. Tyrrsll. cheer
E..n. II sh... IA
was an Interesting coincidence that the reach
IN one writing was the same a. tho reach In
the other"
30 interesting had been Mr.. Tyrrell's dis
sertation on Hand Reach that not q smile
blossomed at this conclusion.
Between sixty and one hundred thousand
words OF testimony were taken at the two Sos
sions Of the trial yesterday, and no leas than
one hundred and fifty illustrations we're drawn
on the black board for the edllcation OF the jury.
the lawyer and the crowd. Ever since
the trial BEGAN the members Of the jury
have been accommodating aids In the
shape OF mechanical appliances. Yesterday
morning when they arrived some OF
them had bags. the interior of which had the
appearance OF tool chests All the Instrument
enumerated above were there and there were
others, MIR, Osborne had promised that Mr..
Tyrrelrs examination should be short He had
directed Mr. lyrrell to tell as briefly as pos
sible all tnat ho could VA TO his reasons for the
had written the letters signed Cornish" and
Barn.t and the address on the poison pack
less cheerful look On his ace when he came inso
court and everybody was glad thut a new wit
ness was on tie stGnd, Mr. Tyrreil was called
his concluding testimony OF Monday was read
TO him and then he WAS told to fire ahead and
point out the reasons for his conclusions
lie had been tnlsinG less than four minutes
by the clock when he arrived at what he de-
noted PECULIARLY OF alignment" I his later
meant BY hand reach" that the writer OF the
poison package ~ doing that baek hand writing
uaed wrist aud hand movement only: that he
rested his hand on the paper. reached out as
Sr to Sro the leu "a he 9nd win his pen and
as close to the hanl as he could. in order 10
continue writing he had TO move his hand
The distance that he had written was his hand
reach. Tho hand reach Of the writer on the
poison package was one and three-quarter
INCHES by actual measuremept;
bad to be enlightene by means OF numerous H.
lusirations. all o. which were extremely inter-
handwritinR OF the Cornish and barnet ier,
ters that the PROSECUTION say Molinenx wrote
reach oil the writer was almost identical with
that Of the writer of the poison package. II was
almost recess time when this testimony was
asked as quoted above IL was followed by this:
And now, Mr.. Tyrrel you lind the same
bsnd 5sS15 n the admitted handwriting OF the
oh: no." said Mr.; Tyrrell. in the admitted
table Ist all. You lust slide it along as you you
Mr.. Osborne changed the subject. fire en-
gins was beard canging in the street below.
thsIs," said Osborne. turning TO him
You. may think" sud Mr. Weeks. that
that y funny and Gentlcmanly. think that TIT L
Recorder Gor having overrued for the sec
Snd time tho direction, that Mr. Weeks
ipgs. Expert Tyrreii went ahead and compared
the various exhibits in the case each with the
as Exhibit A. and he would say: You zee tbs
mental mental conception y the same:" and Dir.
TSa enns there Mr. Tyre n
ponce pt,on and TO whom i would be a physical
Mr.. Tyrreli would reply invariably: In my
opinion they ar. the pro'gct OF one mental
DO every lettered exhibit was brought up and
testihed to individually and then samples were
SeSn apS Ws ne aussa Ikn sWi. OF no
always testiyinR that each pair was the re.
suit Of one mental conception. In the course
OF TINS part OF his test imony-t hat is the com.
parison OF tn" admitted hpndwritings with the
address on the poison package. and later OF the
Cornish LISTERS with the admitted handwritinnss
OF Moi,neuI-crayon Illustrations accompanied
Mr.. Tyrrell showed almost marvellous ability
- an imitator. Mr.. Kinsley, when he illus.
trated things, drew them wit great care Mr.
Tyrrell would simply take n look at tho exhibit
that he wanted 10 reproduce and then would
step 10 the board and write II almost az rapidly
e would an ordinary writer writing natural
hand. and without exception 1t was 40 perfect
Reproduction svery time that both sides were
satisfied with 1t and changes were unneces-
sary.
When he was asked TO illustrate pecularitles
In the poison package, he walked 10 the hoard
and wrote the address on the package and the
similarity with the original was So striking
that Capt. McClusky and Detective Sergeant
MeCanorty TrgG'cd around III their seats and
appeared to be- uncertain whether they ought
the original "s
In his comparisons NJ tho various hand
writings, Mr.. Tyrrell chose many of the aim
i!arities that Mr. Kinslcy had chosen. md 10
that extent his testimony was n repetition Of
the Elizabeth experts, but he expresssd
his reasons for the belief more ciaarIv
and UNDERSTANDABLE. When he discussed
and Mr.. Osborne fired his mental con-
Seption and physical possibility question at
MN MT. Tyrrell admitted that pnrhars IL WAS
possible Tor more than one individual to have
2 similar mcnt n conception. aud at tho same
tlme physical possibility to produce the four
Kinds o. 'ohige" shown In the various writ
ings; But he said there il not one n, rsnn in n
million who would have the Sunla mrnla con.
ception and to whom II would he my .ical
Iossibility 4 little la'cr on Mr. Tyrr,iI safd
TINT IL was his OplniOn that "Lut nna 800