New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-04-11
THE GREAT WILL CONTEST.


MORE EVIDENCE ABOUT TIE COMMODORE.
FURTHER OPINIONS IN REGARD 10 HIS TWO SONS
LONG AND TEDIOUS DIsCUssIoNs-THE MAJOR
IrY or THE OFFERS OF TESTIMONY EXCLUDED
In the Vanderbilt will contest yesterday, SIX
witnesses were examined but Of the testimony Of
fered was excluded The court opened promptly at IL
o'clock Mrs Helen SClarke resumed her place on the VIII
ness stand and the crOss-eXamlnatiOn was continued
MrClntOn kept mp running fire OF sharp questions but
elected very little information The recollection OF the
witness was misty In regard house the servant
who admitted her, the time when she called, the furn'
ture of the sickrOOm and many other details The two
nurses III the COMMODITIES sck-roOm were here shown
TO the witness but declared that she had no remen
brance of having them before. She said she
was unable to find the letter the Commodore sent to
her, requesting her TO attend him AZ hrs house.
The witncss-PcrsODs have called on inc frequently
under the guise OF seeking magnetic treatment, VINO
questioned Inc the Vanderbilt viii contest When
| saw they were trying to draw out, declined to
treat them
John T. Curry OF No l Pine-st., testified; am to-
biographical engineer; fourteen years ago laid out
boundaries Of property staten Island IN May 1879
saw Commodore Vanderbilt while was surveying for
land marks and boundaries on the Redmond Road.
Mr. Iord-I propose to show that while the witness
was at this work Commodore drove up and in VIC
lent way compelled the witness TO desist from the work.
The Surrogate admitted the evidence.
The yitness-The Commodore drove up violently, and
asked me, What in HI are you doing herel | told
him was laying the boundaries. He said, Get ont OF
here" said " Not much, Commodore" He said own
all the lands on this island You get or this island Or
will put YOU OH" As he cracked his whip and was very
aggressive left at lie very violent in hls
language be through the whole gamut OF profanity
am not piOu but do not care TO repeat these Oath5
He used expressions such c. a. you," and the Ike
Horace l.. Brown, whose residence Il In West Twenty
al 4 Commodore
1868 Mrs. Cornelius J. Vanderbilt and my wife were
intimate friends, 50 we visited at the COmmodOfe's
house. where she staying. In 1868 had CONVEX
saton with Tie Commodore about Cornelius j. IL was at
his house. He was speaking Of Cornell" ana SAID,
" am glad he goes your Office. wish he could get
into such business youIs" was then in the ship
ming and commission business lie said have often
regretted that Cornell not brought up to business
and wish he well placed" Then he asked me II
would keep him about the office much as possible
We had three four other conversations similar III
character lie told me that Cornelius had ganbled, but
ne said he thought the habit quite broken. He said
ne had made settlement on COrne!luss we, so thai
she held the puIsestriugs, ana lac thought sue WOuu
on him good At the time OF the death OF the other
SON. GeOrge-l think In Paris-the Commodore again
smoke very fcengy about Cornell and SAID, II Wish
Cornell was In business and IN perfect heall so naS
could lean on him." loaned Cornelius between 500
and $500 three four different occasions Whsn he
went into bankruptcy he owed me only TlOO hau a
Conversation with the Commodore $685. at his house,
about Corneuss indebtedness TO tried 10 interest
the Commodore IN railroad scheme ana tod MN inns
was good chance fOr .Corueel AZ the thd interview
the Commodore refused TO accept my proposal, linen
told him what Cornelius owed me. He turned Sharply
to and said, why didn't think You was sISh
id fool rs To waste money IN that way lhat VIII De
good lesson for YOU young man as you WIN NV
nav YOU" lie added: " Cornell has great many IN,
him money IL they had only followed the plan marked
out Il would be better. The only revenge can nave
Cornelius V. De Forest testified: am connected WIN
the New-York Central Railroad | am a egqtee under
ttIl 4 Ivan NJ he
sickness was not directed by the Commodore 10 pay
Mr. Lodi propose TO show that tho Commodore had
decided TO pay Dr. Bennett $1,000 Tor ms professional
Wardeh or " H. vanderbilt he was Induced TO reduce
this amount to $500 Excluded ,o., 49,,
David H. lycIs or TOedt III; , L. tGst,ued s'eT
the Commodore and know William II, Eandsrbnt' g
Did YOU ever see william H. gambei Objected To Mr.
Lord said the strongest explanation TOT this
main charge against Cornelius was That OF gDlihg.
This was only positive wee charged ana Tor thls
viii made by which, should Cornelius Doraow ahg
money and gave note on hs income, mat income WOul1
be cut off. Mr.. Lord here read from well-thumDed
COPY OF the will the clause mat PROVIDES tllt an
attempt give security for debt by any assignment OF
10 this he said would be to show that william H. in-
duged In this vice OF gambling, ana that his iather
The counsel entered into discussion, during which
nearly all the principal issues OF the case were reviewed
The you prove tnat the wees OF
both SONS notorious aud well known to the Com
mOdore, then this order seems to Oe made merely 10
defame the character OF the prOponent From the begin
mug OF this trial until now have failed to see sclha
OF evidence to show any undue influences exercised Dy
any one the making Of this Will Al the present stage
OF the ease this testimony Is not c3mpe'9nt;, 49,, AZ,
nv Charles Stewart OF The Netr- York. DdHB Necs, MI
Lord offered 10 prove that in the presence or witness
and Miss Tenne Clann, in 1869 or TO- the Commodore
stated that his health very poor ana tat ne coud
bear little excitement This with similar oHer, was
excluded. ..---, ---- :,
Here MIR Lord read long list OF witnesses names, in
Guiding that Of A. Oakley Hall As there was no response,
Mr. Lord asked that an adjournment take place until
Frdv and that the then begin half hour ear
lier than usual. Al, -. 4,
Alter much discussion the Surrogate said that the
sitting on Friday would be from 1880 to 43O Then the
case would go June H. when eight days would DC
Granted to H. He should declare the closed for the
at the OF the June session. If the pro
moments desired he would continue the sittings in July
long enough To enable them to close their case