The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-18
BRANOENbURG IS
PUTTING UP FIGHT
Line of Defense in the Famous
Cleveland Article Case
Now Indicated.
EDITOR OF NEW YORK
TIMES ON THE STAND
Letter From Executor Hastings
Expresses Belief That Sig
nature Was Genuine.


NEW YORK, June 17.-Charles M
Lincoln, Sunday editor OF the New
York Times was recalled today at the
continuation of the trial Of BroughJ"n
Brandcnburg, on charge of grand lnr'
ceny growing out Of the sale of an
alleged forged letter of the late Grover
Cleveland TO the New York Times.
On cross-examination by Attorney
jacob, for the defense, Mr.. Lincoln
stated that he had twice sent reporter
TO T. S. Hastings, one of the executors
under Mr. Cleveland 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
them, over the signature Of +. S. Has
tings, the statement was made that
the writer had given Brandenburg ga
formal writer assignment by when
he mas tnc exclusive light to said arti-
Gle -
The second letter said in part:
Believed Signature Genuine.
f'I have examined the signature sub
mitted to ME by Mr.. Ybarra and COM
pared it with others of Mr.. Cleveland s,
and believe that the ore submitted by
Mr.. Ybarra is genuine. | have no rea-
son to believe the article furnished you
by Mr.. Brandenburg purporting to have
been written by Mr.. Cleveland is not
genuine
Mr.. Lincoln adhered under crossex"
animation TO his positive Identification
of the article as the one Brandenburg
had given him. He had cut off the sig
nature and preserved it after sending
the article to the composing room, he
testified.
Mr.. Lincoln said the original article
had been returned TO Brandenburg after
its publications: that Brandenburg had
objected to the signature having heen
cut off and that he informed the de-
fendapt, 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 arti-
Gle To the newspaper Office, following
the agitation over its genuineness, al
though it might have been given to
some one els, there.
Political Significance.
Che witness said be had no reecl-
lection Of Brandenburg s saying any
thing about intending TO sell the arti.
Gle TO the Republican national commit
tee, but stated that the committee had
called the Office on the telephone and
asked permission 20 use the article and
credit it to the Times.
After Mr.. Lincoln had stated on re"
direct examination that Brandenburg
had told him that he needed the sigma
ture for his own protection, Mr.. Lincoln
WAS excused and the prosecution began
to read Brandenburg testimony before
the grand jury which indicted him.
In this testimony Brandenburg stated
that he had typewriter the article him
self
"Who signed it7'' was the question.
Mr.. Cleveand,' - 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 bis office, No.
Madison avenue. There was no one
else present. The authors testimony.
as read, ran on to the effect that after
Mr., Cleveland had refused him an, in.
teryiew, he had asked that Mr.. Cleve-
land prepare the series of articles to
he sold by Brandenburg but Mr.. Cleve-
land had replied that he did not think
this would be dignifed.
Peculiar Procedure.
According TO the writer IS testimony.
Mr.. Cleveland finally wrote some twenty
or thirty sheets of notes which MI.
Brandenburg carried home, afterward
typewrlting them, taking this copy 10
Mr.. Cleveland for correction, and re
copying the corrected article His sup-
gestions as TO cutting out certain pas
sages had been adopted, Brandenburg
testified
Mr.. Cleveland was not we'll when he
took the article back, Brandenbure'
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 arti-
Gle TO several magazines before offering
1t 10 the Times and of Mr.. Cleveland's
disappointment at the price offered. He
also told Of conversations with Mr.. Has
fings after the ex- presidents 8 death. in
which the writer declared Mr. Hastings
specifically authorized him to sell the
article. Mr.. Cleyelaud's signature,
Brandenburg testified, was attached
about March 6, 1908.
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