The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-17
WAS IT F0RCERY?
Broughton Brandenburg Has an
Inning Today.
Sunday Editor of Times Says
Signature Was Verified.
THE AUTHORS STORY
Tells How the Article Was Put
Into Shape.
EX. DiSannOinted at
THE AUTHORS STORY
Ex-President Disappointed at
the Price Offered.


New York, June 17.-Charles M. Lin
coin, Sunday editor of the New York
Times, was recalled today at the con-
tinuation of the trial of Broughton
Brandepburg, on a charo> of grand
larceny growing out of the sale of an
alleged forged letter of the late Grover
Cleveland to the New York Times. Mrs.
Frances Folsom Cleveland, widow of
the late president, at the beginning of
the trial had testified that the sig
nature of Mr.. Cleveland attached to the
article was a forgery.
The article was admitted in evidence
at the close of the session on Tuesday
On cross examination by Attorney
jacob, for the defense, Mr.. Lincoln
stated that he had twice sent reporter
to F. S. Hastings, one of the executors
under Mr.. Cleveiand's will, to ascer-
tain if the article was genuine. Two
letters which the witness said the re-
porter had obtained from Mr.. Hastings,
were admitted in evidence. In one of
ingS, the statement was made that the
writer had given Brandenburg "a
formal written statement by which he
has the exclusive right to said article"
The second letter said in part:
Il have examined the signature sub
pared it with others of Mr.. Cleve-
lands and believe that the one sub
mitted by Mr.. Ybarra is genuine.
have no reason to believe the article
purporting to have been written by
Mr.. Cleveland is not genuine
Mr.. Lincoln adhered under cross-ex-
animation to his positive identification
as to the one Brandenburg had given
him. He had cut off the signature and
preserved it after sending the article
to the composing room he testified.
The witness said he had not relied
or Brandenburg' representations as to
the genuineness of the article, his re-
lance being placed solely on the state
ment made by Mr.. Hastings. Brandon
burg had told him when the article was
first presented that the article and sig
nature were genuine. he said.
Mr.. Lincoln said the original article
had been returned to Brandenburg af-
ter the publication; that Brandenburg
had objected to the signature having
been cut off and that he informed the
defendant that the signature would not
be given up because the genuineness
OF the article had been questioned. He
did not know that Brandenburg had
later voluntarily returned the article to
the newspaper Office, following the agi-
tation over its genuineness, although
it might have been given to some one
else there. Tuesday of this week was
the first time he had seen it again.
he declared.
The witness said he had no recol-
lection of Brandenburg's saying any
thing about intending to sell the
article to the Republican national
committee but stated that that COM
mittee has called the office on the
telephone and asked permission to use.
the article and credit it to the Times.
After Mr.. Lincoln had stated on
redirect examination that Branden-
burg had told him he needed the
signature for his own protection. Mr..
Lincoln was excused and the prescott
ton began to read Brandenburg's
testimony before the grand jury
In this testimony Brandenburg,
stated that he had typew-itten the
article himself.
who signed it ?" was the question.
Mr.. Cleveland" was the answer the
prosecutor read.
The author told the grand jury, ac-
cording to the minutes, that Mr.. Cleve-
land signed the article at his office,
No. 1 Madison avenue. There was none
else present The authors testimony
as read ran on to the effect that after
Mr.. Cleveland had refused him an in
terview he had asked that Mr.. Cleve-
land prepare the series of articles to be
sold by Brandenburg, but Mr.. C1eve-
land had replied that he did not think
this would be dignified.
Cleveland Wrote Notes.
According to the writer's testimony.
Mr.. Cleveland finally wrote some 20 or
30 sheets of notes which Mr.. NBranden-
burg carried home, afterward type writ-
ing them, taking this copy to Mr.
Cleveland for correction and recopying
the corrected article. His suggestions
as to cutting out certain passages had
been adopted, Brandenburg testified.
Mr.. Cleveland was not well when he
took the article back, Brandenberg's
testimony went on, and he objected to
looking it over, but finally did sign it,
the manuscript notes being left with
Mr. Cleveland.
The writer told of offering the ar
ticle to several magazines before Of
fering it to the Times and of Mr..
Cleveland's disappointment at the
price offered. He also told of CONVEX
sations with Mr.. Hastings after the
ex-president's DEATH in which the wri-
ter declared Mr.. Hastings specially au
thorized him to sell the article.
thorized him to sell the article. Mr..
Cleveland's signature. Brandenburg
testified was attached about March s,
1908.