The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-31
RECEIPT IN EVIDENCE.
Trial of Case of Drought Against
Woodbridge Full of Interest.

Woodbridge Full of Interest.
The trial of the case of A. E.
Drought, suing for the use of E. B.
Drought. against Mrs. A. c. Wood
bridge, was continued in the City Court
yesterday before Judge Norwood and
jury. Mrs. Woodbridge, the defend
ant, was on the stand during the entire
day and she proved to be one of the
most interesting witnesses who have
testified for a long time in the City
Court.
Drought is suing Mrs Woodbridge
upon notes amounting to about $4,000,
| all of which were executed several
years ago. According to the conten-
lions of the plaintiff they represent ad-
vances made by him, as his brother
agent, to Mrs. Woodbridge for her own
use and benefit; according to the con i.
tentions Of the defendant the notes
were signed by her for the accommoda-
ton of Drought, who was at that time
president of bank in Kissimmee, Fla.
which was in financial straits and diff
fculties.
Inc hearing yesterday was marked
oy the Introduction in evidence of the
receipt, alleged to have been given the
defendant by the plaintiff and cover
ing all Indebtedness of whatever kind
due by her to him. The receipt is
written, in the handwriting of Mrs
woodbridge, upon an oblong piece of
paper in pencil, and bears the pencil
signature of A. E. Drought The plain
tiff contends that the receipt is forg-
cry, although he confesses that the
signature so closely resembles his
own that he IS not able to pronounce
1t, in ITSELF false and fraudulent He
declares, however, that he never sign
ed the paper in it's present form and
that If the signature on the back of
the paper is genuine, the receipt writ
ten above 1t was placed there after he
had signed his name.
1t was brought out yesterday that
for number of years plaintiff and de-
PENDANT had been engaged to be mar
ried and that the relations between
them We're of the most close and
intimate character. In her evidence
the defendant said that this accounted
for the fact that she had given the ac-
Commodation notes to Drought. She
had trusted him fully and perfectly,
she said, and at the time the notes were
given it had never entered her mind
that he would treat her other than
fairly or that he would ever attempt
to force collection from her of notes
that had been given for his accommo-
dalton, and to tide him over financial
difficulties that were urgent and press
ing.
Judge Twiggs examined Mrs. Wood
bridge at great length on the subject
of the receipt, which the judge han
died gingerly touching only its ex-
IRENE edges and treating 1t with an
exaggerated air of reverence and ten
derness that greatly amused the judy.
Counsel sought to obtain from the wit
ness an acknowledgment that she had
testified at this trial to some incidents
in connection with the giving of the
receipt which had not been brought out
at the last, and she did confess that In
some respects her memory had I'M
proved.
The receipt is clumsily worded and
acknowledges in effect sthat all the
notes ever given by her to Drought
had been destroyed, and that the
amounts of money they had represented
were not due and a release from any
and all promises to pay money ever
made by the defendant to the plain
tiff.
Mrs. Woodbridge is bright and
clever woman, and she made good
witness In answer to questions OF
counsel, she insisted upon strengthen
ing her denial of the facts the ques-
lions insinuated to be true by recitals
of the statements of others that had
been made to her or by mentioning ev-
idence in her possession that went to
show the correctness of her position.
Judge Norwood had to warn her four
or five times to confine herself to what
she knew of her own knowledge and
not to drag into her testimony state
ments of what was known by others.
The trial of the case will be contin-
ued. but it is not likely that it will he
concluded to-day. There is mass of
evidence yet to be introduced, and the
arguments of counsel will be lengthy.
Charges and countercharges are being
made almost every hour of the trial,
and the passages at arms between
counsel for plaintiff and defendant and
between the former and Mrs. Wood
bridge serve constantly to interest and
amuse the crowd of spectators.