The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-24
MURPHY DEFENSE IS
LAYING PLANS
TO APPEAL
Still On the Stand Today and
Subject to Wearisome
Cross Fire.

lSpeclal TO Ihe ENentng Times.
Fargo, Jan. 24.-Today has been the
quietest day In the celebrated Mur-
ply trial. Major Murphy is yet on
the stand and has undergone a search
ing examination but has come out of
it better than he did yesterday. He
has kept his temper and has given
clear and straightforward testimony,
On the whole his case looks better
this afternoon than it did last night
at adjournment of court. The exam
ination of Major Murphy will be con-
cluded this evening, after being on
the stand since Monday.
The defense has admitted large
amount of evidence ON the cross ex-
animation which had not been brought
out previously. 1t is evident that they
! are adriOtly allowing enough errors
to creep into the trial on which to
base an appeal.
Murphy's Y's and HIS.
mind your US, his, DIS and as"
This is the advice Major Murphy
might we'll offer. 1t caused him sew
eral unpleasant moments in the dis
trict court at Fargo late Monday af-
ternoon.
1t was on cross examination that
the attention of the defendant was
called to several tax receipts, exhibits
in the case. He had admitted that he
had signed the name of Harry Hardy
to a receipt and was then asked if in
doing so he had not attempted to dis
guise his signature.
mo, sir" was the emphatic reply.
Then Attorney Townsend proceeded
to analyze the handwriting in an at
tempt to show that the letters in the
Harry Hardy signature had been form
ed in different manner than it was
the defendants custom. Mr.. Town
send succeeded in establishing that
the letters Y, d and a had been
formed somewhat differently but on the
RS difference of opinion occurred.
Counsel and witness could not agree
whether the first stroke in making
the letter was an s'up" or a down
stroke.
What was your purpose in making
the letters in the Harry Howard sig
anture different from your usual let
ters?" asked the attorney.
Il suppose it was because l wrote
that supporting the paper on the back
of an envelope" was the reply. "a
person would naturally take more
pains under those circumstances.
That is the best excuse l can offer.
"And likewise the poorest was the
retort of the counsel.
Just before the adjournment of
court Mr. Townsend asked the wit
ness to examine paper which had
been marked exhibit 26. At first the
witness stated that he had written it.
There is nothing crooked about
that transaction" he continued, hotly.
Attorney Lauder asked to be per-
mitted to examine the document be-
fore the examination proceeded fur
ther, but Mr.. Townsend objected.
Judge Pollock was appealed to but
held that as long as the examination
was confined to the mere identifica-
tion of the paper, Mr.. Townsend might
continue to refuse to allow the de-
fendant's counsel to examine the pa
per.
After second examination of the
paper, the defendant decided that af-
ter all he had not written it
Mr.. Lauder interposed repeated OBJ
jections to the questions asked con-
cerning the mysterious paper but all
were overruled by the court.
On his direct examination, Major
Murphy made an excellent witness to
the end, and, in conclusion, answered
positively in the negative, in answer
to direct question from Judge Lau-
der.
"Did you when that receipt was Civ
en- you have any intention of defraud.
ing any corporation or any person?"
II had not
did you ever sit down and figure
out how you could get the best of
any one?'
'Not on that kind of DEAL"