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the　original　writing　of　Thomas　J。　Monroe；　or　indeed

of　any　person。　The　will　was　not　admitted　to　probate。



Experiments；　both　in　open　court　or　during　its　sessions

in　the　testing　of　ink　and　paper；　microscopically

and　chemically；　are　of　frequent　occurrence；　and　many

contests　involving　enormous　interests　have　been　more

or　less　decided　as　the　result　of　them。



The　contest　of　the　alleged　will　of　George　P。　Gordon；

tried　before　the　late　Chancellor　McGill　of　New

Jersey　in　1891；　illustrates　in　a　remarkable　degree　just

how　certain　are　the　results　of　investigations　of　this

character。　The　chancellor's　decision；　after　listening

to　testimony　for　many　weeks；　was　in　effect　to　declare

the　will　a　forgery；　largely　because　of　the　fact　that　the

premise　on　which　it　rested　was　a　so…called　draft；　from

which　it　was　sworn　it　had　been　copied。　The　ink　on

this　draft　it　was　proved　could　not　have　had　an　existence。

until　many　years　after　the　date　of　the　forged　will。



The　decedent；　who　died　in　1878；　was　the　inventor

of　a　famous　printing　press；　and　left　a　large　fortune。



A　will　offered　for　probate　soon　after　the　death　of

Gordon　was　not　probated；　owing　to　the　discovery　that

the　witnesses　had　not　signed　it　in　each　other's　presence。

The　principal　beneficiaries；　however；　under

that　will；　the　widow　and　daughter　of　Gordon；　agreed

to　a　division　of　the　estate　which　was　satisfactory　to

the　other　heirs　at　law；　and　the　matter　apparently　was

settled。



But　a　retired　lawyer　named　Henry　C。　Adams　began

in　1879；　a　year　after　Gordon's　death；　to　endeavor　to

obtain　the　assistance　of　some　heirs　at　law　in　an　enterprise

which　was　finally　ended　only　when　Chancellor

McGill's　decision　was　rendered。



In　1868　Adams　lived　with　his　father　and　brothers

on　a　farm；　near　Rahway；　N。　J。；　adjoining　the　Gordon

place。　The　two　men　became　well　acquainted　through

their　common　interest　in　music。　Adams　called　upon

A。　Sidney　Doane；　a　nephew　of　Gordon；　and　told　him

that　Gordon　had　made　a　will　in　1868　which　might　be

found　or　if　lost；　established　by　means　of　a　draft　of　it

which　he　（Adams）　had　retained。　Mr。　Doane　refused

to　act　upon　this　proposition。　Then　Adams　presented

the　matter　to　Guthbert　O。　Gordon；　a　brother　to

George　P。　Gordon。　He　declined　to　consider　the　proposed

search　for　a　new　will。　Adams　then　wrote　to

Guthbert　Gordon；　Jr。；　cautioning　him　to　say　nothing

to　any　one；　but　to　come　and　see　him。　Guthbert　Gordon；

Jr。；　declined　to　accept　Adams's　invitation　for　a

secret　conference。　Adams　did　not　write　or　communicate

with　the　widow　or　daughter　of　George　P。　Gordon；

or　with　any　of　the　officials　or　other　persons　who　dealt

with　the　estate。　Finding　that　the　heirs　at　law　were

satisfied　with　the　arrangement　of　the　estate　under

Gordon's　daughter's　management；　he　gave　up　his　efforts

at　that　time。



In　1890　Mary　Agnes　Gordon；　the　daughter；　died　in

Paris；　and　remittances　from　her　ceasing　and　her　will

not　being　satisfactory　to　those　who　had　been　receiving

them　from　her；　another　contest　was　begun。　This

caused　a　renewal　of　Adams's　activity。　In　1890　he

wrote　to　Messrs。　Black　&　King；　a　firm　of　lawyers　who

represented　the　contestants　of　Mary　Agnes　Gordon's

will。　Adams's　letter　to　the　law　firm　contained　this

expression：



〃If　one　of　you　will　come　over　here　on　Sunday

morning；　bringing　no　brass　band；　fife　or　drums；　I

will　tell　you　something　worth　knowing。〃



Mr。　King　visited　Adams；　who　was　then　living　at

Orange；　N。　J。；　and　was　told　by　him　that　Mr。　Gordon

had　executed　a　will　in　1868　which　he　（Adams）　had

drawn　at　Gordon's　instance；　and　that　he　had　retained

a　corrected　draft　from　which　the　will　itself　had　been

copied。　He　also　told　King　that　the　original　will　after

its　execution　had　been　left　with　his　father；　and　that

it　must　be　at　his　father's　homestead　near　Rahway；

where　he　would　try　to　find　it。　A　few　days　later　he

wrote　to　Black　&　King　that　the　will　had　been　found；

and　the　next　day　went　with　the　lawyers　to　Rahway

and　identified　the　package　found　by　his　brother　Edward

Adams；　who　occupied　the　Rahway　farm；　as　that

which　contained　the　will。　The　package；　unopened；

was　taken　to　a　safe　deposit　company　and　the　original

draft　was　deposited　with　the　secretary　of　state。　The

alleged　will；　which　Chancellor　McGill　pronounced　a

forgery　when　finally　opened　in　the　preliminary　probate

proceedings；　was　found　to　be　a　very　long　and

complicated　document；　written　on　blue　paper　in　black

ink。　The　draft；　which　was　on　white　paper；　was　also

written　in　the　main　in　black　ink；　but　a　copious　quantity

of　red　ink　had　been　used　in　interlineations。　The

significant　paragraph　of　the　new　will　was　a　direction

to　his　heirs　to　purchase；　if　the　testator　had　not　succeeded

in　doing　so　before　his　death；　the　Henry　Adams

farm　for　32；000。　Minute　directions　were　given　to　insure

the　purchase；　but　no　lower　price　than　32；000

was　mentioned。　Commenting　upon　this　Chancellor

McGill's　remarks：



〃It　is　also　to　be　here　noted　that　the　Adams　farm

is　now　scarcely　worth　one…third　the　price　for　which

it　is　directed　to　be　purchased。〃



Continuing　the　court　says：



〃The　only　living　person　who　professes　to　have

had　knowledge　of　this　disputed　paper　prior　to

November；　1890；　is　Henry　C。　Adams。　He　most

clearly　and　positively　testified　that　he　drew　the

disputed　paper　at　the　instance　of　Mr。　Gordon。　He

produced　a　draft　from　which　he　said　it　was

copied。　。　。　。　I　have　already　stated　that　Mr。　Adams

testified　most　positively　when　the　draft　of　the　disputed

paper　was　offered　in　evidence　that　it　was　the

identical　document　from　which　the　will　of　1868　had

been　copied；　and　it　is　to　be　remembered　that　the

interlineations　in　that　draft　are　almost　all　made

with　red　ink；　and　that　Mr。　Adams　testified　that

those　interlineations　existed　when　the　will　was

copied　from　the　draft。　With　a　view　to　testing　the

truth　of　this　testimony　the　contestants　submitted

the　draft　to　scientific　experts；　who　pronounced　the

red　ink　to　be　a　product　of　eosine；　a　substance

invented　by　a　German　chemist　named　Caro　in　the

year　1874；　and　after　that　time　imported　to　this

country。　At　first　it　was　sold　for　125　a　pound；

and　was　so　expensive　it　could　not　be　used　commercially

in　the　manufacture　of　ink。　Afterwards　the

price　was　so　greatly　reduced　that　it　became　generally

used　in　making　red　ink。　It　is　distinguished

by　a　peculiar　bronze　cast　that　is　readily　detected。

It　was　recognized　in　the　red　ink　interlineations　in

the　draft　of　the　disputed　paper　produced　by　Mr。

Adams　by　a　number　of　scientific　gentlemen；　among

whom　were　some　of　the　best　known　ink　manufacturers

in　the　country；　and　Mr。　Carl　Pickhardt；　who

first　imported　eosine。　Upon　further　examination

the　witness；　Adams；　said　he　thought　the　draft

produced　to　be　the　original　until　he　saw　the　will　on

blue　paper；　and　that　then　he　was　perplexed；　but

dismissed　his　doubt　upon　the　suggestion　of　counsel；

but　afterward　he　thought　upon　the　subject　'in

the　vigils　of　the　night；'　but　by　an　unfortunate

coincidence　did　not　reach　substantial　doubt　enough

to　correct　his　previous　testimony　until　after　the

testimony　concerning　the　character　of　the　red　ink

he　had　used　in　interlining　had　been　produced。　。　。　。

It　is　impossible　to　study　this　remarkable　case　at

this　point　without　grave　doubts　as　to　the　truthfulness

of　Mr。　Adams；　and　indeed　as　to　the　frankness

with　which　the　case　was　produced　in　court　in

behalf　of　the　proponents。〃



As　to　Adams　as　a　witness；　the　court　finally　says：



〃And　as　I　read　the　confused　answers　of　Mr。

Adams　and　note　his　apparent　misapprehension　of

questions　that　would　tend　to　involve　him；　and　note

the　apparent　failure　of　his　theretofore　wonderfully

clear　and　exact　memory　of　the　most　trivial　and　unimportant

details；　I　am　inclined　to　reject　the　whole

story　as　a　fabrication　that　has　been　punctured　and

fallen　to　pieces。　。　。　。　I　find　it　to　be　impossible　to

rely　upon　the　testimony　of　Henry　C。　Adams。　Excluding

it　the　will　is　not　proved。　。　。　。



〃I　will　deny　probate；　revoking　that　which　I

have　heretofore　granted　in　common　form。〃

　*　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*



In　the　attempt　made　to　prove　the　alleged　last　will

and　testament　of　Stephen　C。　Dimon；　deceased；　chemistry

was　the　all…determining　factor　in　the　most　important

branch　of　the　case。　The　peculiar　features　of

this　remarkable　and　unique　case　are　best　described

by　presenting　them　with　a　brief　history　of　the　entire

matter。



In　1884　Stephen　C。　Dimon　of　the　city　of　New

York　made　and　executed　a　will；　choosing　as　legatee

and　executrix　a　Mrs。　Martha　Keery。　The　will　he

intrusted　to　the　custody　of　his　counsel。　It　appeared。

that　some　time　during　the　following　year　his　attorney

transferred　this　will　from　its　resting　place　in　a　desk

drawer　to　a　new　safe　and　recalled　having　seen　its　envelope

a　year　later；　but　said　he　never　saw　the　will

thereafter。



In　1893　Mr。　Dimon　died。　No　will　being　produced；

his　brother　took