Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-31
GIRLS STORY
REMARKABLE
RUBY cAssELMAN TEsTIFiEs IN
HER OWN BEHALF
DENIES HAVING FORGED THE
CHECKS
Beautiful Defendant Attempts to Es-
tabIish Allbi-CIaims to Have Been
in School When Paper
Was Cashed


II am as positive that Ruby Cassel-
man presented that check for payment
at my window in the American Ma
tional bank on December II as would
be had my own mother presented it,"
II did not present that check at the
bank on December II or any other date
and never saw the paper before 1t was
shown me at the district attorney s
Office following my arrest on December
81. I can account for my movements
on that day and feel / have been made
the victim of some person. l was
forced by my lawyers and friends to
plead guilty to passing check for $400
on the West Side bank some years
ago, and never knowingly presented a
forged check for payment in my life
The first of the above statements was
made by Henry A. Keeler, paying teller
at the American National bank, in the
examination before Judge e. e. Selph
yesterday of Ruby Casselman, charged
with forging the name of Miss Kath-
crime Ward, teacher of vocal music
with rooms In the Blanchard building,
| to q check for $50 on December H.
| The second statement was made by
Miss Casselman herself and her ap-
pearance on the stand, together with
the large amount of corroborative tes-
| timony in her behalf, gave color of con-
| viction to her story.
| Tells Sensational Story
| And this was not the full story she
| told, for the examination, branching off
from it's relationship to the specific
charge on which she appeared included
another charge to which she pleaded
guilty some years ago and as a result
was placed on probation by Judge
Wilbur of the superior court.
Miss Casselman believes she has been
made the victim of INSCRIPTIONS per-
sons, and she expressed this belief so
strongly while on the witness stand
that it would appear the testimony of
these persons is absolutely necessary to
refute her statements.
When the examination began yester-
day morning the little justice court had
the appearance of a class room in
girls seminary. Every seat was filled
with former Sunday school associates
and students of the telegraph school in
which the undeniably pretty defendant
was pupil and teacher at one and the
same time, and the prevailing vivacity
and cheerfulness before the examina-
tion began contributed an air of school
girl days directly in contrast with the
stern proceedings of the law half
hour later.
Bank Teller Testifles
Henry A. Keeler, paying teller at the
American National bank, was the first
witness called for the prosecution. He
identified the check said to have been
passed by Miss Casselman on Decem-
bnr IL, purporting to be signed by Mrs.
c. A. Ward and indorsed by her daugh-
ter, Katherine Ward. He was positive
in his declaration that Miss Casselman
was the person who presented the
check and tn whom he maid S60.
"Do you know the meaning of per-
jury?" asked Attorney c. Judson
Brown, representing Miss Casselman.
ST certainly do" replied the witness.
Miss Katherine Ward, a vocal
teacher, said she had not indorsed the
check and that her mother had not
signed 1t. The signature, she said, re-
sembled her mothers somewhat, except
the last few letters
Miss Ward said she had a desk in her
reception room to which access could
be had by others without her knowl-
edge and her writing and that of her
mother was easily available to any per-
son seeking them. She did not know
Miss Casselman, she said, meeting her
for the first time yesterday.
Chum Defends Girl
Miss Fannie Davis, student in the
telegraph school in which the defendant
was q teacner, apparently dcCOuHleu lOC
almost every moment of Miss Cassel-
man on December II, the day on which
the check is said to have been passed.
Miss Davis is blessed with a remark
able memory, and not only detailed I'M
cidents occurring on that day but told
of her own movements, with schedule
like exactitude and covering ten days
following the day on which the check
is said to have been uttered
miss Casselman and were at the
school at o'clock on the morning OF
December H." she said. I remember
the date because entered the school
the previous day. She gave the girls
some scrip to change into currency for
Mabel Wilson, who was going. east and
could not use the scrip. She left the
school at 1890 with Miss Wilson, for
I saw her go when I was leaning over
the railing. She came back at 1:05 in
the afternoon, and later we went with
Miss Wilson to the Arcade depot, where
Miss Wilson boarded a train. Ruby
wore white lawn shirt waist that day.
the first time In December she had
worn one"
Stories Differ
According to the paying teller the de-
fendant wore a black waist and carried
a music roll when she presented the
check between 1 and o'clock In the
afternoon.
MISS DdNlS dlSO Sdiu SilS
the defendant everywhere during bank
ing hours, indicating that her friend
needed protection from persons endeav-
oring to implicate her in crime. Others
supported Miss Davis in her testimany,
among them the witness mother and
the foster parents of Miss Casselman.
But it remained for Miss Casselman
herself to create the most interest in
the proceedings, her story being little
short of sensational.
st was in the school when this check
is said to have been passed." she de-
clared, land never saw the paper be-
fore it was shown to me in the district
attorneys Office. I was never in Miss
Wards studio"
''Do you remember writing the name
of S. w. Blanchard to a check?" asked
John North, deputy district attorney.
mo, SIR" she replied positively.
"Where did you get the check, then?"
Asked to Cash Check
"Mr. Belding, who runs the telegraph |
school, gave 1t to me and asked me to
get it cashed.'
"Do you remember a check on the
West Side bank for $400 and your