The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-27
Tie Missing Man
Tale Mystery, Dealing with Startling Phase OF
Innue and Doubl Perso
Ichapter XIV. Continued from Yesterday

Tony Osborn's testimony was taken in
the afternoon aud told against the defend
ant. since it was plainly made evident
the first He WIS sharply cross
questioned as to why he had so stoutly
declared in tie first place that IL was Mr.
Hamilton WHO visited the bank, and now
II did not know then that there were
two who looked alike / think now that
1t was the defendant who went there on
an evil errand of his own. / think IL was
he who placed the button on the desk the
cap by the river bank, and presented the
altered notes"
Please confne yourself to facts. not
thoughts, Mr.. Osborn said Mr.. Ferguson,
unless you have facts to support your
thoughts"
you any reason for believing that the
claimant is not the true Vane Hamilton"
None, sir, except the color of his hair.
He has stood every test | have applied 10
him. He knows all about the affairs that
took place at the bank when we were there
together; he seems TO be the true Nane
Hamilton as | knew him.
Osborn then gave several instances or
tests which he had applied, all of which
the claimant had passed in satisfactory
manner.
Two witnesses testified that Solomon
Marks had been seen by them near the mill
OF the day before the shooting OF the plain
tiff; and that he appeared TO wish to avoid
recognition.
Next, several citizens Of Grovedale were
examined, and testified that they believed
the plaintiff to be Vane Hamilton, for
only to himself and them, that he seemed
familiar with all their past lives, while
the other claimant did not. He had not
even recognized them when they first met
until some word of theirs had brought
them TO his recollection, when he immedi-
ately professed to know all about them.
One OF these witnesses was William Seavey,
the forman in the mill owned in part by Mr..
Hamilton. The testimony OF these witnesses
very strong, and upon IL the plaintiff
counsel relied much for the success or the
case. They were subjected to a severe fire
of cross-questonS, but nothing could shake
their testimony. They were evidently sin
cere, and when they left the witness stand
the case of the prosecution looked brighter
than il had at all
Miss Chase and Mary O'Neil were then
examined. but their testimony Is already
known 10 the reader, and, besides, it was
unimportant TO the real case at issue. Con-
ductor Libby's words were listened to with
the closest attention, for they proved con-
cluSfvely that Mr.. Hamilton appeared
strangely on the train, that he remarked
il at the time, but did not suspect then
that he was laboring under lapse OF
memory.
The last witness to be called was a man
from Valparaiso, who testified TO the fact
that Ashley was known to him, and that
he recognized the defendant as the man.
before. He stated that he had been engaged
in various nefarious undertakings with Ash
ley, VINO ne knew 10 nave Deen IN Boston
at the very date when the altered note
was presented at the bank. Moreover, he
testified that the plaintiff had once come
To the place where he had lodged and made
inquiries after Ashley; said he thought he
was his twin brother Witness said he had
answered evasively and not told him any
thing about Ashley, for fear of the lat
ter's anger. That since then he had been
converted under the auspices of the Saliva
ton Army, and had seen in n newspaper
advertisement inserted ty the plaintiff s
counsel for information regarding the suit,
and he had answered it in person.
This was as direct piece of testimony
as had been offered, and with that OF the
last witnesses was decidedly in the favor
of the prosecution. The counsel had done
wisely TO reserve it for the last, and Nor
ley & Stevens rejoiced to see how stoutly
the witness resisted the efforts of the oppo-
sition TO break up his testimony. When
he left the witness stand and the case
closed for the plaintiff. there were many
among the audience. and among the jury
| men, too. if their faces did not belle their
minds, who were more than half persuaded
| of the claims of the plaintiff.
1t was now the fourth day of the trial,
| and an adjournment was called until the
| following day at o'clock. Comments were
| heard on all sides the crowd surged
| into the street, and IL was evident at this
| juncture that the sympathy pretty
evenly divided between the claimants