Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-14
SLANDER-[ETTER
STORY REPEATED
IN FEDERAL COURT.
Mrs. Anna ]. Pollard, Alleged
'POisOn=Pen" Wielder,
Is Arraigned.
CHARGED WITH SENDING
MISSIVE THROUGH MAILS
Defendant Lifts Her Veil to
Let Witness Scrutinize
Her Face.

DR.. Charles H. Schlicter, of 1924
East Jersey street. Elizabeth, was the
first witness called today in the ia
nous poison pen" case hearing be-
fore United States Commissioner
Richard Stockton. 1t was an indecent
letter received by the physician which
resulted in the present federal charge
against Mrs. Anna j. Pollard, of ia
Madison avenue Elizabeth.
Mrs. Pollard appeared in the United
States District Court room in the
federal building wearing the newt
able heavy, white veil to shield her
from photograp piers. She was accom-
panied by her husband, Nelson T.
Pollard; two other relatives and her
counsel, Samuel Schleimer. Mrs. Pol
lard showed a keen interest in the
examination of the witnesses and ex-
hibits suggesting numerous questions
for the witnesses.
DR.. Schlicter merely testified as to
the receipt of the Objectionable letter.
He declared it was on October 2S,
1872 that the letter was received and
he remembered it on account of the
fact that his wife's birthday anniver-
sary occurred on that date.
Lifts Her Veil.
A feature of the hearing was the
action of Mrs. Pollard in lifting her
veil for a few moments to give a
witness a chance to identify her.
The witness was Charles e. Dunn,
superintendent of mails at Elizabeth.
The postoffice official testified that
on March 4, 1909 he received a type
written letter addressed to the post
master and signed Mrs N. II. Pol
lard" The letter complained about
a carrier. Dunn, who was then super
intendent of carriers, declal/d he Wis
tied Mrs. Pollard at her Madison ave
nue. home to investigate her COM
plant.
Gould you recognize Mrs. Pollard
here in court as the woman you saw
IN 1892" asked Assistant United
states District Attorney William ].
Lynch.
mo, I don't think So" answered
Dunn.
Mr.. Schleimer objected strenuously
when the government attorney pro-
posed that Dunn look at Mrs. Pollard
with her veil removed, Mr.. Lynch
then declared that he was willing
that Mrs. Pollard should enter the
ante-room with the witness so that
lie gaze. Only those directly inter
ested in the case were present, Mr..
Schleimer then asked Mrs. Pollard if
she wanted to remove her evil.
Yes; / don't care" answered Mrs
Pollard, lifting her veil and smiling
at the witness
The witness looked at Mrs. Pollard
lntently for few moments, shook |
his head and said:
No. | couldn't swear that she is |
the same woman"
Frank j. Hayes, of 80 Hamilton
avenue, Paterson, declared he had
experience selling and |
repairing typewriters. He was also |
called as typewriting expert in the |
'poison-pen" hearing against Mrs |
Pollard in Elizabeth on Tuesday.
Clash Over Expert"
In answer to questions by Mr. |
Lynch the witness declared he visited
Mrs Pollard at her home on April |
20, when. he asserted. she admitted
she had "a Remington No. 2 model
machine on which the poison pen"
letters are alleged to have been
written.
The witness received his second
grilling of the week at the hands of |
Mr. Schleimer concerning his type |
writer eXpertneSs." Hayes was shown |
several specimens of typewriting by |
Mrs. Pollards counsel. and asked |
what machines the specimens were |
written on. Hayes refused to make |
a definite statement regarding any
of the samples.
Mr.. Lynch showed the witness the |
typewriter 'poison-pen' letter re-.
ceived by DIR. Schlicter and asked |
him what style machine, in his |
opinion, it was written on.
Il object to the question:" declared |
Attorney Schleimer because this |
has certainly failed to |
qualify as an expert. He has simply |
done some repair work, and is in no |
sense of the word a typewriter ex-
pert
When the question was finally per-
mitted by Commissioner Stockton.
Hayes declared that he would saw
the letter was written on an old,
worn Remington No. machine. The
witness then went into detail con-
eerning the similarity between tho
letter received by the postmaster in
1879 and the scurrilous note received
by DR.. Schleicter. Hayes pointed out
a number of letters which indicated
that both letters were written on the
same typewriter.