The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1910-07-22

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70 ny DAg9H1E 81
kota Dan" to members OF the Rous-
seau family, and there was. or course
q battle" Of handwriting experts,
each c~ontradicting the other. And
Dakota Dan" brought witnesses TO
show that the letters were forgerles,
and that the addresses had been writ
ten on the envelopes after the post
office cancellation marks had been
stamped thereon.
To these letters were added an ap-
~plication form for membership In the
Woodmen of the World. This con-
tanned the family history of Rousseau
and said that he had three brothers
and two sisters living and that an
other brother had been killed In a
railroad accident. All of which was
apparently true. Dakota Dams eX-
perts asserted that the answer had not
ben written by him, but a been
filled in by others at a later PERIOD
his handwriting having been initiated.
Thereupon the Russell lawyers showed
that the paper had remained In the
archives of the WoOdmen OF the
World until the court ordered its pro
ductiOn.
The trial dragged on for several
months and as 1t was nearing the end
a second Daniel Blake Russell, who
WAS to be called Fresno Dan" came
out from his fruit ranch In Fresno
Cal. Out there he was as
Henry Johnson, but in Melrose, the
home of the Russells, he was recog-
nized as the missing Dan" by the re
sDOnsible citizens. He seemed 10 De
we'll informed as to the details OF Dan
iel's early life in Melrose, but Dakota
Dan" declared that his rival had been
brought on to cheat him u OIL MS
rights. Judge Lawton, before whom
the tedious case was tried, finally de-
cided in favor of Fresno Dam and
hat night the Judge was burned III
efigv by an angry crowd of Dakota
Dams" supporters. If the case Is car
ried to a higher court little may be
left of the estate, for the litigation has
already cost a huge sum.
In the many efforts of Albert T. Pat
c-o1 l;-oco1f from q life ser
tence for the murder of William
Marsh Rice, an aged recluse. people
have almost forgotten that Patrick
was first charged with forgery in con
nection with the old mans Will. Pat
rick. a lawyer, had learned of Marsh's
wealth and his weak state OF mlno
through a suit In a Texas court, and
he gained the confidence of Charles
F.. Jones. valet to the recluse, Jones
becoming the lawyers tool.
Rice, in fact, never knew Patrick
although the latter posed as the mil
~lionaire's attorney, always working
through Jones, who confessed that he
killed his master at the lawyers in
~stigation. Motive for the murder was
held to be desire on the part OF Pat
rick to obtain control of Rice's for
tune by means Of a forged Will, ant
the murder was accomplished by
ZONES at Patrick's command, chloro
form being the death medium. Jones
was allowed to go free, while Patr1cl
was sentenced to death. This was
in 1902. Governor Higgins commutec
the sentence 10 life Imprisonment, ane
since that time Patrick has made 2;
unsuccessful attempts to regain his
freedom.
Photographic records of testimony
in a will case were taken In Boston
for use at another trial, If permitted
by the court. This unusual procedure
was the result of the illness of ont
of the principal witnesses, who wa!
Obliged to undergo a surgical opera
ton Immediately after giving evi
dence. Should it be necessary to N
troduce these records, the attitude o
the court toward them will be OF In
terest to the legal profession gener
ally. for it might serve to create
. precedent.
Nuncupative or oral Wills, the RICH
tn make which lies only with sailor
at sea or soldiers in the field, ar
somewhat rare, but one was admitte'
to probate in Kings county last De
cember by Surrogate Ketchham. TIL
will was made by. George O'Connor
chief engineer Of the steamship Dor
!, othy, while the vessel was In mid
|, cean. All that he said was: Every
7 thing that / have belongs to my daugh
ter, Lizzie" and the will was proves
, with the aid of two witnesses, the car
tain and first officer Of the Dorothy.