New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-13
SAYS MOLINEUX WROTE 1T.
MORE TESTIMONY FROM KINSLEY THE
HANDWRITING EXPERT
HE HAS SATISFIED HIMSELF THAT THE
PRISONER ADDRESSED THE POISON

'"t "Hoie OF yesterdays session OF the trial OF
roland H. Molineux, in Part II. of General SEES
sions. before Recorder Con- on the charge of muir
dering Mrs. Kate J. Adams with the giving OF his
testimony, the sum and substance Of which
that IN his opinion the hand that wrote the ad-
uress upon the package which contained the poison
that Killed Mrs. Adams was Molineuxs
The stating OF that opinion can be briefly and
quickly done but In order 10 give that opinion
weight with the jury much time must be consumed
ana much labor expended in showing Just how the
expert arrived at H. and. what is more important
IN trying to lead the jurymen arrive at the same
conclusion In their own minds by following the
reasonngS OF the expert. by becoming convinced Of
their reasonableness. and finally by adjoining his
arguments as their own.
SET OF OBJECT LESSONS
For this purpose Mr. Kinsley who is the chief OF
the corps of handwriting experts who will give
evidence Tor the prosecution. was provided with an
easel on which had been tackled many large sheets
OF clean white paper, upon the other. He also
mad supply OF black crayons. with which he made
letters upon the paper and explained the peculiari
t'es OF their shape and slant to the jury much as
schoolmaster does to class of BOYS Each
1uryman was also supplied with an album contain
ing photographs Of all the letters produced in
evidence, TO which they referred as the EXPERT
drew his examples and by which they followed
his course OF object lessons
Mr. kinsley grumbled somewhat because he was
not allowed TO blackboard and write with
chalk, declaring that II would be much more easy
10 produce accurate copies of letters thereon since
II MS frst attempt failure he could erase any
part OF any letter and improve upon It by a second
eHort out Molineux's counsel maintained that they
would require to Mr. Kinsleys examples" in
the cross-examnaton, and for that very reason It
was important that none OF them should be de-
stroyed and Mr.. Weeks carried his point with the
Recorder.
THE CHIEF REsEMBLANCEs.
The chief point which Assistant District Attorney
osborne sought to bring out yesterday by
OF Mr.. Kinsley's testimony was of course the as
sertion Of his belief that Moneux addressed the
poison package, and the chief argument in support
OF such opinion that i'm that address the letter
- was made in two different WAYS and also
that wherever the letter 90 preceded any of what
Mr.. Osborne called the oval letters such as "a
C. o. g. 20 or q" there occurred a break
IN the connecting stroke between the letter az" and
the following oval letter. The expert then pro-
ceeded to select and write upon the paper large
number Of words taken from the letters purporting
TO be written by Barnet and by Cornish but which
IT is charged, Molineux himself wrote and also
words taken from admitted writings OF Moineux in
which occurred the two styles OF the letter ct"
also the break after the letter g." which appeared
in the address on the poison package. Other points
or similarity were also dwelt upon but these
seemed TO he relied upon by the prosecution as the
most convincing
HOW SNAGS ARE OVERCOME.
II was made plain to the jurymen that in many
instances those two cha cterstics did occur in the
admitted writing OF Moneux, but It was also
plain that they did not invariably Wherever
they did not occur in the admitted writing OF
Molineux, the expert declared that the prisoner had
been attempting to disguise his hand and cover I'D
its characteristics. Whether this satisfied the Jury
or not cannot yet be known. 1t certainly seemed
to satisfy Mr.. Kinsey. Doubtless the defence will
attack this cocksure expert this point in the
cross-examnation
To many laymen in the court room II seemed as
tonshing that any mans life should depend in any
large degree upon the opinion that when certain
little blemishes which In his handwriting
sometimes do not appear at other times he is then
attempting to disguise his bandWriting.
SEEMS ODD TO LAYMEN
Many aymen think they have observed that when
they write with a sharp pen they form certain let.
tiers somewhat differently from those they make
with stub pen: when the ink flows freely they
write more lovingly than when the ink clogs
when they fresh and vigorous they form the
letters more plainly than when tired or nervous
when they bend the letter the slant is differ
ent from when olling back in the chair More
over. there comes a time in the life of many per-
sons. particularly in youth when they determine
10 change the style Of their writing altogether The
new method is pursued for time with fervor and
then the spirit of reform dies out and the old
style returns, but afterward that mans hand
writing Is tumble Of both Sometimes he forms
a'certain letter one way and sometimes another
not knowing and not caring which shape It takes
ANOTHER STUMBLING BLOCK
Another thing which strikes the ordinary law
man odd about the bold certainty with which
paid expert will announce his conclusion that
man is guilty of murder because his hand
lin cIa ractar iztica
way In which that expert seems to sweep from his
mind the probability that another mans writing
may possess the same characteristics. When one
considers that for years and years thousands and
thousands Of school teachers have been instructng
millions and millions of school children in Amer
lea in the Spenceran method OF penmanship. which
is as set and rigid as the old law of the Modes and
Persians and that those millions Of children have
all aimed with the best Of their ability 70 make
the twenty-six letters OF the alphabet in exactly
the same way, with exactly the slant. hold
Ing the pen at the same angle and sitting at the
writing desk in the position, 1t seems i'm
possible that any one man could be picked out
the Irregularities of whose handwriting
unique and vary unless he IS attempting
a disguise. Nevertheless. Mr.. Kinsley takes just
that view and is apparently willing that Molineux
should be executed the strength of II.
KINsLEY TELLS HIS STORY.
The days proceedings somewhat tedious.
Counsel In the case with the exception of Assistant
District Attorney Osborne in their places
early. Mr.. Osborne entered moment later, and
said as he entered the Enclosure. "Bless that late
Juror Two Jurors Messrs. Billings and Thorn
son. were late in reaching court. few moments
after court had been opened they came in. The
prisoner had been brought In a minute before and
bore himself with his usual complasance. giving
his customary greetings TO his father ard his coun
sell At 1910 o'clock the clerk called the roll OF the
Jurors. and Mr. Osborne called William J. Kinsley
to the witness stand.
Mr. Osborne first referred TO question asked OF
Mr. Kinsey some days ago by Mr. Weeks. He
said. "NIr Weeks asked II you had earned 1.SOO"
Excuse me-" said Mr.. Weeks. 81 asked how he
made that sum.
Now will you tell the jury Just how you earned
that sum? Tell them all about it-how you worked
and when" said Mr.. osborne
Mr. Kinsley began a detailed explanation by say
ing:
or the first day OF January Detective Sergeant