The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-19
EXPERTS GIVE
THEIR OPINION
Declare Cleyeland's Sig
nature a Forgery.
TRIAL OF BRANDENBURG
Counsel For The Defense Creates a
Mild Sensation.
Brandenbursss Atterney says he Does
Not Contend That signature In
Genuine-won't Combat
Mrs. CleveIand's
Evidence.

New York, June 18.--The authenticity
Of two words on slip of paper In a
glass case--Grover Cleveland-about
which the trial OF Broughton Branden-
burg, the magazine writer, charged
with grand larceny for the sale to The
New York Times of an article purport-
Ing to have been written by Mr.. Cleve-
land, has largely conferred so far. lost
something of its Importance today,
when Brandenburg's counsel announced
that his client would admit that the
signature was forgery, and not that
OF the former President of the United
States.
This rather surprising turn In the
case, occurred after Richard Watson
Glider. the veteran magazine editor.
had declared emphatically on the stand
that the signature shown him was not
that of his old friend, Grover Cleveland.
At this point, Brandenburg's lawyer In
terposed statement:
1--WE do not contend" he said, shat
the signature in the glass case is gen.
uine. After Mr.. Glider and Mrs. Cleve-
land have said II was not, we would
not possibly presume to say It was"
That's news to me-" said Assistant
District Attorney Mott. You've pro.
tested right along that 1t was genu.
ine."
I'VE have not" replied the lawyer
for the defense. we are willing to
stipulate that the signature In the
glass case Is not genuine"
AS II approving the attitude taken
by his counsel, Brandenburg turned
and said:
1--WE intend to show that the forged
signature was substituted for the real
one. 1 never saw this signature until
the trial commenced"
The prosecution rested It's case to-
day and after the opening for the de-
tense, Brandenburg was on the stand
for a short while. Testimony OF the
two handwriting experts, both OF whom
pronounced the signature a forgery,
and added that in their opinion. the
defendant wrote II himself and that Of
two women stenographers. who de-
scribsd the preparation OF the article,
took up most Of today's session.
Ef&rert Testimony.
Expert testimpny was introduced
early today In the trial Of Rreuehton
Brandenburg. the writer, on charge
OF grand larceny.
The purpose OF the evidence was to
prove that the alleged forged letter
Of Grover Cleveland which Branden-
burg sold TO The New York Times last
August, was typewritten more than a
month after Mr.. Cleyeland's. death
Harry J. Humphrey. typewriting ex-
pert, testified that he could recognize
the characters of any individual type
writer. and declared, when shown the
copy Of the Cleveland article, that II
had been written on the machine pro-
duced in court yesterday. Miss Lii
liam Bacon stenographer, testified
yesterday that she had written an ar
ticle at Brandenburg's dictation on the
machine in question on August 10
last.
william C. Reick, managing direc-
tor of The Times, identified the alleged
forged signature of Mr.. Cleveland as
the one attached to the article when
he had authorized its purchase from
Brandenburg. In accepting the ar
ticie he had relied on the genuineness
of the signature. Brapdenburg mad
told him, he testified on cross examina-
ton, that he (Brandenburg) had writ
ten parts OF the article, but that the
whole had been signed by Mr.. Cleve-
land.
Mr.. Reick was not shaken by the
close questioning of the cross exami-
nation In his positive Identification Of
the signature. He had authorized the
return of the article minus the sigma
ture to Brandenburg, but had asked
him for It about week after It's pub
lcaIlOn Wncu uOuDb VI IT'S BGAuAAGASSS
began to bother him.
When Mr.. Reick was excused the dis
puted signature, enclosed in glass
case, was offered in evidence and over
objection by the defense, was admit
ted.
Lillian A. Bacon, the stenographer
alleged to have written the Cleveland
article for Brandenburg in August, was
recalled to testify concerning a re-
L1,-n. .Aav.I han he a~fz
was being transcribed Brandenburg
saying something about part of the
article being "Clevelandesque" the wit
ness stated.
Madeline Fearon, Miss Bacon's as
sistant, recounted in substance on the
witness sta 1d the incidents of the
typewritlng Of the Cleveland article as
Miss Bacon had previously related
them. Brandenburg was writing dur
ing the copying process. she stated,
and what he wrote was Incorporated
into the matter being typewriter.
CIeveIand's Friend Testf1es.
Richard Watson Glider, who was a
close friend Of Mr.. Cleveland testified
that the signature alleged to have been
clipped from the article sold by Bran
denburg, was not that Of Mr.. Cleve-
writing expert, testified that the sig
nature was a forgery and that in his
opinion Brandenburg had written it.
When Mr.. Glider had testified that
the signature in evidence was not in
Mr.. Cleveland's handwriting, Mr.. ia
CODY for the defense, created something
of a sensation by declaring that the
defense did not intend to contend that
the signature was a genuine signature
of Mr.. Cleveland
I'VE don't know whether 1t Is or not,
but>we do not attempt to combat the
evidence OF Mrs. Cleveland and Mr..
Glider" added the attorney.
When Mr.. Carvaiho was called Mr.
Jacoby said that the defense would
concede that he would testify that the
cleveland signature was not genuine
one.
II am going TO show more than
that" retorted Assistant District At
torney Mott. II am going to prove that
the defendant wrote that signature. :"
Mr.. Varvalho then testified to hav-
ing compared the Cleveland signature
with rg's<handwrlting. espe-
.ialIy with the word Cleveland" in
letter written by the defendant and
declared that In his opinion the Same
hand wrote them both. Mr.. Carvalho
also testified that the Cleveland article
In evidence was written on the type
writing machine which has figured in
the case. On cross examination Mr..
was asked IL he had not been