Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-11-27
Mr.. Van Ness, he defendant was present, and
his counsel defended him from the itnpula,ion Of

The petition Of Mis-. Van Ness. and several
atiidaviis taken in Philadelphia, were then read
The petition Of Mrs. Conner was read BY Mr.
May, setting forth her alleged marriage, &c
making reference 10 certain interviews with Cor
nelius P. Van Ness, &c The statements in re.
gard 10 MIC. p. Van Ness were Immediately
denied oy him Ia counter affidavit read by Nh
bradley. Bob Of these papers were listened TO
win Inc closest attention IN Court and The more
SO as they contained the alony nous and Other
letters Of Mrs. Van Ness. With the reading, OF
this affidavit, the Court adJourneo Tor The day.\
WASHINGTON, Nov. 49,
The Van Ness uiai was resumed this morning .
al len O'clock Tie fl 81 important witness ex-
am:ned being Mr.. Maury. VINO testified as 10
what ne believed 10 BE- signature OF General
Van Ness. The next Witnesses were from Bal.
timore,-Mrs. Mary Drew and MRS. Jane Dur
| kee, her daughter. The former testified that she
knew Gen. Van Ness weil-ihat in April, l643,
/ ne came 10 her house under the name Of MIR
| Wallace hat This Mrs. Wallace, 50 called,
/ came also, and that this Mrs. Wallace was Mrs.
| Van Ness, now in cour-tha' the object ot Mrs.
| Wallaces visit was 10 give brih TO a child, which
was born early ir Arril-ihai lie business Of
| Mrs. Drew was 10 &c in place OF Doctor IN
giving birth 10 CHILDREN, and that child was
born Of Mrs. Wallace. Ohe present Mrs. Van
NessD who was named Gertrude Van Ness (by
Mrs. Wallace,) which child died in about one
| year. and was christened and buried IN the church
yard Of The % Presbyterian Church
She further testified that the child died Of scar
lie, fever, and was chfislened few days before
its dealh. Mrs. Drew said that the child was
beautiful one-that Mr.. Van Ness appeared 10
be very found OF It'll he acknowledged il 10 be
his own, and called lis mother Mrs Wallace
as she was KNOWN as his wife. I his was done
several times by him. Mrs. Drew said she
charged The rcpu,ed Mr.. Wallace with being
| Gen Van Ness, whom she knew well, and that
he did moi deny ii, puI biushed when The charge
was made
Upon The cross examination, Mrs. Drew said
she did not think il strange iha, Gen. Van Ness
| SHOULD visit Baltimore upon The errand OF accom-
panying Mrs Wallace, and Tor The purpose OF
puiliug his wife 10 board and proc uring nurse
ior his child. Afterwards she thought il strange
| that all this disguise was assumed. Mrs. Drew
procured her daughter, Mrs. Jane Durkee,
nurse ior Gen. Van Ness's cad.
i Ms. Du-i.e uas me next witness sworn
she stated nat she was told that The gentleman
j rarcoding 10 be Wallace was Van Ness that
/, Ter ,uo,he. told hun so-.nal she had never seen
MIN before ne came with MS cnd-ihat She r.
ceived S32 tof nursing the child Tor Two months
wlth promise Il he same san for every Two
mon,hs nursing. Mrs Daikee was well con-
voced tha, Mr.. Van Ness was Mr. Wallace and
vice versa ami SO was Mis-. Wallace Mrs. Van
Ness.
A great many witnesses were sworn 10 eve
testimony 10 The resemblance between the known
hsnd writing If Sen Van Mss and his part ot
the testimony was 'uli ana undressing, con
suming great zeal ii nc md putting he couI,
ont oil al! patience. THIS lung delay is tore
TASTE Of he lime likely 70 be Consumed in exam.
ming ,he whole case. and j, is quite cerain that
much tine will elapse before there is conclu-
sion oi Inc trial
Some 81 the letters referred 10 Yesterday wee
read TODAY. There ale nine of them which Is
alleged we've written ~ MIR. Van Ness to Mis-.
Conner, as Mrs. Van Ness Trey are all briet
aud em5ody either promises oi marriage or ac-
knuwledyernsn,s ii marriage. Without being
bnrtened with epnheis Of affection, they are pro-
iuseiv enough scattered over lhe correspondence
10 give evidence OF warm affection on the pa" -
Inc ritter. These letters Inc Counsel Tor the
iendany held u o- !or.eries, ard present Ii
selves prepafci 10 maintain both internal an
,ernal evidence OF the tact.
(Corespo ndence Vi The Baltimore Clipper
WASHINGTON, Nov. 90 1874
THE VAN NESS CASE-On The as.
bling OF the coud ih,s morning, Mr. Geo.
tingiy was examined. RE testified that hr X
where the plaintiff livei-saw Gen Van n,
carriage before The house !feGnen,lv-the SIS
continued While witness lived ia The neighpuI-
hood.
Mr. Farar, VINO keeps bowling So loon on
Missouri avenue, testified that he had seen Gen.
Van Mes, 90 10 Mrs. Cobners (the plaintiff 's)
boarding house-lhe last time 10 the February
before he died, ans loot no. in his carriage, "a
on previous occasions.
Mr. Murray was recalled, and having exam.
ined the letters which had been b ought up from
the Orphans Court. gave his opinion tina, some
ot The signatures were genuine, and that he would
in The course u business (beng a director Of a
| bank,) have taken notes with signatures like
these; bur, On he cross-examInalion, said not
without having examined The filling up, il there
was any doubt.
Mr.. Coke Tor The defendant, objected 10 The lei.
trrs going 10 The jury, because lwo Of The witness
es had declared their opinions that they were not
genuine and another combining his knowledge
alone 10 the signature.
Mr.. Brent said, as in The case OF the decd the
| signature covers The whole.
Debate ensueu, al The termination al which, the
conn, Tor reasons given, said that The letters
might be read 10 he jury, and they were read ac
cordIngly. Some Vi them were signed "yours,
truly aiirclionale, yours, as ever, ""your aiiec-
tionale husband" &e., telling her tina, he Gen.
Van Ness) would marry her, speaking about their
child, giving her house and lots. telling her not
/ to lie unhappy &c.
I Mr.. Becker testified That eight years ago, when
he drove hack, ne carried the lady (Nlrs. Van
Ness, 10 the house VI The General where she re-
| mained about twenty minutes
I Mes-rs J. t. Towers and Geo. Collard, ard
Mrs Williams, deposed that they had seen Gen.
Van Ness frequently 20 to The house OF Mrs.
| Conner, Che piainlii)
Gen. Jones testified that, in the absence OF ex-
! tfns,c circumstances, h would believe that a let
ter shown him was in the handwriting OF Gen.
I Van Ness.
| Two letters were read dated Sept and October
1915, directed TO Mrs Conner, at Green Valley
Depot, Va, and signed "your husband" 'your
afeclionale husband" ETC, in one OF which J. P.
| Van Ness expressed hope that she little heir
was well !" and sending money.
( Cul. w. Brent the clerk 81 the Court, under
oaih stated MS belief that receipt shown hin
/ vas in The hand writing vi Gen. Van Ness.
/ Nh McNanee was examined as 10 hand
writing, and gave his opinion that letters shown
! 10 him were written by Gen. Van Ness. He did
I MOI always write the same hand as he knew gen.
| tIemen who could not al all times tell the hand.
writing OF the General, until looking at the sig
nature. (Being clerk Of The Court, he brough,
| from his room copy OF The deed written by Gen.
| Van Ness in which he first line showed that the
| leirer a had been omitted. AS establishing char
| acersIic of the GENERALLY
! Miss Cyrena Connor, daughter of the plaintiff,
testified thai she wen, 10 Philadelphia with her
| mo sfer, ana Drst stopper al MIS- 1l'nns, OUT
as they recognized at The table several acquan-
| tances. and as Gen. Van. Ness wished the mar
rage TO be kept secret, they wea, 10 Mrs. Mou-
ders. This was Oh a Monday, aud they stayed
there until Thursday, The SIN Of August Saw
1 Gen. Van. Ness coming towards the house while
! she was Standing at The Goor, and said General
nov arc youl' Her mother then came 10 the
I door and said, how do yon dol They then
went mo Inc parlor together, and had long
conversation. Witness went into Inc parlor, an!
remarked TO Gen Van Ness II shall be ready to
morrow morning 10 Sc You and ma married -
! lie replied "No, Cyfena, your MA and can be
married as well without as win you'll shall re.
main but short time, and wart the company
| ri your mother alone, stay AT home, and make
| Yourself conleniec Saw Gen. Van Ness aght
| al the door, and ring The be-hef mother go, into
the carriage, and with Gen. Van Ness drove of
| This was in Inc morning-paid no attention 10
| The hour When The carriage returned her