Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-03-25
Testimony Contradictory.

A mass Of contradictory testimony was
given before Commissioner Houghton yes
terday when Miss Tanner was arraigned
for hearing.
Slade Slade, attorneys for the de-
fendant. placed upon the witness stand
her three sisters, The Misses Rose, Dora
and Ruth, and j. L. Stafford, clerk Of
the Hotel kensington. at Plainfield. N. j.
The testimony of Rose and Dora Tanner
was corroborative. They both identified
James W. Osborn. who was sitting in
court with his wife and his son, as the
man who had called upon their sister Rae
and represented himself to be "Oliver
Osborne. ranchman of Santa Rosa. Cal"
Oliver" they declared. had given their
mond rings, but, they went on, he took
back his jewelry, saying that wanted
to have it repaired. The sisters agreed,
too. that oliver Osborne had told them
that he liked Rae very much, and that
he intended to take her back to Cali
fornia with him. The sisters both de-
clared also that they had been told by
Rae, after she had known Oliver for
more than two months. that she had
found out that he really was James W.
Osborne
In describing "Oliver Osborne" the
sisters said his hands were covered with
diamond rings" and that he was exceed
ingly we'll dressed. He never wore eve
glasses, they declared.
Ruth Tanner said she had seen Oliver
asked to stand up. and she said she was
not sure whether he was the man or not
Identifies Osborne.
The hotel clerk, on the witness stand.
said that October Is last there had come
to the hotel in Plainfield a man and a
woman. who signed the register as 20.
Osborne and Mrs 0. Osborne Of New
York" The witness identified James W.
Osborne as the man who signed the
register. He. too. said 20 osborne" wore
no eyeglasses. and that he was we'll
dressed
For the government James W. Os-
borne and W. J. Kitchen. proprietor of
the hotel in Plainfield. testified. AIr.
Osborne denied emphatically that he
had ever seen Miss Tanner or any of
her sisters. He denied also that he
had ever been in the hotel at Plain
hsad He did say that he had once
talked to Miss Tanner over the tele-
phone. After he received package of
letters signed by her name at the New
York Athletic Club and at his Office. he
telephoned her to put her right" as
he said. He said he told her that she
surely must be mistaken. as he bad
never seen her in his life and had
never heard of her. In reply Miss Tan
zer toid him, Mr.. Osborne said thai She
knew she had the right man.
Not ]. w. Osborne.
NJ. Kitchen said that he had seen rhe
man and woman known III his hote, a G
MIR and Mrs. .. Osborne" Mr.. Os-
borne stood UP, and the witness said
Absolutely that is not the man who
was in my hotel
Mr.. Kitchen said he was unable n
identify the woman who was with so
Osborne as he had not paid much ar
tentiou to her. He did know, however
that the woman was small of Stature
4 vigorous cross-eXamination failed
to shake his testimony. The witness
said that the man 20. Osborne" wore
considerable iewelry. and he was a
Younger man than James W. Osborne
whom. he said. he had never seen until
lie visited the office of the United
states district attorney here. in answer
to subpoena. 20. Osborne" he de.
clared, did not wear eyeglasses.
Mr.. Osborne, recalled to the stand
was questioned by Commissioner
Houghton The commissioner examined
Mr.. Osborne's thick lensed eyeglasses
The witness, in reply to questions. said
that he had not been without the
glasses during his waking hours for
many years.