Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-04-10
WAS TYPEWRITER
USED A HAMMOND?
Interest Centers on What Kind
of Machine Typed Disputed
Paper in Eastman Case

Rutland, April 3.-Witnesses for the
respondent, George =. Eastman, marble
dealer, who is on trial in Rutland
county court on the charge of perjury,
have contradicted each other as to the
kind of typewriter used in making ex-
hibit one, the disputed quarrying agree
ment, much used in the evidence, which
the prosecutions brand as a forgery.
Edward Krusins, expert Typewriter me-
chanic, who was on the stand yesterday
and q part Of to-day, testified that the
document was written with a Hammond
machine. which is the MAKE the State
claims was employed. A. II. Hamilton
Of Auburn, N. Y. examiner of hand
writings. who has taken a prominent
part in the case of the defense, told
the jury one day this week that there
were many indications that the paper
was written with some machine other
than a Hammond. 1t Is the general
supposition that the respondent intro
duced this apparent contradiction to
create an Issue and leave 1t to the jury
to decide what sort of manhine was
used.
Mr.. Krusins' direct examination was
examined to some length. In the direct
examination Attorney J. w. Gordon Of
1.-THE respondents counsel showed him a
number Of papers and asked him to
designate what kind of a typewriter
made the lettering on them. He was
able to do this Mr.. Krusins was en-
ployed for many years in the Hammond
factories in New York and Connecticut.
He told the jury how typewriter wheels
bearing type were Smadc and he pro-
| duced wheels bearing characters like
| those In exhibit one, the disputed paper.
| In cross examination Attorney W. r.
! Austin, assistant to the attorney gen.
| eral, displayed papers which Judge
| Slocum, witness for the respondent,
had brought from Pittsfied, Mass. as
samples of typewriting by an old Ham,
| mond machine. The witness was asked
| II he could tell whether these were
written on a Hammond Ideal or Ham
mond Universal machine. the State claim
ing an Ideal was employed on exhibit
one. and Mr.. Krusins answered that It
| would be a good deal a matter of
Imagination. The witness was ques-
toned as to whether he recognized any
| characters on exhibit one which would
show that 1t was made with a Hammond
Ideal. He could not.
| The examiner then took up the arrange
ment of the letters on the keyboard OF
the two forms of typewriters and showed
the jury by the witness what letter:
would be struck IL the operator attempted
to touch certain letters and missed
them. Mr.. Austin followed this with the
question: "If you found the same erro
repeaeedt In. any writing would you still
say 1t yaS pure Imagination as to wha
kind ofa machine was used by the opera
L tore~ This drew from the witness tina
b had already testified that he had ex
pressed tina opinion that exhibit one wa
mgde hx q Hammond.
Nh. Eois q. Lowe of Waterbur.
4 TESTIFIED TOR the respondent this morning
She 10 employed by the Lane Manu-
\ Occurring company and gave evidence il
referenca to offsets appearing In the let
tering inaone OF the companys catalogues
used In the case. This was designed t.
meet evidence of the State as to tn,
effect Of moistening on certain writin,
in exhibit one.
w. e. Kingston OF Boston. a previous
witness for Eastnan as q handwriting
expert, was Seoaahd to-day and BRANDED
as genuine xeepondents exhibit so which
is an assignment to Eastman Of certain
interests In the Quarrying property a
West Rutland involved in exhibit one.
Ma4s Dlla M. Ballou. court stenographe
and an employee from 1s77 to 1904 in tn,
off1ceSofNthe late Attorney Joel C. Baker
among whose old papers exhibit one is al
J legged to have been found, identified a
genuine Mr.. Bakers signature on exhibit
one as she did those of Attorney T. w. Mo
loney, F. G. Swinnerton and p. F. Nc
Manus.
Having reserved the right to do SO whei
it rested. the State introduced two wit
nesses out of order. Irwin I. Rienhower
manager of the Lincoln Iron works in thi
city, testified that George p. Eastman
asked him for permission to see lette
f1les of the Steam Cutter company in
building now owned by the Lincoln con
Germ. The late George L. Royce. who's
signature appears on exhibit one, wa
/ greatly interested in the Steam Stone Cut
ter company. Mr.. Bienhower had learne'
that Mr.. Eastman had afterwards seel
some of the files and Frank Pierce. al
employe of the Lincoln company told o
3 going with Eastman to where the file
t were kept at time, when the papers wer
l examined by such lights as matches pro
vided. Eastman had said he was looking
3 for an address.