The Oskaloosa herald., 1909-06-17
CLEVELAND STORY
DECLARED FALSE.
Widow Says Signature on Braden,
burg Article Was Forged.
HARD BLOW TO THE DEFENSE
Never Admitted Husband Was Author
Of Article Sold to New York
Paper During the Presi-
II DENTAL Campaign. -

New York, June 16.-Mrs Frances
Folsom Cleveland, widow of former
President Grover Cleveland, on the
witness stand before Justice Fitzger'
aid in the trial of Broughton Branden.
burg, magazine writer, on the charge
of grand larceny, declared positively
that the signature to an article sold
by Brandenburg to the New York
Times and purporting to be that of
her late husband, was false sigma.
ture
Mrs. Cleveland was shown letters
and checks written and signed by her
distinguished husband. She identified
the handwriting and she was then
shown the signature put to the Bran.
denburg article This was encased in
glass and had been detached from
the manuscript of the article sold to
the Times.
is that your husbands signature?
Assistant District Attorney Mott asked
her.
1T is not"
Says Signature Is False.
Mrs. Cleveland said that she had
examined il carefully on three former
occasions. She said it was a false
signature. Mr.. Mott completed his di.
rect examination at this point. Law.
yer Samuel Bell Thomas cross.exam.
ined Mrs. Cleveland for the defense.
Mrs. Cleveland looked rather pale
as she entered court and was sworn
She was dressed in a plain tailor
made suit of black, with bit of white
at her neck which accentuated the
lack of color in her face She wore
small black hat and a light black
veil, which she threw back on her
shoulders while she was testifying
Assistant District Attorney Mott
opened for the prosecution and re-
lated the Incident leading UP to the
publication of the letter. Mr.. Mott
said that the state would show that
Brandenburg waited until Mr.. Cleve.
land died before he attempted to sell
the article purporting to have been
signed by Mr.. Cleveland.
Calls IT, Injury to Public.
"A man who will attach the name
Of former president to false ar
ticle and inject the article into a
national campaign performs a grave
injury to the public" said Mr.. Mott
Mrs. Cleveland said she authorized
Mr.. Hastings to write the Times and
say that they questioned the anthem
ITCHY of the signature to the article.
Mrs. Cleveland said she had received
letter, and only one, from Mr.. Bran
denburg in regard to the article,
early in August, 1908. She could not
remember of ever talking with the
defendant over the telephone in re.
gard to the matter.
did you read the article itself
when 1t appeared In the Times?"
asked Mr.. Thomas. '''.' ''' .'"ft
ooh. yes, read II very carefully"
Mrs. Cleveland replied.
Never Said Article Was Genuine.
On redirect examination Mr.. Mott
asked the witness " she had ever au.
thorized Mr. Hastings to write the
New York Times and say that the
signature on the disputed article was
genuine. She said she had not. Mrs.
Cleveland was then excused. ..s
G. M. Lincoln, Sunday editor Of the
New York Times. followed Mrs. Cleve.
land as witness. He testified that
he had received the Grover Cleve.
land" article from Brandenburg about
a week before 1t was published Au.
gust 30, 1908. Brandenburg had seen
him and talked with him about the
article few days before that and
told him it was one of three Mr..
Cleveland had promised to write early
in the year bearing upon the cam
psign, but that Illness had prevented
Mr.. Cleveland from writing more than
the one.