Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-06-18
AUTHOR INSISTS
THAT CLEVELAND
SIGNED ARTICLE
COURT HEARS BRANDENBURG'S
STATEMENT TO JURY
MINUTES REVEAL DETAILS OF
QUESTIONED INTERVIEW
Editor Who Received Manuscript Says
Name of Former President Was
Cut Off for Purpose of
Identification
(By Associated Press.)

nj EW YORK, June 7.-Charles M.
" Lincoln, Sunday editor sof the
AZ New York Times, was recalled to-
day at the continuation of the trial of
Broughton Brandenburg on a charge of
grand larceny 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
Jacobs for the defense, Mr. Lincoln
stated that he had twice sent reporter
to see f. S. Hastings, one of the execu-
tors under Mr.. Cleveland's will, to
ascertain if the article was genuine.
Two letters which the witness said tine
reporter had obtained from Mr.. Hast
ings were admitted in evidence. In. one
of them over the signature of +. >.
Hastings the statement was made that
the writer had given Brandenburg "a
formal written assignment by which he
had the exclusive right to said article.
The second letter said in part:
II have examined the signature sub
mitted to me by Mr.. Ybarra and COM
pared it with others of Mr.. Cleveland
and believe that the one submitted by
Mr.. Ybarra is genuine. l have no
reason to believe the article furnished
you by Mr.. Brandenburg purporting to
have been written by Mr.. Cleveland is
not genuine"
Preserved the Signature
Mr.. Lincoln adhered under cross ex-
animation to his positive identification
of the article as the one Brandenburg
had given him. He had cut off the
signature and preserved if after send
ing the article to the composing room,
he testified.
Lincoln said the original article had
been returned to Brandenburg after it's
4 I1A oh
jected 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 later Volun-
tarily had returned the article to the
newspaper office following the agita-
ton over its genuineness, although 1t
might have been given to some one else
there.
The witness said he had no recollec-
ton of Brandenburg saying anything
about intending to sell the article to
the Republican national committee, but
stated that the committee had called
the office on the telephone and asked
permission to use the article and credit
it to the Times.
Says Cleveland Signed
After Lincoln had stated on redirect
examination that Brandenburg had
told him he needed the signature for
his own protection he. was excused and
the prosecution began to read Bran
denburgs testimony before the grand
jury which indicted him. In his tes-
timony Brandenburg stated that he
had typewritten the article himself.
"Who signed it?" was the question.
"Mr. Cleveland" was the answer the
prosecutor received.
The author told the grand jury, ac-
cording to the minutes, that Mr.. Cleve-
land signed the article at his office,
No. / Madison avenue. There was no
one else present. The authors testi-
mony as read ran on to the effect that
after Mr. Cleveland had refused him
an interview he had asked that Mr.
Cleveland prepare the series of ar
ticles to be sold by Brandenburg, but
Mr.. Cleveland had replied that he did
not think this would be dignified.
According to the writer's testimony,
Mr.. Cleveland finally wrote some TWEEN
ty or thirty sheets of notes which
Brandenburg carried home, afterWard
typewriting them, taking this copy to
Mr. Cleveland for correction, and re-
copying the corrected article. His sug-
gestions as to cutting out certain pas
sages had been adopted, Brandenburg
said Mr.. Cleveland was not we'll when
he took the article back, Brandon
burg's testimony went on, and he OBJ
1ected to looking it over, but finally
did sign it, the manuscript notes being
left with Mr.. Cleveland. He also told
of conversations with Mr.. Hastings
after the ex-president's death, in which
cifically authorized him to sell the ar
ticle. Mr. Cleveland's signature, Bran
denburg testified, was attached about
March G, 1908