Evening journal., 1923-02-09
LETTERS Under
EXPERTS EYES
Fabrication of Missives
Serious Ofense, Attorney
Tells Court
DROP ONE CHARGE
AGAINST ADAlR

Determination BY handwriting ex-
perts as TO the time Of writing OF
two letters which were introduced
into evidence by Robert Adair, dur
ing hts trial on g charge OF embez-
ziement-by-attorney last week. has
become the paramount Issue in the
proceedings against Adair. lawyer
who is under six-months' suspen-
sion from the New Castle County Bar
Association
The charge Of endorsement by
attorney against the accused lawyer
IN which a Jury disagreed last week
vas retired from the docket by Dep
,,+v Attorney-General Aaron Finger
,n court OF General Sessions yester-
day afternoon.
Tbe embezzlement charge "pales
,nto insirnihcance by comparison
with the allegation that Adair Iao-
ricated the letters" Mr.. Finger tolu
the court. He commented that the
more recent accusation, "committeu
Inv him virtually during the prog
rezr Of the trial, has become an Is
ana of far more Importance thsAh
The a.nbezzlement charge"
Mr.. Finger asked that because Oh
the seriousness OF the charge the
corr. appoint a handwriting expert
20 determine as to the time inc iel-
ters were written. Judge tOolleS
apprised the deputy attorney gen
erai that a handwriting expert al
reaav had been named by the court
ana al that time was examining the
papers.
During the trial Of the esnoezzle-
mont case. z. W. Stein testified Tor
the state that the letters had been
written 10 TO "a houns prior to his
examination of them, although
Adair testified that they were true
comics made by him at the time ne
wrote and forwarded the originals
on october 80 and November T.
1920.
webster A. Melcher is the expert
that has been employed by the /
corrt. Mr.. Adair has employed T. /
w. McCool TO examine the letters on
his behalf. Both are OF Philadei-
phia-
Mr.. Meicher finished his exceed
inriv thorough examination OF the
writing, about o'clock. Mr.. McCool
found the fading daylight too dim 70
make his examination for Mr.. Adair
al that time, whereupon the court
continued the matter until today.
Mr.. Finger, in his statement TO the
court yesterday afternoon. said:
TN the Adair case which was /
tried a few days ago the testimony .
OF an expert who was produced by
the State presented a charge Of a
very serious nature against the de-
PENDANT, who Is still a member OF
this Bar, committed by him viz
tually during the progress OF the
trial OF the case. II this charge is
true then the offense for which the
defendant was being tried pales into
by comparison.
'Tnasmuch as It not only appear
ed that the Offense now charged |
was committed during the progress /
II the trial OF the case but also thar
I developed In open court we be-
ieve an issue has been raised OF
ar more Importance than the IS
ne in the case just tried.
1T is our judgment that the SER
Of the charge is such that
he matter ought not to rest with
he testimony OF this expert alone,
ut that an examination OF the writ
ngs charged to have been fabricat-
d should be made by some other
xpert to be uamed bow o01 20 be
lnder the direction OF the court.
''Entertaining This ne4 state (
'etires the case now just tried. and 4
We now submit these papers to the
Court for such proceedings with re-
spect TO same as the Court shall
think proper"
Mr.. Melcher will make a written
report TO the court OF his findings
in the examination OF the papers.
The result Of the examination, Judge
said today. will be made
public eventually, but he was unable
to say within what length OF time.
in view OF the fact that the court
has not yet received the report.
Mr.. McCool. Adair's expert spent
much time examining the papers to-
day Closeted with him md Adair .
we're State Detective John Moore
and Clerk Of the Peace John L.
Wright.
rprcrr NTH Won, e-rrpDr-,-Y,,,