Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-23
MISS CASSELMAN
DENIES CHARGES
GIRL TESTIFIES IN HER OWN
BEHALF
sLAMEs COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR
FOR DIFFICULTY
Younu Woman's Testimony Attracts
Much Attention, and Court Room
Is Thronged by Interested
Listeners

Ruby Casselman, the young woman
charged with forgery, was a witness
in her own behalf yesterday afternoon,
and had not concluded her testimony
when court adjourned for the day.
Miss Casselman's attorney took up
one by one the checks his client Is
charged with forging, and of each she
| denied knowledge.
Although Miss Casselman is on trial
on the specific charge of attempting 10
pass a worthless check on the First
| National bank on Decembmer 81, on
which day she was arrested, the ques-
tions Yesterday for the most part were
directed to the check payable to
Katherine Ward and purporting to be
signed by M. A. Ward, which was
cashed at the American National bank
| on December IL.
THE defendant testified that she had
been in a telegraph school at the time
this check is said to have been passed,
and a number of witnesses gave testi-
mony which seemed to uphold her
statements.
Scrip in her possession on that day,
| she said, had been given to her by her
foster father, M. A. Martin, and she
in turn gave it to number or the
students, who after changing the pa
per then in use into currency, returned
GIs
to Miss Mabel Wilson, who was ABOUT
to leave the CITY,
The young woman also said she wore
a white waist on that day, the first
time she had used waist of that
color for some weeks. The person who
passed. the check is said to have worn
a black waist and carried music roll,
and Miss Casselman says she does not
own q music roll.
BIames Instructor
When she was questioned concerning
the Lille B. Sharpe check purport1ng
to be signed by F. w. Blanchard, MISS
Casselman said the check had been
given to her by the proprietor OF the
telegraph school, J. w. Belding. IN
eliminating papers alleged to have
been found in her purse she SAID were
not there on the morning or Decems
ber 81. Her purse, she said. was gen
orally placed in an upper drawer OF
Belongs desk at the suggestion OF
Belding himself, who, she said, told
her 1t would be safe there.
"Belding called me to his desk about
o'clock that day." said Miss Cassel-
man. "and asked me to mail some cat
alogues for him. Then he said he had
a. check to be cashed and wanted me
to go to the bank, but I protested, as
was afraid I would again get into
trouble. I finally consented, however.
and he placed the folded check In my
purse and told me 1t would not be
necessary to indorse 1t. 1 went to the
bank and my arrest followed"
Denies Making Statement
Miss Casselman declared President
Elliot of the bank was mistaken when
he said she admitted having made the
check. She also said any admissions
she may have made to the police were
for the purpose of keeping them from
worrying her, as she was on the point
of breaking down under her trouble.
Miss Casselman, speaking of the nu-
merous other checks so far introduced
in the evidence, said she saw them for
the first time either in the district at
torney's office or at the trial. She de-
MED all knowledge of discriminating
papers said to have been found in her
purse and indicated by her statement
that they were placed there in order to
involve her in crime. The young
woman said she was paid salary of
$40 a week by Belding, thus apparently
accounting for money spent by her in
amusements and for necessaries.
A mysterious letter was also brought
into the case yesterday, but it's con-
tents were not read to the jury. This