The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-16
Prichard Tells Jury He
Wrote Famous Letter
Signed by Wife.
DEALS HARD BLOW
TO PLAINTIFF SIDE
John Ratcliffe Brings Witnesses
to Corroborate His Testimony
That He Was at White Sui
phur on Dates Men
acknowledgements
Begins To-Day.

aside the little tecnnlCau-
ties which counsel for the plaintiff at
tempted TO interpose to ward off the
weight Of his evidence, c. B. Prichard.
formerly assistant district attorney OF
Pittsburgh testified yesterday in the
Walker -Ratcltfe $4,000 alienation
suit. on trial in the Law and Equity
Court that he dictated the disputed
Walker letter" to Mrs Walker. in
which the young wife informed her
husband that she had not been in
huenced against him by any of her
family Prichard said that he saw
and corrected the grammar and phrase
oloGy of the original after she had
taken II from her typewriter. AS soon
as he had left the stand, Mrs. Walker
unafraid, and with all the marvellous
coolncss which has characterized her
since the trial began. made a copy OF
the letter, at the dictation OF Mr..
Meredith. and handed 1t to the NOM
oers OF the jury for their scrutiny.
Mrs. Walker Copies 1t In Court.
IT. showed exactly the same defect
or the period key to which attention
had been called by Mr.. Wendenburg.
ana bore all the marks which had dis
tnguished the original and first
aroused the suspicion of the attorneys
Tor the plaintiff as to its authenticity.
She copied the letter then on John
l.: Ratcliffe's typewriter, on which the
plaintins counsel had hinted that the
original had been typed. and 1t showed
no defect identical with that found in
the original
With other evidence to show thot
dohn Ratcliffe was at the White Sui
phur Springs on June 13 and II. Mr..
Meredith proved beyond his opponents
power TO contradict that the much
disputed letter was written by Mrs
walker on June l5, and one of tho
pi'olai points on which the PLAINTIFFS
had
! hihSe their case was irrevocably de-
stroyed.
Witnesses for the Defense.
r. r.; Kinks, agent OF the Chesapeake.
and Ohio Railway Company, and also
agent or the Adams Express Company.
Il. White sulphur Springs; y. NJ Bill.
steward OF the hotel and steward OF
the Chamberlin Hotel and Miss O. M
w, Milpur. managing housekeeper at the
Whitc Sulphur Springs Hotel. swore
positively that John Ratcliffe was at
the West Virginia resort on June n
ana ~ leaving on June Is. and so
could not have written the "yyalker,
letter and mailed it in Richmond to his
sister on the night OF June II in time
Tor her to remail 1t to her husband
on the following day.
Ihe three witnesses recalled con-
temporary events which had fixed tho
oates In their minds and related them
Ihey were not cross examined
y. c. Woodbridge, OF Highland ParIr
secretary treasurer OF tho tlcral firm
or John J.. Ratclne " Co, Inc, testi
ned TO certain checks and papers and
10 cash register receipts as showing
ofhce at the time the plaintiff init
mated he wrote the Walker letter.
lie was cross examined. but was NOT
shaken in any material thing to which
he had testified.
Helped by Prichnrd.
Though II had been stated in yos
terdays issue of The Times Dispatch
mat Mr.. Prichard. the PITTSBURGH at
torney. would be present at the trial
Yesterday morning to testify for the
defendants. his testimony came az n
blo~ TO the we'll grounded case which
the plaintiffs attorneys had built nm
ana was generally regarded as having
important and significant bearing on
the ultimate outcome OF the case Mr..
Wendenburg took it, however, with his
usual sang -froid. and appeared not to
be disturbed by the new turn which
events had taken.
contrary to general expectations and
TO the expressed expectation of tho
court the case was not presented to
tho jury yesterday Having reserved
the right to introduce the two tyne
writer's into the evidence Mr. Meredith
not only introduced them. but several
witnesses as well. and the evidence
was not concluded until nearly
o'clock, when Judge Crump, explaining
that he had not quite finished prepar-
ing the instructions. adjourned the Jury
TO 10 O'Clock this morning
Argument begins To-day.
After several Interruptions and de-
lays. all the evidence is now in. and
the charge Will be delivered to the jury
immediately upon converting. and ar
Eument in the unique and interesting
litigation will begin. The attorneys
have tentatively agreed upon a six
hour presentation, each side taking
three hours.
The courtroom was packed yesterday
from bench TO door and from side to
side. and several times the audience.
swaycd TO laughter or murmurinr, an
plause as some climax was. reached or
some telling point established. was
raped to order by Judge Crump and
warned TO remain silent. Sheriff MIer-
Ger and his deputies kept the crowd
wen In hand. however. and frequently
matted the insstcnt murmuring before
II became so boisterous rs TO disturb
tho witnesses and the court
shows Remarkable Composure.
The climax in the six day drama
which has, from the beginning, inter-
csted and enthralled lawyer and lay
man alike, came when. towards the
close OF the morning session, Mrs.
Walker. as composedly as If she were
in her own private office. and with a
touch as unerring as II was firm, rap-
idly typed two copies OF the original
Walker" letter and handed them to
the jury.
With skilful hands she placed car-
hon sheets between several sheets OF
letter paper. and placed them IN the
typewriter set the carriage. and typed
them without an error. Then sho kept