_Smith._ "It is very like my signature."

_Attorney-General._ "Have you any doubt about it?"

_Smith_ (after considerable hesitation). "I have some doubt."

_Attorney-General._ "Read the doc.u.ment, and tell me, on your oath, whether it is your signature."

_Smith._ "I have some doubt whether it is mine."

_Attorney-General._ "Read the doc.u.ment, 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."

_Baron Alderson._ "Did you ever make such an attestation?"

_Smith._ "I don't recollect, my Lord."

_Attorney-General._ "Look at the other signature there, 'Walter Palmer,'--is that his signature?"

_Smith._ "I believe that is Walter Palmer's."

_Attorney-General._ "Look at the attestation and the words 'signed, sealed, and delivered'; are they in Mr. Pratt's handwriting?"

_Smith._ "They are."

_Attorney-General._ "Did you receive that from Mr. Pratt?"

_Smith._ "Most likely I did; but I can't swear that I did. It might have been sent to William Palmer."

_Attorney-General._ "Did you receive it from William Palmer?"

_Smith._ "I don't know. Very likely I did."

_Attorney-General._ "Did William Palmer give you that doc.u.ment?"

_Smith._ "I have no doubt he did."

_Attorney-General._ "If that be the doc.u.ment he gave you, and those are the signatures of Walter Palmer and of Pratt, is not the other signature yours?"

_Smith._ "I'll tell you, Mr. Attorney--"

_Attorney-General._ "Don't 'Mr. Attorney' me, sir! Answer my question.

Isn't that your handwriting?"

_Smith._ "I believe it not to be."

_Attorney-General._ "Will you swear that it isn't?"

_Smith._ "I believe that it is not."

_Attorney-General._ "Did you apply to the Midland Counties Insurance Office in October, 1855, to be appointed their agent at Rugeley?"

_Smith._ "I think I did."

_Attorney-General._ "Did you send them a proposal on the life of Bates for 10,000--you yourself?"

_Smith._ "I did."

_Attorney-General._ "Did William Palmer apply to you to send that proposal?"

_Smith._ "Bates and Palmer came together to my office with a prospectus, and asked me if I knew whether there was any agent for that company in Rugeley. I told them I had never heard of one, and they then asked me if I would write and get the appointment, because Bates wanted to raise some money."

_Attorney-General._ "Did you send to the Midland Office and get appointed as their agent in Rugeley, in order to effect that 10,000 insurance on Bates's life?"

_Smith._ "I did."

_Attorney-General._ "Was Bates at that time superintending William Palmer's stud and stables?"

_Smith._ "He was."

_Attorney-General._ "At a salary of 1 a week?"

_Smith._ "I can't tell his salary."

_Attorney-General._ "After that did you go to the widow of Walter Palmer to get her to give up her claim on the policy of her husband?"

_Smith._ "I did."

_Attorney-General._ "Where was she at that time?"

_Smith._ "At Liverpool."

_Attorney-General._ "Did you receive a doc.u.ment from Pratt to take to her?"

_Smith._ "William Palmer gave me one which had been directed to him."

_Attorney-General._ "Did the widow refuse?"

_Smith._ "She said she should like her solicitor to see it; and I said, 'By all means.'"