Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 17.pdf/162

 THE TUCKER TRIAL The District Attorney distinctly stated in opening the case that the Morton address was relied on only as confirming the other undoubted facts, and there was other evi dence tending to show that "Morton" would be a likely name for Tucker to choose if he were giving a false name to Miss Page. This included the fact that there was a J. D. Morton who worked at the South Ter minal station in that part of the building where Tucker was formerly employed. There was also a postal card found in Tucker's pocket, on which he had written four fictitious addresses a few days after the

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of their professian. There was a wealth of standards of the defendant's writing, — more than a hundred pencil memoranda which he had made in his business as a salesman within three months of the mur der. We cannot help feeling that this science, or better, this art, is not yet in a satisfac tory stage of development, when we find so many of its leading exponents, starting with precisely the same premises and material, arriving at totally different, and to the lay mind, absolutely irreconcilable results. It is certainly true that the opinion of a

CARD FOUND IN TUCKER'S POCKET

murder. On this card the name of Morton appears in one address, and "Charlestown, Mass." in another. The testimony of the experts on this point, however, of necessity took much time, and for that reason this seems to have been regarded in many quar ters as the vital issue of the case. There was an excellent opportunity to study these men and their methods. They came from all parts of the country and were all men reputed to stand at the very head

handwriting expert is worth nothing in it self in court, unless it is supported and for tified by reasons which a jury can under stand and accept. It is not right that any expert witness should appear in the r61e of an advocate and argue to the jury the prop ositions which the side calling him is seek ing to establish. Yet that seemed to be the attitude of many of the handwriting authorities. If their side was seeking to establish that two writings were in the