The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-05-19

"In looking over the book carefully
did you see anything in it that would
lead you to believe that the hand that
wrote on them was the one that wrote
the word Sampler" asked Mr.. Pfau
on redirect.
81 object to comparison with any
samples of handwriting not in evil
dence," said Gen. Childs.
"The objection is sustained" said the
court.
"Do you find anything in the writing
on the label that leads you to believe
that the handwriting was disguised?"
Nothing whatever"
81 did not understand that you claim
to be infalible in comparing nandwrit-
ing, did l, Professor?" asked Gen.
Childs.
Like yourself, L am not" replied
Professor Curtiss, smiling.
The recess was here taken.
mduhdlO 6APcIlS SdiicO.
w. w. Davis Jr., cashier of the Man
kato Savings Bank, was sworn. He was
shown the various exhibits of DR..
Koch's handwriting and said that he
had examined them last evening. He
was shown the label on the bottle and
said that he mad also seen and examin-
ed it with and without a magnifying
glass.
SIN my opinion there is no similar
ity," said the witness, after comparing
the writing on the bottle and on the
sheets.
Cross examined, the witness said that
his duties mostly require him to COM
pare signatures. Do not remember that
/ was ever called upon in the bank to
compare any writing except signatures.
The papers were examined last evening
by Prof Brandrup, John r. Thomas and
myself, Prof Curtiss and the attorneys
for the defense. Il was there about an
hour, and examined the papers about
fifteen minutes jluo3 ssaf
'Would the word on, the ledger sheets
be written with a free hand?" asked
Gen. Childs.
'Yes, sir"
"Would the word Sample" if writ
ten on the label after it was on the bot
tie, be written with free hand?"
Reasonably So"
John R. Thomas, cashier of the Man
kato State Bank, was called
'How long nave you lived in Man
kato?" asked Mr.. Pau.
Forty years" replied the witness.
care you a married MANI" asked the
attorney with smile.
mo, SIR
The smile was taking, and rapidly
went through the audience, and the wit
ness participated in it, flushing slightly
/ The witness said that he saw and ex-
amined the writing exhibits last eve
ming, and enumerated who were pres
ent.
"My opinion is that the word
Sample" on the bottle and the words
on the other exhibits were not written
by the safe person." said Mr.. Thomas.
Cross examined by Mr.. Wilson, the
witness said that his experience was
mostly in comparing signatures. He
had a signature book, but went mostly
by memory. Never claimed to be an
expert in handwriting See no similar
ity between the letters on the bottle
and those on the other exhibits.
Prof. j. r. Brandrup, one of the
proprietors of the Mankato Commercial
College, was called. Have made nand-
writing study for sixteen or seven
teen years, and made comparison of
handwriting a study for the same
length of time. The witness was shown
the exhibits and said that he had COM
+. .El
pared and examined them last evening
very carefully, using a glass.
81 don't think that the writing on the
bottle was made by the person who did
the writing on the Sheets" said the wit
ness, replying to question.
The witness explained the difference
in the formation of the letters, by
which he had arrived at his opinion.
The greatest difference was found in
the ''m," round turns being made at
the bottom in the letter on the bottle
The letter was made with one stroke,
and one of the downward strokes was
repeated quarter of the way down.
The "p" was also quite different. All
writing has some similarity. The sc" is
made in different ways on the defend
ants exhibits, and some of them are
similar to the Sc" in Sample" The
ending of the sc" is somewhat. similar
in some cases and in som cit is not.
| do not attach much Importance to
the ending of word, because the same
people have different ways of ending
words
Cross examined Prof Rraudr1n said