New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-10-30
aroused and active will De taken to solve
COMMODORE VANDERBILTS WILL.

A WITNESS WITH POOR MEMORY.
MISS SARAH L. RAYMOND GIVES CONVERSATION
WITH THE COMMODORE, BUT CAN TELL LITTLE
ABOUT HER OWN LIFE-sPlRITUALIsM AND MO-
SOMANIA.
The Surrogate's courtroom was much
pleasant place yesterday than on any other day
the Vanderbilt will has been in progress This
was due 10 the order OF the Surrogate that speca
tors should be admitted after the chairs were full IL
scarcely required 100 persons To I'LL these seats Then
police officer the door said to all corners, seats all
full" and admitted only those connected with the case
For the first time the air of the courtroom was pure
There was tendency laughter expressions
Of ling days when the room has been crowded
to the outer door Those who succeeded In obtaining
seats appeared content to keep them throughout the
day.
Miss Sarah Lorraine Raymond, the first witness, was
large middle-aged woman, Of 1Orid complexion. Enc
was neatly a,tred in black She said that she music
teacher at No 900 West Tweny-ifth-st and had peen
teacher since eleven years old which, she said
was "A good lille ago" On October s. ISL she went
TO Chicago, and went there TO the sherman House,
leaving her trunks at the railroad station They were
destroyed in the great fire. The witness had sister
Mrs j. A. Cleveland. when they returned 10 New YORK
IN the Spring OF ls72 the two sisters went together 20
the office in F0urtlst 10 see him III regard
10 their losses in the fire. The witness sister aHke ue
Commodore that they had their just dues a. ne
hing Of railroads he could do this Tor them. Ihty
showed him inventory OF their losses. lie Sald he
could do nothing but referred them to Mr. Slak; ~
suggested by one OF Ineln llhI lncA
William il. Vanderbilt. The Commodore replied ~ on.
no, Clark viii do better than William for You william
the Commodore asked If bis visitors knew Mrs Wood
hull. lie advised them to 20 and see her. " sue Is
great claryoyant, he said, lana nave ao'ueu W "'i
Miss Raymond said she saw the Commodore again In
10 see a diving She told HIM Of the sisters condl-
ton and asked for the pas. He rndely re-,
l say Won are 0' spritnaris" 81 am splnalist"
he replied We'll your views are corrtct s ne, s1u,
. wa la meet
cold cruel refusal to allow me 10 see my sister" 49,,
The witnesses memory on crosse Examination did not
serve her wei, Between the time OF the Chicago fire ana
the Spring 1872, she said she and her sister lcasu
in Cleveland and Chicago waiting for Their losses by me
re 10 be adjusted she could not remember where enc
lived in Cleveland or Chicago; WHITTIER she llFrd ID
forty different houses or III one whether th'IS was one
other boprder 100 others; whether she had private
public table When she returned 10 Nc|-iotE, n ~"
witness sald she could not tel WHtic sue nNeu
February ana July, 1872 except that dGrng TWO Nesks
liv.d in Forysrc@ndt She conld rot rriheihel
where she was living III $50 OF - row lHu- sc VIZ
in New York. where else she went In lso2 -t sl
I is-, was sSo iiycd in Trwark. When ghe visited
me Commodore In 1870 she thought she lived IN foif
he,tcT tho house where the Commodore lived 'cansc
her ''hrart CONCERNED there" DuIiG Two hnhlLS
Of s76 she lived III Worcester Mass, bnt dldh tcn-
b.r where the OF The year she was not en-
gagged IN her profession or any other employ H,e ~
1870 1876 or 1874 sac spent several weeks OF 80 w
windsor, VI, among frcnds. lhc witness dttilhtd 10
mention tEelr names, mt the Court toh hrI ~" must
theu she said their names r. Mr.. aud MS Thomas.
s,yral weeks Of the year she spent in NewN0rk but
she could not say where she tie remainder OF bc
+ r Blshop not as u guest nor a boarder, but ~
friend She mad assisted Mrs Bishop VITA her muSIcai
Mr. CInton-wherc were you borni A-on hill
IN Worcester County, Mass.
O-Nnere dld YOU teach music when You were eleven
years oldi Ain my native place. stayed mere
until sixteen years old. tdushl IN bo'lohj IN
Ludlow dud III London.
Aftcr recess the cross-examnation continued for
a short time. When Miss Raymond left the STAND, she
and Mrs. Bishop went out OF the room together MT
ord wanted "a suspension OF proceedings for a little
while until he could get DR.. Van der Wcyde, his next
witness The delay lasted more than half an
hour. 80 -, n !,
Van der Weydc. He resided III Brooklyn; his present
occupation edor OF scientific journal his profcs
SION was that OF teacher aud phyhiclHn Having Drrn
1850 had since been professor III the Newly Ofk Mcu
zeal College in tne GrTd College Tor many yedis ana AT
present professor Oi chemistry IN thc tntrd states
Medical College; lie hid had some experience III
ca.rs of insanity. lie VIZ, examined medical
pert upon the autopsy OF the Commodorc'S body;
The autopsy put the weight OF the Cummodores lVcr
at two pounds and nine the liver Ot man OF
the ConodOres size good health, the witness sald
should weigh five pounds The disease must have been
very slow and have existed for AT least ten years lho
disease OF the kidneys the most serious one, ana
musr nave existed for nearly twenty years The heart
weighed eight ounces; IN Il healthy person II shOtd
weigh twelve ounces. The abnormal deposits IN differ
ent parts Of the body revealed ny the autopsy were
drposted by the blood and the blood must have made
the deposits IN the brain These deposits WOuld DC
cspecialy heavy In whose brain was very active or
,ubect great excitement especially IN one ENGAGED
i'm stock The witness remarked mcdcnIally
that II must been very Interesting ease The EUR
rogate mourniu tone said that 1t had ceased To be
-
made special study of the physical aud mental effects
OF spiriiuasm: that he was one OF committee All
uonfed nv medical college 10 Investigate thls SUBJECT
and that they had found that certain diseases were
likely 10 produce the mOuomania Of sprtuali,m. The
Surrogate reserved his decision until to-day