Evening journal., 1916-01-05
FORGERY IS charge
IN Government SUIT
Expert SwearS Figure Was
Changed in Receipt for
Canal Dividend
$51, 900 IS THE
AMOUNT INVOLVED

amount of S5l1S7.50 on stock owned
by it in the canal company with in
terest from November II. 1911. which
was begun before Judge e. J. Brad
ford in the United District Court yes
terday, was resumed today.
Alfred 5. Osborn. of Montclair n.
j.. an expert on handwriting. who
was on the stand when court ad-
journed yesterday, was recalled to the
stand at today's opening. The certi-
ficates presented to Mr.. Osborn were
identified by him as being examined
in 1913 and 1914.
Secretary ORiley, of the U. 8.
Treasury Department at Washington.
identified the papers as having been
taken from the archives of his de-
partment
Miss Ida Howgate secretary OF the
treasurer's Office in Washington since
1883. identified the boxes and papers
claimed to have been filed by George
EysteF, assistant L. S. treasurer, OF
Philadelphia.
Walter Hall. secretary Of the canal
company. was called for the purpose
of further identification of the papers
in the case. Mr.. Nields asked that
certain Of these papers be marked for
identification. They were sight drafts
dated from 1869 to 1873. The certif-
Gates Of deposit with the Treasury De-
partment also were included in the
papers marked for identification at
the request of Mr. Nields.
Mr.. Osborn was recalled to the
stand and identified the handwriting
Of George Eyster in letters written
October g. 1870. and other letters
bearing upon the case. All were
marked for Identification.
A draft dated November. 1877 for a
dividend was presented to Mr.. Os-
borne and he said that he had compar-
cd the signature on this draft with
other signatures Of the writer and he
gave it as his opinion that the sigma
ture on the draft was not genuine.
It was this draft that the govern
ment contends is fraudulent. In com
pairing this signature with those OF
George Eyster on genuine documents
witness declared that in his opinion
the name was not written by the same
person who wrote the other sigma
lures Of George Eyster on paper in the
case. Witness said he found a great
change in his signature. He compared
it with signatures written by George
Eyster from 1868 10 1877. He thought
it an imitation Of an early signature
Of George Eyster.
Witness said he took all OF Eyster's
signatures and arranged them to show
the evolution of the handwriting OF a
man who assumes an official position
that required the signing of his name
TO many documents. He offered pho
tOgraphs of signatures of George Ey-
ster demonstrating the evolution Of
his handwriting from a legible name
to scrawl which were admitted in
evidence.
Mr.. Osborn was permitted to show
the jurors the signatures said to be
genuine and the one he considered an
imitation and explained the violent
contrast between other signatures
written by Mr.. Eyster during 1877 and
on other occasions. He called atten-
tion to retracing and the addition OF
a stroke that was not necessary to
its legibility. The document alleged to
be fraudulent is said to be a receipt
for the payment Of the amount Of the
draft.
The witness was cross-examined by
Mr.. Biddle.
John J. r. Kelley. an emplOye Of
the United States Sub-Treasury in
Philadelphia, presented a letter from
J. F. Hartley acting Secretary of
Treasury. inclosing a draft from the
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Com
pany. Objection was made to the ad-
mission until Mr.. Nields explained that
il was dated October. 1871, and
paper alleged to have been altered
covering the same transaction, but
dated October 26. 1874 The letter and
draft were admitted as evidence.
Mr.. O'Riley was next called and told
Of making a search for the 1874 dOcu-
ment i'm the Treasury Department, but
could not find il. Witness told Of Mr.
Osborn calling his attention to the
fact that the draft of 1874 had been
changed from 1871. An erasure had
also been made on the back OF the
draft, he said.
Harry II. Whitman. OF the appoint
ment division Of the Treasury Depart
ment was called. By this witness Mr.
Nields proceeded to prove that Charles
w. Hoyes, whose name appeared on
a letter as an assistant treasurer. was
not holding such Office in the depart
ment in 1877.
A book containing the list OF assist
ant secretaries in that year was pre-
sented Court az this iuncture ad-
Iourned until 2 o'clock.
In court yesterday afternoon. Mich
ael 7. O'Riley. a government employe,
was recalled and told of a visit 10 the
canal company's Offices in Philadel-
fphia, in 1913. and of an investigation
he made al that time He said that
Walter Hall. secretary and treasurer
of the company at that time. gave him
certain papers which he examined and
spoke about.
Robert G.. Leopold testified that he
was chief Of what is now the Division
Of Public Money Of the Treasury De-
partment for long number of years,
and was shown a paper by Mr.. Nields
dated October 26, 1874, signed by
T. F. Hartley. He said The handwrit-
ing was his except the figure -four"
Frank G. Collins testified that he
was employed in the Department OF
Loans and Currency of the treasury
department and had been since June
5, 1874. He produced a volume Of
press copies of letters for the year
1871 of his division and identified a
paper which he said was a copy of the
paper identified by the previous wit.
ness, except for the year 1874.
At this juncture Mr.. Nields offered
in evidence for the government all
the various papers that had previous