Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1878-09-28
WILL
An Assemps 70 Prove shat the Com.
msdeee WAS Unduiy Infiueneed
~ spirttuaitst, who Was
Hired by william ~.

Hired ~ William u.
NEW York. Sept. 27.-In the Wander.
bilt will case to-day Mrs. Stoddart. widow
Of DR.. Charles Anderson Stoddart. said
she first saw Commodore Vanderbilt ut
q Spiritual meeting in Boston. She
next met Commodore Vanderbilt on tho
EAST side OF the city, at a meeting ut
which DIR. Stoddart and his friends were
present. DIR. S,oddart was a c~lairvoy.
ant physician, or a medical %clairvoyant,
and the Doctor WINS introduced TO tho
Commodore as snch. Witness saw the
Commodore at his office on Fourth
street. near McDougal street. Witness
here said she knew William II. Wander.
bilt and pointed him out in court. On
one occasion DR.. Stoddart and herself
met the Commodore In Fourth street at
the Park and spoke TO him. and after
the Commodore left she noticed there
was . man watching them. Tho man
watching them wa William II. Wander.
bilt, aud he came back and spoke to
them when the Commodore was out Of
sight.
Mr.. Lord said he proposed to prove
that William H. Vanderbilt made m APP
pointment with witness and her hus.
band and entered into a conspiracy ;
that he gave DR.. Stoddart q large amount
OF money to make the Commodore be-
lievs be was 10 communication with the
Commodore's dead wife, and that she
demanded Of him that he make q will 10
favor OF William II. Vanderbilt. Coun-
sci said he would prove that the con.
spirscy was carried out, and that the will
was made under pressure OF such con.
spiracy.
Another long argument took place
among the counsel.
The Surrogate ruled that the evidence
was competent, Independent Of the ques.
ton Of tho Commodore's belief In Spir-
itualism.
Mr.. Clinton excepted.
Witness continued The conversation
was In September, 1874, In Washington
Square, about II o'clock A. NJ. William
H. Vanderbilt. On coming up said
"That gentleman you were talking to
Is my father, and you are his medical
c~lairvoyant. i have been wanting to
noe you for some time. / wish to have
q private conversation with you"
We agreed 10 meet him the next day
at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. and did 30.
Mr.. Vanderbilt seemed surprised at my
being present. But Mr.. Stoddart said /:
THAT'S all right"
Mr.. Vanderbilt said : ~ want you
to control the old man. M You have
power over him aud he believes In you.
/ want You to influence him 40 that he
will think more OF me-"
Next day we met him ut the same
place and Mr.. Vanderbilt handed Stod.
dart q roll Of bills. Stoddart counted
them and said : "That's all right and
satisfactory. Now I'm ready for bust.
ness" IGreat laughter.
William II. then said /; 81 want you
TO call on the old man at his office and
say to him you have u message from his
dead wife % In tho spirit world. Tell
him tho message was 10 make his will IN
favor Of William H.. and also impress on
the old man that NIL tho rest Of tho chill
dren hated him."
Mr.. Stoddart did as directed. II was
also agreed that William II. Vanderbilt
was TO come In at the moment and say,
81 also have Q message" but the Stod.
darts were not TO recognize him.
Mr.. Stoddart said the spirit told tho
Commodore TO make his will In favor OF
William II. Vanderbilt.
The Commodore appeared 10 DO very
much excited and said. civilian shall
have ALL" aud William ii. entered ut
that moment.
Nj. Sioddart exclaimed {: "who Is
thatf That Is the man ! saw in the
trance"
The Commodore seemed greatly sur
prised and William II. said he had also
received q spirit message.
Some two days afterward witness anu
her husband saw the Commodore at his
Office. The Commodore said he would
do a. directed by the spirit. and would
make his will In favor OF William ii. and
mako him his successor.
Witness could not say how much was
In the roll Of bills given her husband by
William H., but always believe there
were $1,000.