The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-11
MRS. COBB YET ON THE STAND
CONNECTICUTS Legal REPRESENTA-
TIVE TRYING TO TRAP HER.
Some improbable Parts OF her Previous Tes-
timony Brought Out In strong Relief hut
her General story Not Materially shaken.

NORWICH, Conn, Jan. 10.-The City Hail.
in which the sessions Of the Cobb trial are held.
Is a handsome three-story brick building with
n cupola. and stands just at the foot of snow
covered Jail Hill" The court room is a lofty
room on the second floor, about 7ON50 with fur
nituro in natural woods. and massive bronze
chandeliers depending from the ceiling Tho
arrangements for the press are remarkably
liberal, the whole OF an immense green baze
table directly below the Judges bench being
given up to them, while lawyers. prisoner. wit
nesses and jury are elbowed OF into tho left
hand corner. Chief Justice Park-a tall. dark
complexioned man. with long. silver gray
beard. and hair brushed back over his forehead.
sits in a circular armchair behind big paint
cd desk supported by Corinthian columns in
gold and chocolate color. His associate. Judge
Culver. has straw-colorcd hair and open. bcnev-
client countenance. and sports gold studs and
watchchain. He wears pair OF gold-rimmcd
eyeglasses and makes copious notes OF the tcsti
mony. Both the Judges arc curt. sententious
men. not given to conversation. When they do
speak 1t is with a force and emphasis which
has immediate effect on the warning counsel.
Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Waller ia q full
faced man. with puffy skin. which swels and
grows red when he warns up TO his work. He
wears gold eyeglasses. and when in deep
thought thrusts one hand into his black bushy
hair and stirs 1t up to still further disorder He
treats witnesses for the defence with lmorc
consideration than the average prosecutor. only
raising his voice and throwing slight dash Of
sarcasm into It when statements are elected
which he deems doubtful. Separated from him
by yard OF green baize and a glass OF ice
water is tho venerable Col. John 7. Wait. Con-
gresham from the Fourth District and leading
counsel for the prisoner His hair is white and
his face and forehead deeply furrowed. He
watches the case with extreme care. and notes
| closely every word and movement OF tho wit
ness. Mr. Gardiner Green, junior counsel for
tho defence. sits Mt the end of the long table
| with a pile OF books and documents before him.
| Green's fort is tho redirect examination Of
Witnesses for the defence
To the left OF the green baize table, and under
| the big. slowly-moyng clock, are seated the
twelve men who are to decide whether Mrs.
| Cobb is 20 swing from the gallows on Jail Hill.
| leave court free woman. Tie jury Is largely
n rural one. rough faces and long. gray boards
far more e@a do1en thnn tha which
| tried Bcecher. The most Intelligent mem
6Gr t. Jason p Tanner. HE has h1 o
| moustache. with facial lines much resembling
| those OF A. Oakey Hall. Juror Chapman looks
| like eX-Kecorder Smith. and Isaac H. Gayitt is
| a fair presentation Of Col. Willard Bullard.
| Charles L. Shipman would pass for District
Foreman Berteh II. I5rownine' tho Juror with
| most determination in his countenance. only
needs collar with three stars on It to o, make a
listen attentively to the testimony and show little
signs Of WEAKNESS When the trial is over.
Celebrity ' which his iabors have earned him.
| Punrually al o'clock High sheriff Bates, in
coat. rose behind his desk in the corner OF the
| bar and called "Oyez. oyer. Oyer" &C., in a
loud voice His words. had hardly died away
before a Deputy Sheriff entered from the side
| door at the opposite end OF the room cscOrting
| on his left arm q tall. willowy figure in black.
veil. Both walked composcdy and amid
fa seyea s'' isei q the jury into xSisi
despairine gesture. Yelled she sat. and ALSO.
utely motionless, until the court crier called
| Kate NJ Cobbl" Then she arose, and with mod
| eat. demure step glided toward the witness box.
| Tho raising ofthe veil surprises one who has
| harsh. dom,neering temperament. Instead OF a
| strong. hard face. unrelieved by paihos or SON
timent. there is pleasant. though careworn
countenance. a modest dignity. blended with
reserve and a manner by no means forward
| or pert. Mrs. C0bbs features are regular and
her compleSion pale apparently more from
| ton than anything else. Tor she nushes NJ
preuiy when her feelings are moysd; 6 on me me
| white face and bright eyes pecping out oi the
| thick. heavy veil around II. and suggesting an
| veil and habit Of plain black become her and
| Mrs. Cobb would be- more than woman II she
| NlN not SNOW H. ftE lnuhhfI 10 sum up Is iil-
uirauly calculated 10 Impress a lury-.quiet
simple and straightforward. yet lervaded hy
the gravity and sense Of sadness appropriate u
friend or spectator Is douby repaid by silent
but heartfelt Acknowledgement.
n s'I Ss TF S9 MY % vi rSp eSn
frouted by an Interesting female witness and
numerous than ever. Tho cross-cXAminatiOu
did not shake the prisoner materially. though
It brought ont i9 strong relief the alleged i'm
probable parts OF her story She said;
Ny husband used 70 call ne Pet, lie called me tha
name IN the presence OF MTs rcckham Don't Know
b,I" ieG Il Alone Nr Web.tr Psrk sss,,ed me 70 IN,
tween and 10 o'clock. was hall mile from home.
,Q.--Dh YOU meet Mr. Bi'hop on he way' 40 .sm
block VI my house.
Here Mr. Waller tried TO corner the witness
on the price Of the mirror given by Bishop I,
her, but Mrs. Cobb answered his question,
coolly and demmrely, and without making any
material slip. The witness continued:
baaG Sex ' IT, oay a.tS ' aS6 diap dHnS il nus
ioni remember saving anything about the ia 20 M
pken ny NJ No6 rrodqes p1a.ea WI Soee so, W
amy opportunity u put anything Al the caisaya bark be
lore It came home
Counsel for the State repeated tho answers Z,
many of these questions after the witness IN
sntrical voice. hut without embarrassing Mrs
Cobb in the least. Sho continued:
| Fch ia arsenic lie must have found Il ont himse
We took the paper zulariy. aud be- may have
while calling ~ the house. The bedroom up Stair q
which Bishop refer, had no ht ia A. the bod and mr
had teen moved out tn make fo'u tor uN uu'At
The room had no furniture mt for two days When
g. Mr. Bishop about divorce spoke an playful
manner, -ai had no occasion Tor divorce, but pc
hans she might have
playful uu your party
Witness compo.edly-I was
After some hesitation Mrs. Cobb almtfc
that she had n talk with her husband ahou
arsenic poisoning previous 10 Aprll 10. 81
added;
Wesley Bishop and his wife heard me talking shoi
arsenic poisoning once before, It was sor months pr
, | Nieus; talking about Young IilN Who hl
dl.d' from eating arsenic Tor her CluIlc Niuut move
knew what my husband hcpt INC arsenic Wdcrs for Do
| fore he told me, that was the middle Of April.
: The bushy hair on the state Attorneys hea
| bristled up with unusQl ascerhity, rs he tried I
I corner the witness on her prcyious declaration
| at the Coroner's inquest. Mr. Waller lahore
, | strenuously for i've or ten minutes, but wthol
material effect
when YOU say that your husband IN May told Won M
he was taking arsenic powders 90 taten him, what Nj
YOU tell hint Al told him that arsenic WAS poison
Q-Ah you discovered Suddenly then, that arson
| was a poisont Ayes didn't Know what Doct,
| been 90 many Doctors lie went % Dr. Perkins and j.
button Twas i'm Dr. Perkins office two weeks after III
poison fell out OF the box in my husbands presence.
| Vice dld YOU 90 10 Dr.. Perkins A-on The ~
stop no. Mere the witness rolled mp her eyes rcec'N
Isl ON the an, think. hrst my husband iAkii