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thereafter。



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

his　brother　took；　out　letters　of　administration。　Whereupon

Mrs。　Martha　Keery　commenced　a　suit　against

the　brother　and　the　next　of　kin　he　represented；　in

an　effort　to　obtain　the　dead　man's　estate。　She　based

her　claim　solely　on　the　LOST　will；　the　contents　of　which

were　recalled　in　the　trial　by　Mr。　Dimon's　former

counsel；　who　was　also　one　of　the　witnesses　to　the　lost

will。　During　the　course　of　the　trial　in　the　Supreme

Court；　presided　over　by　Justice　George　L。　Ingraham；

Mrs。　Keery's　attorney　produced　a　mutilated　document

which　from　its　reading　indicated　that　it　had　once

been　a　will；　though　not　the　〃lost〃　one。　But　the

names　of　the　legatee；　executrix；　testator；　names　of

witnesses　and　their　addresses　were　completely　obliterated。

The　written　portions　still　undisturbed　showed

it　to　be　in　the　handwriting　of　Stephen　C。　Dimon。

Mrs。　Keery's　story　was　that　after　the　death　of　Mr。

Dimon　in　going　over　an　old　coat　formerly　worn　by

him；　she　had　found　it　in　a　side　pocket　and　had　given

it　to　her　counsel　just　as　it　came　into　her　hands。



Its　condition　showed　it　to　be　considerably　pocket…

worn。　The　obliterations　referred　to　represented　huge

blots　of　black　ink　covering　a　lot　of　scratches　and

making　it　impossible　to　decipher　the　under　writing。

Defendant's　Counsel　immediately　requested　that　the

document　be　turned　over　to　an　expert；　to　see　what

could　be　done　with　it。　The　judge　granted　the　motion

and　adjourned　the　case　for　several　days　to　await

results。



Counsel　on　both　sides　joined　in　the　selection　of

myself。　Three　days　were　occupied　in　its　decipherment。

The　will　occupied　two　sides　of　a　full　sheet　of

legal　cap。　The　original　ink　which　was　employed　in

the　writing　of　the　will　was　of　pale　gray　color。　The

first　obliterations　were　a　series　of　pen　and　ink

scratches　and　marks　which　destroyed　the　writing。

Not　satisfied　with　them　the　operator　had　with　a　saturated

piece　of　blotting　paper；　brushed　over　the

scratches　and　as　that　ink　was　of　good　quality　every

mark　of　writing　had　disappeared　in　the　jumble　and

blots。　It　so　happened　that　three　inks　had　been　employed。

The　original　ink；　the　ink　used　for　scratching

and　the　one　employed　to　do　the　blotting。　The　three

inks　were　happily　mixtures　containing　different　constituents；

and　so　by　utilizing　the　reagent　of　one　which

did　not　affect　the　other；　gradually　the　encrusted　upper

inks　were　removed　and　later　the　original　writing　appeared

sufficiently　plain　not　only　to　be　read　but　to

identify　it。　Photographs　made　before　and　after　the

chemical　experiments；　permitted　court　and　counsel　to

make　their　own　comparisons　during　the　giving　of　the

testimony　about　it。



It　permitted　also　the　finding　of　the　two　witnesses　who

lived　outside　of　the　city　and　to　learn　many　details

from　them　as　to　Mr。　Dimon's　conduct　in　the　matter。



The　restored　will　showed　that　Mrs。　Keery　at　its

date　（1891）　was　still　in　his　mind；　and　its　destruction

by　himselfthat　he　had　changed　his　mind。



Justice　Ingraham　completes　his　opinion　in　deciding

the　case　as　follows：



〃In　this　case；　however；　the　long　time　that

elapsed　between　the　time　of　the　delivery　of　the

will　to　Mr。　Morgan　and　the　death　of　the　testator；

the　absence　of　my　satisfactory　proof　of　the　existence

of　the　will　from　the　time　it　was　delivered　to

Mr。　Morgan　to　the　time　of　the　testator's　death；

and　the　fact　that　the　testator　made　another　will；

making　substantially　the　same　disposition　of　the

property；　which　he　subsequently　destroyed；　all

tend　to　cast　a　doubt　upon　the　fact　that　the　will

was　in　existence　at　the　time　of　the　testator's　death；

and　there　is　positively　no　evidence　that　it　was　ever

fraudulently　destroyed。



〃I　do　not　think　the　court　is　justified　in　diverting

a　large　sum　of　money　from　those　legally　entitled

to　it；　by　allowing；　a　lost　will　to　be　proved；　except

upon　the　clearest　and　most　satisfactory　evidence

of　the　existence　of　the　will　at　the　time　of　the　testator's

death。　And　the　testimony　in　this　case　falls

short　of　what　I　consider　necessary　to　establish

such　a　will。



〃There　should　be；　therefore；　judgment　for　the　defendants

with　costs。〃

　*　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*



A　case　of　considerable　interest　was　tried　before

Hon。　Clifford　D。　Gregory　in　the　month　of　March；　1899；

in　the　city　of　Albany；　New　York。　It　was　entitled

the　〃People　of　the　State　of　New　York　against　Margaret

E。　Cody；〃　as　charged　with　the　crime　of　blackmail；

in　the　sending　of　a　letter　to　Mr。　George　J。

Gould；　in　which　she　threatened　to　divulge　certain

information　which　she　claimed　to　possess　about　his

dead　father；　Jay　Gould。　The　character　of　this

information　was　such　that　if　true　it　meant　that　Jay

Gould　and　his　wife　had　lived　in　bigamous　relations

during　a　great　number　of　years　preceding　their　death

and　hence　also　affected　the　legitimacy　of　the　entire

Gould　family。　Mrs。　Cody　asserted　that　Jay　Gould

was　married　to　a　Mrs。　Angel　some　time　in　1853；　and

that　as　a　result　of　that　〃lawful〃　marriage　she　gave

birth　to　a　daughter；　a　Mrs。　Pierce；　who　was　still　alive

and　living　somewhere　in　the　west。　As　Mrs。　Cody

offered　to　sell　or　secrete　the　information　which　she

said　she　possessed　for　a　consideration；　Mr。　George　J。

Gould　and　his　sister；　Miss　Helen　Gould；　instantly

determined　that　it　could　be　nothing　else　than　a　clear

case　of　an　attempt　at　blackmail；　which　falsely　impugned

the　reputations　of　their　dead　parents。　They

instituted　criminal　proceedings　against　Mrs。　Cody；

charging　that　Mrs。　Cody　when　she　wrote　the　letter

well　knew　that　her　claim　that　his　father　had　been

married　to　Mrs。　Angel　and　that　Mrs。　Pierce　was　their

daughter；　was　absolutely　false。　Two　trials　followed；

the　first　in　1898　in　which　the　jury　disagreed；　and　a

second　one　in　1899　which　lasted　over　a　week。　It

was　in　the　second　trial　that　chemical　tests　on　a　certain

entry　in　a　church　record　in　the　presence　of　the

jury　were　made；　which　showed　conclusively　that

ancient　writing　of　another　character　than　that　which

had　been　substituted　was　still　existent　beneath　the

writing　which　was　apparent　to　the　naked　eye。



The　following　are　excerpts　of　the　judge's　charge

to　the　jury：



〃I　wish　to　invite　your　attention；　for　a　few　moments；

to　the　baptismal　certificate。　You　have　had

produced　here　before　you　the　original　baptismal

record　of　the　church　at　Cooperville。　It　has　been

substantially　admitted；　in　the　arguments　of　this

case；　that　there　has　been　a　change　made　in　this

certificate。　I　do　not　think　that　the　District　Attorney

claims　that　there　is　any　evidence　that　Mrs。

Cody　herself　changed　this　record；　there　is　no

claim；　as　I　understand　it；　made　by　the　prosecuting

officer　that　she　went　there　and　obtained　this　book；

and　with　her　own　hand　changed　this　record；　but

he　asks　you　to　infer　and　find　from　the　evidence

that　has　been　given；　that　she　was　a　party　to　this

change；　that　she　was　privy　to　this　change；　and　that

knowing　that　fact　she　had　guilty　knowledge　when

she　wrote　the　letter　upon　which　the　indictment　is

based。



〃You　will　remember　that　Mr。　Carvalho；　the

expert　in　handwriting；　was　placed　upon　the　stand；

and　he　has　testified　in　your　presence　as　to　his

qualifications　in　determining　disputed　handwritings；

and　what　his　experience　has　been　during　a　long

series　of　years。　He　tells　you　that　he　has　examined

this　record；　and　that　there　is　no　question　but　some

of　the　words　have　been　erased　and　others　substituted

in　their　places。　He　tells　you　that　the　words

'Jay　Goulds'　were　not　the　original　words　in　the

certificate；　or　if　they　were；　the　present　'Jay

Goulds；'　as　they　appear　in　the　certificate；　have

been　forged；　that　the　words　'Mary　S。　Brown；'

the　'sex　mois；'　the　French　words　for　six　months；

and　other　changes　which　he　has　described　to　you

are　forgeries。



〃I　shall　submit　to　you；　as　a　question　of　fact；

whether　or　not　Mrs。　Cody　had　any　knowledge　or

took　any　part；　or　authorized　or　connived　at　any　of

the　changes　made　in　this　certificate。　I　do　not

say　that　she　did；　I　leave　it　to　you　to　say；　from

the　evidence　in　this　case；　whether　your　minds　are

convinced　that　she　had　any　part　or　parcel；　or

undertook　in　any　way　to　accomplish　the　changes

which　have　been　made　in　this　baptismal　record。

And　if　you　find　as　matter　of　fact　that　she　had

such　knowledge　at　the　time　this　letter　was　written；

if　you　find　as　matter　of　fact　she　had　this　information

given　to　her　by　Mrs。　Angel；　then　I　leave　it

to　you　to　say　whether　she　had　such　knowledge；

such　guilty　knowledge；　as　should　prevent　her；　if　acting

honestly；　from　writing　a　letter　such　as　has　been

described　here　and　contained　in　the　indictment。〃



The　jury　brought　in　a　verdict　of　guilty。



In　the　trial　of　the　People　v。　David　L。　Kellam　（1895）；

who　was　charged　with　altering　the　dates　of　three

notes　for　6；000　each；　the　contention　of　the　prosecution

was　that　the　dates　of　the　notes　had　been　c