The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-05 00:00:00

THE SUN, LON

kissing. Never was on the bed with him, nor ever in the
study with him alone. Was once in a room alone with
him when writing a letter fur his cousin. The room was
his bed-room. Does not recollect any other time. Thad-
deus was frequently at her house. When in. his room
she did not sit on Thaddeus' bed. He never took any li-
berties with her person. Has kissed her, not very often,
not every time he saw her. Has put his arms around
her neck when he kissed her. Was not in the habit of
doing anything. Never was alone with him. Never
spoke to her brother nor any other person about the li-
berties defendant had taken with her. The scene in the
parlour occurred in the evening. The room was not
lighted. Did not mention this parlour scene to the
Committee. Thought of it afterwards, and told it to
Judge Selden.
Direct examination resumed.—Remembers being in
defendant's study, with himself and Miss Gilkinson ; it
was on one of their Thursday evening levees. When
they went in, she asked Mr. Van Zandt for a book ; he
had promised her one of Scott's novels. She went with
him to the library, and as she had on. a silk dress, . wit-
ness heard it rattling, and some expressions that she said
to herself. She heard her say, " Let me alone." Heard
no sound of kissing. Believes that lie kissed her and
witness, after he came out.
SATURDAY, DEC. 31.
Ansel Robert; examined by Mr. Sibley—Witness is
a member of the vestry of Grace Church. Was present
at a meeting called by Mr. Van Zandt, last July, in the
Vestry-room, for the purpose of exculpating himself from
the charge made against' him by Mr. Murdock. He
made a written statement, and we had consider-
able conversation with him. His language was
something like this, to the best of my recollection, but
whether it was in the papers that he read and put in his
pocket, I cannot tell. He said—" It cannot be me, for
knowing my own propensities, I have invariably taken
particular pains to avoid meeting the females of my con-
gregation alone, even for religious conversation."
Mr. Sibley, for the defence, submitted a written paper
to the witness, and asked him to•look over it, and see if
he could tell if that was the document read by Mr. Van
Zandt at the vestry. The witness having read it in the
stand, said he thought that that was the paper, and the
Court decided that it should be given in evidence. It was
then read by Mr. Sibley. Its contents are briefly as fol-
lows :—On the Friday previous one of' his parishioners
had hinted to him that statements were abroad about
him and the elder Miss Murdock. He called on her mo-
ther, who refused to accept his hand offered her in friend-
ship. Mrs. Murdock accused him of the ruin of her
daughter. He took his God to witness he was innocent,
He could not then see her daughter. A nephew of his,
Thaddeus Van Zandt, who was at his house, had gone to
New York, gone to a house of ill-fame, and returned to
my family: On a particular occasion he (Mr. Van Zandt)
heard a noise in his study and. Mary Murdock, sister to So-
phia, came out. He (Mr. Van Zandt) had made
it a point not to meet the females of his congrega-
tion alone even for religious conversation. He (Mr. Van
Zandt) said to his vestry that he had known the two
girls Murdock to be little strumpets, for some time. One
of the vestry chocked him for using such language re-
specting members of the congregation.
William W. Bryan sworn—Was present in Court,
and had heard the testimony of Mr. Roberts, and was
present at the vestry meeting with Mr. Roberts ; Mr.
Van Zandt used the language mentioned by Mr. Roberts,
viz. :—" It cannot be me, for, knowing my own propensi-
ties," &c. Mr. Van Zandt read from a paper before him,
but he submitted nothing to us in the vestry ; with re-
ference to the character of the girls, he said, "it is too
bad that my hitherto fair character should be ruined by
those strumpets."
Cross-examined by Mr.- SIBLEY—The meeting of the
vestry was informal. Mr. V. Z. did most of the talking.
There was no record made of anything. I never saw
the paper Mr. V. Z. read, except in his hands. I paid
particular attention to the passages in this conversation
which I have repeated, because, it was what I had not
expected to hear from our minister, but improper and
unbecoming, and it made a deep impression on me.
Re-examined—Witness has been a friend to Mr.V. Z.
up to the time of that vestry meeting.
William C. Storrs—ls one of the vestry of Grace
Church, and was present at the meeting. On the Saturday
previous I rode with him to Brockport, and returned. He
said he was sick in body and mind ; that, on the day pre-
vious some one had told him that he had visited Mrs. Mur-
dock ; she refused to shake hands with him, and said,
" You have ruined my daughter, and ruined my
family." I think he said that he had asked. to see
the girl (Sophia), but that her mother refused ;
and, finding he could do nothing with the family, he
came away. He said that at one time there had been a
great intimacy between the two families, but that it had
been broken off, and that he suspected Sophia was in
the family way from her appearance and mode of dyes-
ing; that there had been improper intercourse between
his nephew Thaddeus and Mary Murdock. On one oc-
casion he (Mr. Van Zandt) missed Thaddeus from the
room, went up stairs, found Thaddeus' room locked ;
went up ten minutes after; Mary came out, and he found
Thaddeus within. He said he thought no improper in-
timacy had subsisted between his nephew and Sophia,
whom he described as a modest, unassuming girl. [Some
part of witness's description of Mr. Van Zandt's lan-
guage is too indelieate for the press.] Mr. Van Zandt
drank gin and sugar at three or four different place,.
It did not in the least affect his conversation. The vestry
took some steps at the meeting I was at to lay the
matter before the Bishop.
[The above three members of the Vestry of Grace
Church gave the testimony with much clearness, preci-
sion, and decorum; and apparently made a deep impres-
sion on the large and respectable audience, whose orderly
and sedate behaviour was never surpassecq
Mary Murdock sworn.—Examined by Judge Selden.
—Witness is the sister of Sophia Murdock. Rev. Mr.
Van Zandt had taken liberties with the person of this
witness. The first time Mr. Van Zandt took liberties
with witness was in the vestry room of St. Paul's Church,
Cross-questioned by Mr. Sibley Witness did
not tell either her mother or her sister. They
were trimming the church. It was about two
years ago. She told Miss Emily Beers, but not her
mother.—[Miss Mary is intelligent—wore a dark printed
cotton dress, white merino shawl, with a straw bonnet,
beautifully trimmed with green silk velvet, and veil—
her answers were prompt, to the purpose, and were to be
heard. Mr. Van Zandt sat beside his counsel, grave and
sedate, gave few if any hints to the lawyers, but looked
a little careworn. He is a tall, stout made man, middle
aged, with brown hair, large and black whiskers, extend-
ing under his chin—is rather good looking.]
James K. Livingstone, President of the Bank of Mon-
roe, sworn—Had been acquainted with Dr. Murdock for
25 to 28 years. (It was the wish of the counsel for the
prosecution to examine this witness, as to the character
of the prosecutor and his family, but the counsel for the
defence objected, admitting the great respectability of
Mr. and Mrs. Murdock, and of their connexions, as stated
by Mr. Selden in his opening. Mr. Livingston's testi-
mony was not taken.)
Mrs. Stevens was present at Mr. Van- Zandt's room,
Spring-street house, when Mrs. James S. Gregory was
there, in the latter part of last July; Mr. and Mrs. V.
Z., Mrs. G.-and self were present ; the servant came and
said a gentleman wished to speak with Mr. Van Zandt,
who left the room, and in fifteen or twenty minutes came
back and said that good news had come--that Mr. Stringer
said, that Mr. Williams said, that he -could produce two
gentlemen who would .come forward if called on, and tes-
tify—[This, also, is unfit for publication in an English
Paper.]
Miss Elizabeth Atkinson sworn—Mr. Selden stated
that he proposed to prove by her that Mr. Van Zandt
had taken such liberties with her, that it caused her to
avoid the congregation.
Miss Gilkenson, (a handsome, modest, young lady) was
one evening at Mr. Van Zandt's levee; went up to his study
to get some books ; witness and Sophia, and other ladies
wont up. They left. Miss G. and Sophia remained. Mr.
Van Zandt kissed witness, who told him.to let her alone.
lle also kissed Sophia. This was in 1841. Thinks it
was in the fall. Since this matter became public, Mr.
Van Zandt has called at our house, and said it was not
necessary she should come forward as a witness, and
asked if she saw him kiss Sophia. Witness said she did.
[The reporter was absent fifteen minutes, and on his
return found Mr. F. M. Haight addressing the Jury for
the defence, the case for the prosecution having closed.]
Mr. Haight—We expect to show an intimacy between
the principal witness (Miss Sophia) and a young person,
from which this pregnancy may have arisen.—[Also
unfit for publication in an English paper.]
A.number of ladies who had attended on subpoenas to
testify as to Mr. Van Zandt's indecent conduct, returned
home, the Court having determined that evidence of his
,misconduct in cases beyond' the circle of the family of
the prosecutor, and unconnected with that of Sophia
Murdock,:is inadmissible.
TESTINONY FOR THE DEFENCE.
Rev. Thomas S. Britten sworn.—Examined by Mr.
Sibley.—Called on Mr. Van Zandt on the 10th-of Oct.,
that month, m
and o n ,rpepl elnlyiaetidnh
eehdicsawrpi stl
place
heo Cg,ttillha ert ht
the
eeaa
ttuhr ad lafy-
-1840.. Went over to Coburg. Returned on the 16th of
pulpit on the Sunday
pfaosltl o w ten-
o'clock.succeeding the 16th. He left home on Saturday to preach
in Batavia for Dr. I
home on my return from Canada.found.w Mr. Van lan
tookr a walk
in
t
the city and returned for dinner. We
sat some time in
his study. Dinner was not ready, for which Mrs. V.
expressed her regret. I remained with him
.to dinner,
and Mrs. V. excused herself from not rem:Li:lung longer,
saying she was going to a sewing party,
bly beyond her time—two o'clock. She did ennotnsi ter
, After dinner we sat about half an hour, and tanniril:.-
cended into the study—the front room up stairs--a large
room. We remained together (he and I) till about foal-
o'clock. He then took out his watch and begged to be
excused, as he had a party to attend at which he was
expected to be present. He asked me to accompany
him. I did as far as the door, and there We parted.
Cross-examined by Mr. S. L. Seldon—A paper was
handed to witness, and lie was asked if that was his
-?aclaration made to I am sure that Mr. Van
Zandt :lid not leave his study after our walk till dinner
—we had wine at dinner on that day, and on the other
day a domestic, tsc,rnale, cam
day, thIJ 101)1 of October,,, amel
toonthneodt:ltihinegr days.-dOoonre,
and said that a yoilnitladdlynin wantedoom to
at speak
the
mtoomheinmt
—Mrs. V. was-leaving
—he was absent ten or fifteen nonuto4 01' more—l stopt.
at the table with his mother that evening till he pimp
' back. I cannot tell what day this occurred, but it was
one day that week. His mother asked who the young
lady wass—lie pold her that she only wanted a book—l
do not remember her nayte: I cannot positively swear
that the young lady dice not f9F phi; kyoks on the
16th; but believe not, .1
related this matter 14 .
and on another occasion Japkson. I thin I
said nothing about the young lady)s AA to these gentle-
men or to the Committee of the Church. I burg PERVI-1
many sleepless nitchts trying to recollect what took place
at Mr. Van Zandt s J was there.
Here Mr. Seldon read a letter from this witness to
Mr. Van Zandt, dated last September acknowLeding past
favours, and stating that he could fix no date to show
that it was not on the 16th he (Mr. V,) was absent wit