CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT
PARISH OF ORLEANS
STATE OF LOUISIANA
STATE OF LOUISIANA vs. CLAY L. SHAW
198-059
1426 (30)
SECTION "C"
EXCERPT OF THE TESTIMONY TAKEN IN OPEN COURT
February 25, 1969
B E F O R E: THE HONORABLE EDWARD A. HAGGERTY, JR., JUDGE, SECTION "C"
MR. DYMOND: Your Honor, this next witness we have, he is an expert witness. We will have time to qualify him and also to identify an exhibit that he is going to use, but his testimony in chief I think is going to be a little bit too long to try to launch into this afternoon. Shall we go ahead and get him qualified and get the exhibit identified?
THE COURT: I think you can accomplish that.
MR. DYMOND: All right, sir.
THE COURT: You can go into his qualifications, and if there is a traverse on it, you can cover that. Is he available?
MR. DYMOND: Yes, he is right outside.
THE COURT: Call the witness.
MR. DYMOND: Off the record.
(Discussion off the record.)
MR. DYMOND: Your Honor, we call Mr. Link as the next witness.
ROBERT S. LINK, JR., a witness called by and on behalf of the Defendant, having been first duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. DYMOND:
Q: Mr. Link, would you please state your full name, sir.
A: Robert Sumter Link, Jr.
Q: Are you an attorney here in New Orleans, Mr. Link?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Are you also duly commissioned, sworn and qualified as a Notary Public in and for the Parish of Orleans?
A: Yes, sir.
MR. DYMOND: Your Honor, I will ask the Clerk to mark these documents as "Defendant 30" through "Defendant 43."
THE COURT: Let them be identified.
(Whereupon, the documents referred to by Counsel were duly marked for identification as "Defendant 30" through "Defendant 43.")
BY MR. DYMOND:
Q: (Exhibiting documents to witness) Mr. Link, I show you some exhibits, which have been marked for identification as "D-30" through "D-43," and I ask you whether you can
identify these documents, sir.
A: I identify D-30 and D-31 and D-32 and D-33 and D-34 and D-35 and D-36 and D-37 and D-38, D-39, D-40, D-41, D-42, and D-43.
Q: Now, Mr. Link, what do these documents represent, that is, what do they consist of?
A: Well, they consist of signatures by Mr. Clay Shaw executed before me as a Notary Public on the 20th day of February, 1969, and I indicated on each page, "The signature below was signed before me this 20th day of February, 1969," on this Exhibit D-30 at 3:00 p.m., and I signed my name and marked it "Not Pub.," Notary Public, and put my seal.
Q: Now, were all of these documents signed by Mr. Shaw in your presence?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: And where did this signing take place?
A: It was in the American Bank Building, I think 2106.
A: Yes, Mr. Wegmann's office.
Q: Now, Mr. Link, as Mr. Shaw signed each one of these exhibits, did it remain in his possession or not?
A: No, as he signed each one he handed it to me. I watched him sign each one, and then he handed it to me, and then I wrote on it.
Q: I see.
A: -- just what I have testified to, and then I put my seal on it, and I watched him sign the next one.
Q: And do you recognize your signature on each one of these documents as the attesting Notary Public?
A: Yes, sir.
MR. DYMOND: We tender the witness.
CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR. ALCOCK:
Q: Mr. Link, could you tell us if anyone else was present when this occurred besides yourself and the Defendants?
A: What did you say, Mr. Alcock?
Q: Can you tell us whether or not anyone else was present at this time besides yourself and the Defendant?
A: Yes, sir, Mr. Ed Wegmann was for maybe two or three minutes. He read something which is on one of the exhibits, and Mr. Shaw wrote it as he said it.
Q: Were these the only signatures made by the defendant in your presence?
A: Those there, I am sure that is all, yes, sir.
Q: Do you recall whether or not he made any other writings at that time besides those signatures that you notarized?
A: I think on one or two of the exhibits the date, maybe, that was all, but everything is right here that he signed in my presence.
Q: What time of day or night was this?
A: I think D-30 I marked at 3:00 p.m., so it was, sir --
MR. DYMOND: Did you want to look at them?
(Documents handed to witness.)
A: D-30 was at 3:00 p.m.
BY MR. ALCOCK:
Q: Well, that is all right. They were all about the same time?
A: Yes, sir. One of them started at 2:55 p.m. It was around that time.
Q: They are all about that same time?
A: I looked at my watch. It isn't always accurate, but it gives you a fair indication of whether it is night or day I would say.
Q: And what did you do with these after you notarized them?
A: I think I gave them to Mr. Wegmann.
Q: Did you see them again prior to your coming into court today?
A: These (indicating)?
Q: Yes.
A: No, sir.
Q: And that was on February 20, is that correct?
A: February 20, 1969.
Q: You do, however, recognize your handwriting and signature on each document? Correct?
A: Yes. Nobody else could write like this but me, Mr. Alcock.
MR. ALCOCK: All right. No further questions.
(WITNESS EXCUSED.)