Connecticut western news., 1879-01-15
KATE CoBB,s DEFENSE.
DENYING WESLEY BISHOPS STORY OF HER GUILT POINT BY PoINT-NO PROMISE EVER MADE TO MARRY BISHOP,

DENYING WESLEY BISHOPS STORY OF HER GUILT POINT BY PoINT-No PROMISE EVER MADE TO MARRY BISHOP.
 The sensation of the murder trial in | Norwich, Conn.,, was the testimony of |
 Mrs. Cobb, who appeared on the witness
 stand in her own defense. Her manner
 was quite composed, except as she
 described her husbands death-scene,
 when her voice quivered as she applied |
 her handkerchief assiduously to her
 eyes.
 The witness said that she and Mrs.
 Bishop had been schoolgirl ac-
 quaintances, and she knew Bishop a
 year before he was married, fourteen
 years ago. Her husband and Bishop
 were very intimate friends. Hattie
 Bishop was the most intimate lady friend
 of the witness. Both families frequently
 went together to the same entertain
 ment. Mrs. Cobb said she never danced
 round dances with any one.
 From the spring of 1877 Bishop would
 come four days of the week to get orders.
 Occasionally it was necessary for Bishop
 to come several times Q day. Her
 husband always was there. Three years
 ago his beard, formerly very full, began
 falliug out. Cobb's leanness was often
 remarked upon, and he was very sensitive
 about it. At masquerade balls he was
 always detected by his long, thin neck. Cobb was ill as far back as the first of last January. His next illness was ) about the time of the Lindarcssa |" l entertainment ill February. They had also tickets to "Don Munio" shortly , before.
 Charlie always took his tea strong, , and always bought it himself. Bishop offered to bring the tea late in February He brought up enough for one drawing . and said, "Ihere, fix that for Charlie v tonight and he'll never know the differ = that it was very bitter, asking, "what ails this tea2" She explained that Bishop had bought it, and Charlie replied that t he didn't want any more of that Bishop d had seen Charities medicines in the @ kitchen closet often, and had remarked o on them in tho winter of 1S77-S. Cobb
 had obtained Winchester's hypo-phos- , phites and calisaya bark in March or s April, and as they did not agree with 0 him, the doctor told him to discontinue IT them. The day Cobb died he came q home saying he didn't feel as well as
 usual. Bishop and others called that !, morning several times. Bishop and Cobb d were alone st ono time, Mrs. Cobb be- ?; ing up stairs in her mothers room. Cobb 1t was chewing something that he said l. Bishop had given him. Soon he hal g if nap, but the children came in from ~ school and spoiled his sleep, greatly tc U his annoyance. From the dinner table T. he staggered to his chair, where he asked y for his medicine. She gave him Dr ,e Paddock's prescription aud he took it Ia but immediately called for brandy. She :, gave it and sent for the doctors, but ht : died before they arrived. At the las y moment, while she was rubbing his 10 hands, he looked up and said "Don' Ik be frightened, Katie; this won't las I. long," (Here the witness showed great ~ sick, Bishop was sent for the doctor, bu h. returned and said the doctor was not in l. This happened thrice that day. Kat or ushered Bishop in to see Charlie. Bishol
 got some brandy, which Charlie alon
 used, and it made him sick. Again il
 May, the witness asked Bishop to ge
 some whisky, and he asked "who is go ot ing to take it?'' She replied that it wa so for Charlie, and he said, "Pm glad yo 'o told me-" He got 1t and Charlie use n' 1t. This had like effect.
 he Charlie had private box in the close ed which he told his wife not to medal he with. In April she accidentally upse ,r- it, and out of it fell package Of whit na powder, some of which fell on the fool M Charlie came in meantime.
 ne The witness then said that Cobb too 'ty the powder, threw it in the stove, dt ,ot clared that 1t was poison and said: : " on thought told you not to meddle wit o, that box. The witness was asked aI ,-I Cobb ever took any powders; she sai oe yes and conversation occurred in thu ng connection in which he said poison W. lid good for people sometimes !; and the m, talked about the color of arsenic. Sf to never knew of his taking arsenic prior be this incident in April.
 - The matter of tine alleged interchang lo- of presents was then taken up. Ju he ordered hand mirror through Bisho est from the store, and didn't suppose ltw! of present until her husband came to pa ia the bill and found no charge. Bisho 1 .,o said it was token of friendship. TT ne excursions they all wsnt on together wei ast not gotten up by her, as Bishop swors up but by Cobb himself. On the Martha ed Vineyard excursion she was with Mir IVA Bishop or some other lady all the tim . The pearl pencil-case was found on tl up steamer Chauncey Vibbard as she W; nd going up to Troy August 28, 1877. s,h in. wrote Mrs. Bishop while she WAS in Trc ed inclosing some poetry, and Mrs. Bisho ,in replied to her letter. The watch char ,or given to Bishop was philopoe1a pre' 'e- ent, promised in the presence of h' m- husband and Mrs. Bishop. In the fa he of 1877 she and her husband often wei yer socially to the Bishops and the Bishol it came to their house. She learned $ n play cards at her husbands and Mr. ,o Bishops urgent suggestions. Bishc 1" never kissed her at any time. One evel ra1 ing at Mrs. Waterman's Bishop took ht
 silk handkerchief from her muff bl
 she didn't miss it until they got near
 home. When he returned it sl
 promised as joke to buy him a si he handkerchief, ,and did so in Mrs. Bishop so, presence.
 :. ;s Bishop made rare calls, but general 70 came after his wife. She came aloI lnV often. She denied that Bishop ev lily made private calls, or that they ev lus talked seriously of divorce or elopemen las She never ordered, bought, received ,be administered particle of poison to al .10 one. She never knew of any trouble b ply tween Bishop and his wife. Her husbal ora was absent in January in Troy four da. lch from the 18th.
 ,w, The night of Cobb's illness in Fe ,he ruary he came home much later thu m usual, and the tea had steeped vel
 long time She had noticed the nig laH before that it was very strong. It h,