The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-18
WRITING EXPERTS TESTIFY
EMPLOYEES OF BANKS CALLED TO
PASS ON SIGNATURE.
Schimpff Trial Goes to Jury Today
Something About Defendant in
Noted Case.

/ Expert testimony in handwriting was
/ the leading feature yesterday il the
! Rossler-Schimpn case which has been on
trial in the district court for the past
three days.
/ During the afternoon several prominent
/ Wichita people were called by the de-
I Tense to pass their opinion as experts of
handwriting on the much disputed note
/ for 81 100 which the defendant claims to be
/ forgery. Charles Testard. assistant
cashier of the Kansas National bank,
and Mr. Davidson cashier of the Com
mercial bank. were called to examine the
/ disputed signature and compare it with
/ the ones ou checks which have been
/ issued by the defendant at different
times.
! The star witness on handwriting,
however was Frank J. Shearamn, who
with his chart proceeded to point out
different peculiarties in the handwritings
Of both the plaintiff and the defendant.
Photographs Of the disputed note were
handed out To the jury, as We're also
small reading glasses. so that they might
! readily see the points brought out by
/ MI Sherman in his explanations. Pho
/ tographs Of the signature of Mr. Schimpf
were also introduced as evidence and dis
! tributed among the jurymen.
/ Mr. Sherman will conclude his testi-
mOny this morning and the case VIII
/ probably go to the jury late this evening.
The case has been hard fought one
by both sides and one that has attracted
| considerable interest.
/ = special from JeffersonvTle. Ind, to
/ the Eagle has the following to say of
Mr.. Schimpff:
! JeffeTsonville and Clark county. Ind,
! are deeply interested in a legal battle NJ
/ present being waged in the Sedgwick
county court at Wichita, Kansas. The
case is that of Henry L. Rossler against
. Chas. A. Cchimpff of Jeffersonville Mr..
Schimpff is defendant in a suit on note
for $1.700 which he alleges is d forgery
and is confident that he will be able to
prove TO any jury in Sedgwick county
/ that he never signed the note in question.
\ feature i'm the case is the volume Of
/ recommendations which MI Schimpf will
take with him from circuit Judges coun-
ty officials. bank officials, clergymen and
/ all classes of business men. some of
which were introduced in his first Trial
which resulted in hung jury. Mr. Ross
/ Ter who was born and reared in Jeffer-
sonville. but who later located in Wich-
/ ita. has not i'm any manner attempted to
attack the character Of Mr.. Schimpf by
dispositions from Jeffersonvlle-
Mr.. Schimpff is at present president of
the metropolitan board of police commits
/ sioners in his home city. appointed by
the governor and has been reappointed
) H.
/ chief executives of his state He is su-
perintendenJ Of the St Lucas German
Reformed Sunday school. and has been
/ successfully placed in that position for
the last twenty-seven years. He is "A di-
rector in two loan associations. and is
prominently identified with the business
interests of Jacksonville. being "a mem
her of the Commercial club. He is per
sonaIly known to almost every man.
woman and child in his city aud Mr..
Schimpff expresses deep regret that the
case against him was not brought in his
home county. where "a speedy dissolution
would be assured.
The case has several peculiar features
I which will DE brought out ar The trial.
Mr. Schimpff had been providing for MIS-
RoSsler. widow IF ChaS Rossler who
died in Wichita several years ago. ana
I one day at a family gathering held in
Louisville. Ky. an agreement was drawn
UP by all the heirs of Mr.. RO.slar, where
by Henry RoSsler. The plaintiff in tho
case now on trial was 10 he released as
agent Tor his mother and MI Chas \.
S,himpT appointed 70 represent the
family The instrument i said 70 have
been witnessed ny "a clerk in Rosslers
/ store, and noiEhbor who was called
in for the occasion Several months later
the note on which the silt is now based
made lis appearance and bore ON its face
the names of the same witnesses as the
agreement which had heen drawn up and
also bore the same date Nj Schimpn
had photographic reproduction of the
note made
The people Of JeferSonviHe are frmlt
convinced that Mir SchimnT Viii come
Qua victorious i'm the case Handicapped
as he IS by the long distance which Ne
has Travelled alone to prove his complete
tiuaic3Jion. Nfr Schinpd Is represented
ny Mr.. o. A. Reach OF Wichita who is
the administrator of the estate Of Charles
Rossier who was the father Of Henry l.
RusSler plaintiff in the SUIT.