The daily sentinel., 1907-03-20
AN ANONYMOUS LETTER
Hand Writing Expert on Stand Man,
Hours i'm the Jayncs
Trial

J. R. King, paying teller Of the
Firset National Bank of Denver. and
who, as announced in yesterdays
known as an expert on hand writing,
Sentinel, was called to the stand in
/ the Jaynes trial late yesterday after
| roon, occupied the witness stand
again nearly the whole course of this
mornings session.
Mr.. King was brought here from
Denver by the defense for the pur-
pose of endeavoring TO prove that o.
w. Hoskins. was the writer of an an
onymous letter that Jaynes claims to
have received.
NO name was signed to the letter,
The defense claims that it was writ
ten by Hoskins. The prosecution
endeavors to prove that It was not
written by Hosllins OF at his dl-
rection. y number of samples of
Hoskin's handwriting were exhibit
ed and the expert undertook to show
by demonstration on blackboard
and by oral explanation that there
was a similarity in the writing of
these acknowledged samples of Mr.
Hoskins writing and this anonymous
letter.
The expert declared that in his
opinion the anonymous communica-
ton was written by Mr.. Hoskins.
Attorney Carnahan for the prose-
cution put King through a most Sc
we're and long drawn out cross exam
nation.
The expert was put on the stand
at ten O'Clock and was not excused
until nearly noon. He testified that
he had made a study of hand writ
ing and that he had been paying tel
Ter of the Denver National bank for
19 years.
Just before noon Judge shackle-
ford ruled that the letter could be
read to the jury and go in as evidence
offered by the defense and 1t is now
up to the prosecution to prove con-
clusively that Hoskins did not write
this letter The admission ofthelette
is considered big victory by the de-
fense.
The letter is quite lengthy and is
signed "J.F." 1t was directed to Jay
mes and deals with the troubles be
tween himself and HosAIns. The writ
er processes to be friend of Jay
nes informs him that there is con-
siderable talk about lynching him
if he was found guilty of poisoning
Hoskins' horses, hints that there Isl
sufficiently strong evidence to con-
vict him and then advises him to-
settle with Hoskins and hush the
matter up "if it takes half of all you
have got" Then the writer under
takes to put Jaynes next" to how to
make a settlement. He hints that
tlement, that Jaynes should get at
Hoskins through his partner" who
is hard up just now" and suggests
that his partner be given "a few eos
or so" and declares that this part
ner" could "pull Hoskins"
Attorney Logan read the letter to
the jury and It was accepted as evil
dence. The prosecution claims that
this letter was never written or seen
by Hoskins until yesterday.
1t is pretty hard to tell just which
side of the case is securing the larg-
est number of triumphs as the case
nroorasses. Fash side is being ably
handled.
The cross-examination of Malcom
Swanson, one of the men who swore
on direct examination that he was on
Jaynes' packing house roof the night
Jaynes and the detective are alleged
to have had the conversation in which
,Javnes confessed directly to killing
the Hoskins' horses, had tendency
to weaken Swanson's testimony. On
this cross-examination Swanson ad-
mitted that he had conversation
with a Mr.. Wilson some time ago I'M
which he discussed this alleged con-
fession of Jaynes. Attorney Logan
for the defense, asked him If he did
not tell Wilson that one of the two
whom he supposed was the
detective talked very loud that night
and the other one, whom he thought
was Jaynes. talked so low he couldn't
understand what he said. Mr.. Swan
son admitted that he might have said
so. Friends of the defendant believe
that this cross examination largely
weakened Malcom's testimony.
Soon after court opened this af-
ternoon. Chester E. Jaynes, the de-
fendant was called to the stand. he
made sweeping denials of all the
charges. He declared that never at
anv time had he told the detective
watson that he poisoned Hoskins
horses and denied making a trip to-
town on the night Of May Sth with
watson or of having conversation
that night with Watson in which ne
told of how he poisoned the horses.
He declared that he was at home all
Of the night of March 17.19O6, the
night the horses We're poisoned
Javues was very slow in answer
- ~, orestions and talked so low