Francis L. Wellman

“ Attorney-General. "Read the document, and tell me, on your oath, whether it is your signature."
Smith. "I have some doubt whether it is mine."
Attorney-General. "Read the document, sir. Was it prepared in your office?"
Smith. "It was not."
Attorney-General. "I will have an answer from you on your oath one way or another. Isn't that your handwriting?"
Smith. "I believe that it is not my handwriting. I think that it is a very clever imitation of it."
Attorney-General. "Will you swear that it is not?"
Smith. "I will. I think that it is a very good imitation of my handwriting." ”

“ William Palmer observed the jockeyship of the attorney in driving that terribly exciting race for life.
"There exists, or existed once, a slip of paper about six inches long by an inch broad—just such a slip, in fact, as a man might tear irregularly off the top of a sheet of foolscap, which bears this calm and matter-of-fact legend, more impressive than the most impassioned prose. 'I suppose you think that last witness did harm.' It is one of those notes which Palmer subscribed from time to time and turned over to his counsel to read and, if necessary, reply to. ”

“ The witness's efforts to gain time, and his distress as the various answers were extorted from him by degrees, may be faintly traced in the report. His face was covered with sweat, and the papers put into his hands shook and rustled. These papers, it must be admitted, were some of them of a sufficiently agitating character. Mr. Smith had had to confess with great reluctance that he had witnessed the assignment of a policy for £13,000 by Walter to William Palmer, who was suspected, and indeed as good as known, to have been guilty of murdering him ”