The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-03-19

Impatient When Neglected By the
Attendants Around his bed.
n V sun.
Uncle Daniel Drew when called -
a witness in the Vanderbilt will case
yesterday. slowly seated himself in the
chair, and resting his hands on the
arms looked shrewdly at the lawyers
with. his small gray eyes. He did not
remember anything about anything
that the contestants counsel asked
him. except that he knew Commodore
Vanderbilt very we'll and had talked
to him about Cornelius. but he could
not call to mind any conversation
"about Cornelius and the river, on the
dock or the pier" or anything else that
the contestant wanted or that the
prepayment cared about.
Mr.. Lord offered to recall Mr.. j. j.
Ogden and to prove by him that Miss
Tennie c. Claflin was about fifty years
the Junior of Commodore Vanderbilt
also TO show that the Commodore made
to other ladies offers Of marriage
similar to those by him to Miss Claflin,
also that the Commodore furnished
the money to run WoodhM d Caams
Weekly, and that such paper advocated
an entire change of the social system
and the relations of husbands and
wives-in short. the doctrine Of ''free
love" and the most sensual type Of
spirituaIisrn and clairvoyance, and
that decedent approved and advocated
such views. Counsel also offered to
show that the Commodore was in the
habit of receiving money from outside
parties for the benefit of Miss Claflin !;
particularly that he received from Mr..
Harrison Cox s7.OO0-a check for
which amount, bearing Commodore
Vanderhit's endorsement, was present.
ed-wlth the agreement that he would
use the interest for her benefit and re-
turn the principal to Mr.. Cox; but,
in violation to that agreement, he
paid over the whole amount to her.
Mr.. Clinton objected, and the evil
dence was excluded.
When DIR. Isaac n. Swazey, who is
Cornelius J. Vanderbilts physician,
was called as a witness, Mr.. Lord
offered to prove that he overheard
w. H. Vanderbilt say to Chauncey NJ.
Depew. How can they make out
conspiracy against us on such facts a.
these 2" but the Court upon objection,
ruled the matter out as incompetent
and immaterial.
Mr.. William w. Bennett, who lived
in Jersey City. and does business at 80
West Twenty-fourth street. said that
he was an electric physician. He
testified:
l was called to attend Commodore
Vanderbilt as his physician in May,
1876, on his eighty-second birthday.
Mr.. De Forrest, his nephew. requested
me to attend him. Drs. Linsly and
Elliott were there when / went into
his room; also Mrs. Vanderbilt, Mrs.
Crawford, and the nurse. The Con-.
modore was bowling like q wild beast
with pain, so that he could be heard
all over the house. calling on God to
relieve his suffering, wondering Why
God was prosecuting him so: l mag.
netized him for about an hour, and
left him sleeping placidly. saw him
again the next day. and he was better.
l again magnetized him for an hour,
and left him quiet. After that had
to sit up with him at nights, treating
him. He talked to me q great deal.
and it was noticeable that he repeated
He said he didn't believe
the doctors knew anything, that they
we're a set of damned fools. and that
nothing did him good EXCEPT magnet
ism. l saw w. H. Vanderbilt there
every day, often in his fathers room.
The Commudore's other children came
and sent up their names, but it seemed
to irritate him q great deal, and I
never saw one of them in bis room. /
took him letter from Miss Tennie C.
ClaAin, Offering to treat him. He
told me to keep the letter. and said he |
would see about it. The next day
Mr.. De Forrest came to me with . |
message that my services were no
longer required. I objected, to him |
md to Mrs. Vanderbilt in his presence,
10 the arrangement of his bed. He lay |
lpen a sheet laid on q rubber blanket,
md as the sheet worked up, his ma
zed limbs would be directly against
he rubber. said he should have
voollen blankets, for the sake Of their
Mrs. Vanderbilt objected
Is the bed was frequently soiled,
md it was so expensive to use blan-
tets. Tho Commodore exclaimed
Damn the expense; buy . bale.
But the blankets were not procured,
nd the arrangement of his bed was
lot changed. The Commodore often
sked for kind of cake which he
allied Cookies" but only got them
nee or twice in the three weeks I
vas there. One day Mrs. Wander.
tilt brought him a bowl Of soup. and
fter taking a mouthful, he dashed
he bowl across the room against the
,all exclaiming: "Who in hell sailed
hat soup?" Mrs. Vanderbilt said
he didn't know. l ordered broken
e to be kept in a bowl BY his bed
de for his use. and sometimes it was
lowed to melt, and there was neglect ,
bout reflling it. On such occasions !
e would demand, "Why in hell
,ey couldn't keep ice in that bowl
hen he wanted IL" One dav he ,