Mexico Missouri message., 1905-05-25
Sensation in the Norris
Barnes Damage Case.
GIRL CHANGES HER TESTIMONY
Breaks Down and Admits Letters
Were Part of a Scheme. I'm
portant Letter Missing.

OF witnesses now beng
taken in that city in the George A.
Morris, Jr., damage case, which is
docketed for trial IN the Audrain
Circuit Court next month. The
Globe-Democrat yesterday con-
tanned the following:
The mysterious disappearance Of
an important letter was one Of the
startling Developments in the TAX
ing Of dispositions in the case OF
George Morris, Jr., against CLAIR
ence A. Barnes, A. G. Barnes,
Frank Il. Jesse and j. G.. Lake
nan, all of Mexico, Mo-, in the
law Offices of Boyle, Priest & Leh-
mann in the Laclede building yes
terday. The disappearance of the
letter followed some startling tes-
timony given by Miss Alyce Good
win, a witness introduced by the
plaintiff. The letter was one Of
several produced by Miss Good
win, which she said she received
from Morris. 1t read:
Mexico, Mo. December 2G,
1904. My Dear Alyce: ENCLOSED
find three letters. Fix them like
the others at once and return to
me by Adams express. BE sure to
seal box and address to me, but
not give yOur name as sender. Put
some friends name, also find sta
tiOncry. Please dc that at once.
Use Smith Premier typewriter
and find letters and paper num-
bered, so put No. / letter on No.
! paper. | will send you some
money very soon. expect quite
a deal very soon. We will send
YOU a Christmas box to. morrow.
| am in a great hurry for these
so please fix at once and express to
me, also return original copies. In
haste, GEO. JR.
This letter was written on letter
head paper Of the Crystal ice COM
pany of Mexico in ink.
Miss Goodwin identified the writ
ing as that of Morris.
WITNESS CHANGES TESTIMONY.
Miss Goodwin had at a previous
taking Of dispositions been II wit
ness for the plaintiff, but evidently
had changed her mind since. In
her crOss-eXaminatiOn she eX-
pressed the opinion that the
letters on which the plaintiff rested
his case were fOrgeries and that
the letters she produced in court
were part of a scheme.
The letter dated Dec. &c, along
with several other letters pro
duced in evidence by Miss Good.
win and identified by her, were
turned over to George Robertson
and Fry & Rodgers of Mexico
Mo-, and Fred w. Lehman of St
Louis, attorneys for plaintiff, fol-
inspection at l o'clock inst before
the noon adjournment. When the
hearing was resumed at 2:15 thu
letters were called for, and the one
Of December 26, 1904, which was
considered by the attorneys for thu
defense to be the most Important o.
the lot, was missing. None of tn,
attorneys for the plaintiff or Geo
Morris, the plaintiff, was able tt
tell what had become of it.
When Morris was placed on the
stand later in the afternoon and &
copy of the missing letter read Il
him he emphatically denied lis au
thorship, altho he admitted having
written all the others produced b!
Miss Goodwin.
The first sensation in the tax
ing of dispositions yesterday cam
when Miss Goodwin, who had pre-
viously testified for the plaintiff
practically repudiated her forme
testimony and said that in he
opinion the letters produced b
the plaintiff, purporting to hav
passed between the defendants an
Linz Bros. of Dallas, Texas. in
conspiracy to inVovle Morris i
embezzlement charges, were fo
geries.
PLAINTIFF GIVES HER MONEY.
Miss Goodwin's changed att
tude in the case is credited
Frank White, a local detectiv
| She said that Morris bad give