The San Francisco call., 1906-07-14
Handwriting Experts
Aid Case of Mrs. Hartie
TESTIMONY FAVORS
HER CONTENTION.
Susie" Letter Declared
to Have Been Penned
in a Different Hand
FURTHER CHARGES

PITTSBURG. July 1s.-Experts in
handwriting called as witnesses in
the divorce case OF Augustus Hartje
against his wife. Mary Scott Hartje
look Up the entire time. today in the
nearing Of the case in court Besides
the professional handwriting men, a
number Of bank clerks and officials
We're called by Mrs. Hartje's counsel
and, although not qualifying as ex-
perts, the testimony of the bank men
was admitted because of their knowl-
edge OF signatures.
When court resumed in the morning,
NJ. D. Eweu the Chicago expert for Mrs.
Hartje, was put on the stand and SUBJ
3ected to rigid cross-examination by
Attorney Ferguson. During his exami-
nation Mr.. Ewell said:
I would undertake. myself. to simu-
late the handwriting of the $4,000
words in these letters"
All Of the experts bore out Mrs.
HartJe's statement made on the stand
yesterday that the Dear Susie" letter.
formerly admitted by her. was not in
the same handwriting as the other
standards" which the respondent ad-
mitted
Cashier Warren Irwin Of the Citizens
National Bank, one OF the bank men
called, said that the Dear Susie" letter.
which is rapidly coming into the fore
ground as a dominant issue. was not
written by Mrs. HartJe. He declared
that exhibit No. So. the mutilated let
Ter pasted on cardboard, had been tam
pered with. The letters are being tax
en- up seriatim and the fight over them
promises 70 be long drawn out.
Assistant District Attorney John S.
Robb was again present during the
taking Of testimony. Robb said the
hearing in the conspiracy charges
against Augustus Hartje, John L.
Welshons and Clifford Hooe, the coach
Festus NJ King tomorrow regardless
of the divorce case. There would be
no further arrests for a few days, he
said
John Marion. attorney for Augustus
Hartje, made a sensational charge in
the Police Court this evening when he
accused John Freeman of counsel for
Mrs. Hartje of attempting to unload a
bundle Of newly forged letters upon
him.
Marron's accusation was made at the
hearing Of Bernard McElroy, alias Ed
ward Larsen, who attempted TO sell
Marion seven letters. which he alleged
were written TO him by Tom Nadine.
the coachnaan correspondent, some time
ago. The letters contained statements
from Nadine concerning Mrs Hartje.
They Were not even an attempt at Ma
dimes handwriting. however, and the
only similarity was in the signature
Tom" which was slightly like that Of
Madness, as IL appears or the alleged
forged post card
McElroy went TO AIarron's Office and
negotiated the sale Of the letters. He
was TO get SIS fer them. Marion had
him arrested and he is charged with
forgery, issuing a forged instrument
and attempt 10 defraud. McElroy told
a story Of having met a man on the
street who sent him to John Freeman's
Office. first 10 offer the letters to Free
man and then sent to Marion, telling
him If he sold them TO Marion he would
give him SO in addition 70 the s25 he
was 10 get for the letters. Marron as
serted that Freeman had tried TO work
some forged letters on him and took
this manner of doing il He had McEl-
roy held in $500 bail.