Show EVEN THE EXPERTS ARE CONFUSED BY I RUPLE CASE Hand Handwriting Samples' Samples Dating Dating Dating Dat Dat- ing to Civil War Period Are Analyzed I WITNESS IN DOUBT Pension Case Becomes l More Puzzling With i i Every Turn u When Judge Tillman D. D Johnson John John- son oil of the tile United States district ourt court s sustained stained the tile objections of District Attorn Attorney y W. W W. W Ray regarding regarding regarding re re- re- re garding the tile incompetency of Mrs May Ruple to testify for her husband Henry Ruple charged with perjury to o defraud the government of at pension n money yest yesterday co counsel for the de de- ense decided to make short work worl of the he case and served notice that expert expert ex ex- pert testimony would be taken talen today Hence it is that when court convened conS con this morning H. H C. C Allen Alien counsel coun sel aol for Ruple called for J. J W. W Edmonds Edmonds Edmonds Ed Ed- monds handwriting expert Edmonds had md been given giyen the signatures of Peter eter Ruple from the time he lie entered the civil war ar and up to the time he lie entered the regular army of the United Unit United ed States in 1866 These Edmonds stated a are e the same Edmonds had also made special enlargements and photographs of the handwriting of the defendant since 1866 taken from bank check indorsements depositions statements statements state state- ments lett letters rs and other and other papers These signatures according to Edmonds are also written by the same hand Expert Is in Doubt Now the question that both sides I Iare are trying to get at definitely is Are I Ithe the signatures of Peter Ruple before I and up to 1866 written by the same sameI man who wrote the signatures of I Henry r C. C and Peter Ruple since that tl time When asked for his opinion on the I matter Edmonds stated stared that he could not with justice answer the question with absolute knowledge But he lie asserted asserted asserted as- as as as- that some somo of the peculiarities of the civil war documents signed by Peter Ruple were to be found in tho certificates indorsements and antI depositions depositions of Henry C. C and Peter Ruple since that time There is a lapse of about thirty years the signature of Peter Ruple to the army enlistment nt papers of 1866 the date of the signatures to the pension application And for this reason Edmonds is unwilling to state definitely his opinion on the matter mat mat- matter ter Some of the peculiarities of identity according to Edmonds are r 1 t tand tand tand and D n 0 in all the signatures of both periods The r is a supple simple stroke In iii all aU instances The t has a ape pe peculiar peculiar pe- pe culiar euliar curve In the p 0 Edmonds stated that the P in Peter on the civil war time signature has the same general characteristic as the P in Peter of the thc signature to the application application tion for the pension The prosecution claims that HEnry C C. Ruple is the man man who married May Ruple in Evanston V Wyo o It al also o will endeavor to show that the defendant i ithe is the Henry C. C Ruple who signed the marriage certificate which signature also hia has some of the same general peculiarities as the other other- signatures that the signatures of Henry C. C Ruple to the bank checks and to the Various statements secured secured tally with the signature signature sig signature sig- sig nature on on the marriage certificate Hence insisting that the defendant Is Henry C. C Ruple and not Peter i Ruple and and that defendant forged his brother Peters Peter's name to the pension application application application tion in order to defraud the government government govern govern- overn- overn ment of money not legally belonging to him Say He Changed Name I The defense on the contrary hopes to establish a line of or evidence which will show that Peter Ruple changed his name to Henry C. C Ruple in order to protect the woman who had been his brothers brother's wife wire and nd who had deserted her that Henry Ruple's signatures since he be has been living with his brothers brother's wife under the assumed name compare favorably in general character with the signatures of ot Peter Ruple during th the civil war and immediately following the war Counsel for the defense announced today that Edmonds would probably be bethe bethe bethe the last witness That means the case will possibly be given over to the jury for deliberation tomorrow But Buton on account of the Democratic convention convention convention conven conven- tion being In session tomorrow Judge Johnson may postpone the case until after the convention |