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UNITED STATES CO URT.W. D. Buuell on Trial Charred With (lie Imub of Fraudulent Surveyor** Scrip— Abstract of the Testimony.Saturday Afternoon. db. n. u. PIPER—readied. Continued to point out to the jury tlio comparisons by whioh lie arrived at tlio conclusion of the identity of Burt'B writing with that of Wm. D. Russell, using for the purpose tho enlarged mi-oroscopic copies heretofore desoribed.Among other peculiarities in common in the Burt and Russell writing he pointed out that they both had a very peouliur and improper way of cuttiug up their words iu writing, both writing Dakota thus—D-ak-ot-n; that both write man— m-an; that certificato is written—c-ert-if-ic-at-e; that both Russell and Burt ubo a stop after their names; tliut he has examined 10,000 names on this peculiarity and found that ouly one man iu ‘200 used a stop after his name.Witness was then handed-a bundle of scrip and said he had examined the same.Witness was then handed a number of letters tho handwriting iu which had been proven to bo that of .Tohu D. Cameron, and said he made a very careful comparison of tho Imndwritiug in tho body of tho scrip with that of Johu D. Camerou, and that he had no doubt whatever that it was tho samo handwriting.The witness then proceeded to illustrate how he arrived at the above conclusion.Before the expert testimony was finished tho court adjourned uutil 8 o’clock Monday morniug.Momlxy Forenoon, Auif, Tth, 1S82.Expert testimouy of Dr. R. U. riper resumed:The Dr. said, 1 have never found the hand writing of any two persons that• were alike generally, some letters may be uliko but tho writing differs on the whole;i writing is like walking, tnlkiug, breathing, (cc., because whplly or partially an• unconscious action; I never fouud any person wbo could tell just how theyr made the letters iu writing; I am able to tell by chemical tests the kind of ink f used in writing; there are some fifty different kiuds of ink; 1 find that the iuk in » the body of the New Orleans and Snutu Fe scrip is the same kind; I have examined the signatures of Gov. Flanders to the New Orleans scrip and fiud it witli-. out doubt a forgery; the signatures are - so absolutely alike aud break in the same place, that it could uever occur iu n man i writing bis own signature; they are so » much alike that they look as though they must almost have been traced from a copy with a pencil nud then iuked over; after a caitful examination of their signatures aud a comparison of the same with the hand writing of Wm. D. Russell*I am satisfied and have no doubt that these siguatures were written by Win. i D. Russell; I havo testified in over eighty i different cuaca na an expert, that I can particularly call to mind from memory;) I have beeu engaged in the expert busi-, ness for ten years.Cross-tjitiituuilioi,:—I find the same kind of iuk used iu the Sauta Fo and• New Orleaus scrip; it is iuk like the Carter nud Arnold iuk; some times tho ink is thicker than others; I havo determined that tlio Plunder's signature 19 in Russell’s ln.udwritiug from the terminal “or in Flauder's and the “n” being made like a “u.It is impossible to give auv correct report of this cross-examination as it dc-i pends almost entirely on the actual writing in cvidouco aud before the jury. It was fyuud tliut the G” iu “Guuniug-son in tho Burt letter was very similar to the “G iu tho body of .scrip that witness testified was written by J. 1). Cameron. While it is impossible to mal e au intelligible report of this cross-ex-amiuatiou, the result, we may say, was to effectually show that the conclusions arrived ot, ou tho various importaut questions, by the export are by no means boyond question and that tho testimouy ofthiscxpeit is not exceptional in its character to expert testimouy iu genc-raj and admits of by far too many doubts to be token as a very high or positive class of evidence.Witness stated iu the diagrams he rondo he picked out letters, that were simlar iu form; that lie did not make auy diagrams of letters that differed iu form.LETTERS IN EVIDENCE.The following letters were introduced in evidence on Friday evening. These 6tray papers were taken from the offico of Burt k Miller by Tyrell:Yankton, Dakota, April ‘21, 1882.— Burt Miller, St. Louis, Mo.—Gentlemen : I am in receipt of your circular offering to buy and Bell land scrip. I ' want to inquire if you will sell smaller • lots than 81.000 and at what prices. I often Lave use for scrip iu my busiuess where parties are proviug up ou their land. I received a letter from Mr. Cnr-Eenter of Beloit, a man who says he is , uying of you, but did uot state what amount he was ordering. Edmunds Sc 1 Wynn and McKinney Seougal, bauk- 1 ere, of this place have scrip on hand aud I I understand that McKinney Scougal f are expecting some scrip from you. I would be pleased to hear from’ you at your earliest convenience and I will send ( orders for scrip as I need it. Very res- t pectfully, Wm. D. Russell. ,Also, the following, without date: « Burt A: Miller, Ht. Louis, Mo.—Gents: Please forward mo six (0) pieces of certi- , ticates of deposit scrip, fcjeud by express C. O. D., with privilege of examination. lt;Respectfully, Wm. D. Russell k Co. ,
Newspaper Details
Yankton Press and Daily Dakotaian
Yankton, South Dakota, US
Mon, Aug 07, 1882
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Angela B.
SD, USA 18 Jan 2023
Other Publications Near Yankton, South Dakota
Yankton Daily Press and Dakotaian
Yankton Press and Daily Dakotaian
