The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-11-16
Tho Contest Over VanderbIIt's
Mtnl

, nominations III the form OF questions,
, which attract the ear and keep up the ex.
Citement.
,r Before the proceedings to-day, the
Times account says, richly attIred wo-
man squee1ed through tue mob and made
an unNbSsled attempt to secure front
r position, but one Of the attendants polite.
" led her ont. Cornelius J. Vanderbilt
and his counsel we're first in their places,
before II O'clock. Cornelius does not
bear any family resemblance 10 his broth.
er. He is n smaller md thinner man,
will, a iiIil brown beard and care.worn
connteuance. lie sa, NrRpred in shah
by brown uvtfcOAl, with hia shoulders
stooped forward, looking neither to the
right nor the lsiI, but apparently paying
the slrictest attention 10 the testimony.
VIM. II. Vanderbilt took chair with his
back 10 a pillar, and faced 10 the opposite
direction TO his brother. His demeauor
was without the slightest tiuge Of embar-
rassment. He paid unwaveEIug attention
to the proceedings, listening at limeB with
opened mouth, as though totally absorb
ed, and once or twice joined in the laugh.
ter ot the spectators.
Tho Cr0sS.examinRtiou OF DR.. Liudley
proved decidedly favorable to William
Il. The witness said that the assistant
physicians were selected without consult.
ing william, or any one except the Com.
uodore himself. He often declined to see
ylsitorS, and sometimes his own children.
Witness said that during tho Commo-
dOres last illness "I think heard him
talk 10 Mrs. LeBan about his will; |
heard him tell her he had done the bes.
he could; | heard him gay he had made
the beat will Tor all parties, and that il
hc should make one hundred wills he |
would not be able to make better one.
Witness had many conversations with |
Vanderbilt about his wills. When the |
1854 will was drawn up he informed
the Doctor that he had left the bulk
of hia property to William and
George. The latter died fifteen
years ago. In his las. illness Wit.
ness vas present during conversations
with William H, about the will. The
first time was ia July, 1876. One evening
In that rOnlh William II. caue into the
back bed room and stnod at the foot OF
hi. iather'E bed. The Commodore com.
menced talking | got up to go out Of
the room. The Commodore told me to
cit town, and pointed to the chair. He
then says: Billy (pOinting his finger at
him), alter | arn dead great RESPONSE
hllity will fall 90 you. Iou will ind
piece OF p"reF !rii 10 direct you what TO
dU. There are several pieces OF paper
attached Ia INV will charge you to
carry oni faithfully shat have directed
in my will William H. acquiesced. l
heard the Commodore repeat this many
times to William H., who always assent.
ed by saying he would or nodding his
head. William did not ask what was in
the will, and the Commodore never stated
its contents.
In May he said to me, "Had died in
1883 or 1886, or even in 1868, the world
wouldn't know that | ever lived; but l
think | have been spared to accomplish
great work which will remain, and |
think | have fixed it 80 that il can not be
destroyed by the stock market. II l had
given my daughters $1,000 900 or S5,OOO,.
900 apiece, the first thing they would do
would be to put William and Torrance
out. The next thing they would be quar-
relinS SmOug themselves, and their stock
would 10 thrown on the market until it
would not BE- worth 40. / have secured
Canada Southern so that nobody can in
jure the rOad.' L
This and the previous testimony Gre
ated sensation, The Doctor then said
that during the whole forty seven years
OF his acquaintance with Vanderbilt his
mental condition was entirely sound, e1.
cepting when hs fell into coma a few ,
hours before hiA death, and once in 1876,
when he had aSevere congestive chill. j
There Tas some warm debate between
counsel over certain questions about '
Mr'. VanderbiltS Incarceration In an I
asylum. and M to whether Cornelius J. q
wss afflicted with any di4ease in boyhood.
Mr.. Clinton declared that Mr.. Lords
opening speech was tissue Of the gross.
est ISLANDERS, while the latter replied that
he would prove all he had said. Mr.. !
Lord said; "There is money on the other :
side. They are backed by hundred i
millions Of money, and nothing else" )
Mr.. Clinton replied: "Ef We have wealth t
on our side, you have wealth Of imag- e
ination on yours, and nothing else"
Tho effort was then made by the con-
testGnt to show iha. Dr.. Linsley was
largely interested In having the will sul. 4
tained; that he was to receive legacy Of !
$4,000, besides bills amouutius 10 $30,- !
900, which he va, to pay back to the 4
estate |! the will was set aside. TheSur- !
rogate ruled, however, that 1t waJ not :
for tue contestants 10 impeach Z
their own witnesses.
An attempt was also made for some !
unexplained purpose, to show that the 7
Commodore slept in the water-closat and !
bathroom, but the witness declaimed
any knowledge Of such thing. Witness l
was asked: "Did you tell DE- Ira n. c
SWSIoy that you would rather give thou
sands than be witness in this case, as
the revelations would be terrible" II
did, stter heard his declaration" y
He was then asked by Mr.. Clinton a
Estate what the messaSe was Commodore !
Vanderbilt sent TO Corneiiu. ]. when he b
came TO see him aud was refused admit Z
tance" Answer. "HeSsked Mrs. Van {
derbilt who was In tue house. She re- :,
piled that his sister Phoebe WAS in the :.
other room, and that Cornelius j. was =
down ataira. lie sRid, 60 right down i
statTc and tell him To go right out ofthe i
house and never come in again while | a
am living or after | am dead. Mr.. h
Crawford, you go down and aer lha, rhr y
tells him. They went down, bu, Cor =
neliuI ]. had gone OUT u
Dr. Thomas SaIterthWailc, who Ma
called to maksSn autopsy oi the Commo. !,
doreH body, was next called, NnJ, after
some discussion, waS allowed To state the Il
Sutopsy, which showed a,errihIu cOndi.
tion ot the whole system, aud an extraor. 5
binary complication Of d,.pN-r., aud cou. Il
trmed A0ue ot The .ta'vmrEt- nisdr by i
Mr, Lord IN his opening. q
Tho hearing was Ihru N,'jNurne,i I'LL to.
morrow.
NEw York, Npveulbst i6.--Tbe NV,
says: II WA stated in the Surrogate's :
office to-day that basis Of settlement I
IN the Vanderbilt will case was submit. |
ted at the close Of the proceedings yes.
terday, anil Ia now under consideration. :