The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-10-26
vanderbilt's VIII.

In the Vanderbilt will case to-day
Mrs. Lillian Stoddard, widow of DR..
Charles Anderson Stoddard, said she
first saw Commodore Vanderbilt at
spiritual meeting in Boston. This caused
some legal discussion as to the admission
of testimony to the belief of the Com
modore in spiritualism, but it was finally
admitted. The witness then said she
next met Commodore Vanderbilt on the
east side of the city at meeting at
at which DR.. Stoddard and his friends
we're present. DR.. Stoddard was clair
voyant physician, or medical clair
voyant, and the Doctor was introduced
to the Commodore as such. Witness
saw the Commodore at his Office and on
Fourth-street, near McDougal-street.
Witness here said she knew William H.
Vanderbilt, and pointed him out in
the Court. On one occasion Mr.. Stod-
dard and herself met the Commodore on
Fourth-street, at the park, and spoke to
him, and after the Commodore left she
noticed there was man watching them.
The man watching them was William II.
Vanderbilt, and he came back and spoke
to them, when the Commodore was out
of sight. This was in 1874
Mr.. Clinton objected, and Mr.. Lord
said he proposed to prove that VIM.
Vanderbilt made an appointment with
the witness and her husband, and en-
tered into conspiracy; that he gave
DIR. Stoddard large amount of money
to make the Commodore believe he was
in communication with the Commodore's
dead wife, and that she demanded OF
him that he make will in favor of VIM.
H. Vanderbilt. Counsel said he would
prove that that conspiracy was carried
out, and that the will was made under
such pressure and conspiracy. Another
strong argument took place among
counsel.
The Surrogate ruled that the evidence
was competent, independent of the
Commodore's belief in Spiritualism or
not
The witness continued The CONVEX
satiop was in September, 1874, in Wash
ington Square, about L a. m. William
III. Vanderbilt, on coming up, said:
Chat gentleman you were talking to
is my father, and you are his medical
clairvoyant ! have been wanting to see
you for some time. ! wish to have a
private conversation with you" We
agreed to meet him the next day at ten
o'clock, at the Cosmopolitan Hotel,
Chambers-street and West Broadway,
and we did meet him. Mr.. Vanderbilt
seemed surprised at my being present,
but Mr.. Stoddard said, That's all
right" Mr.. Vanderbilt said: want
you to control the old man, as you have
power over him, and he believes in you.
/ want you to influence him so that he
will think more of me-" 81 don't
know about that" said MIR. Stoddard.
al will let you know about that to-
morrow" The next day we met him
at the same place, and Mr.. Vanderbilt
handed Mr.. Stoddard roll of bills. Mr..
| Stoddard counted them and said :
"Thats all right and satisfactory; now
am ready for business" Great laugh
| ter. William H. then said: &C. want
you to call on the old man at his Office,
and say to him that you have message
from his dead wife now in the spirit
world tell him that the message was to
make his will in favor of William H.,
and also impress on the old man that all
the rest of the children hate him." Mr.
Stoddard called on the Commodore next
day and told him as directed. 1t was
also agreed that William Ii. was to come
in at the moment ] was to say 81 also
have a message" but the Stoddards
were not to recognize. Mr.. Stoddard
then went into trance. Great laugh
ter. While in this trance, Mr. Stoddard
said: "There is the spirit of an elderly
lady around me-" 1t was the Commo-
dore's dead wife Mr. Stoddard said the
spirit told the Commodore to make his
will in favor of William H., as he was
the only one to be depended on as to
business, and as the other children all
hated the Commodore and wished him
dead. The Commodore appeared to be
very much excited, and said: William
shall have ALL" He then drank glass
of water. Mr.. Stoddard then came out
of the trance, and William H. Wander
bilt entered at the moment. Mr.. Stod-
dard exclaimed, "Who is that? That is
the man saw in the trance" The Com
modore seemed greatly surprised, and
William H. said he had also received a
spirit message. Some two days after
ward witness and her husband saw the
Commodore at his Office. The Commo-
dore said he would do as directed by the
spirit, and would make his will in favor
Of William H., and make him his sue
cessor. The Commodore repeated this
several times. The last time witness and
Mr.. Stoddard saw the Commodore was
in January, 1875. She could not say
how much was in the roll of bills given
her husband by William II. Vanderbilt.
There were ffties, tens, and fives in it.
She always believed there were about
one thousand dollars in the roll