The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-19
THE COUGAR SANDER SUIT
Text of the Testimony of President
White, of Purdue University.
He Never Intimated that He Had Heard Dis
creditabIe Runors Concerning the
PLAINTIFFS Character.
sDecial to the indianapolis Journal


Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
LAFAYETTE, March l7-Ho-dav, when the
plaintiffs counsel announced that they were
about ready to rest their case, Mr.. Cofroth,
for the defense, had DR.. E. E. White, presi-
dent of Purdue University, who had given
such important testimony for the plaintiff,
recalled to put to him specific question on
cross-examination, with a view, as it is sup
posed, of calling the editors of the Sunday
Times to contradict him. The answer and
the explanation throw such light on the as
sociationS of Mrs. Cougar and Captain wal
lace that they are given entire, as furnished
by the official shorthand reporter
OH ask you this question: In the office
OF the Sunday Times on one occasion when
John S. Williams and Fred s. Williams were
present, and in conversation with them about
a week or ten days after the bringing OF this
suit, did you not then and there state that you
had heard damaging reports concerning the re-
lations between Captain Wallace and Mrs.
Cougar, and did you not further state that af-
ter having heard the damaging reports, that at
meetings of the Parlor Club you had closely
watched Captain Wallace and Mrs Cougar to
ascertain by their conduct toward each other
and in particular the expression of their eyes,
to see if they were casting lovers glances
toward each other; and did you not say in
the Times Office at that time that this minute
observation of their conduct was in conse-
uuenCe of their conduct, or in conSeq uence
of reports you had heard concerning Captain
Wallace and Mrs. Cougar? Did you or did
You not use that language, or in substance
that?
A.-You mean all the language that is
there2
Q.-That, or in substance that?
I h11tT ask
explanation.
Q.-Tou may explain.
Ain this explanation Your Honor, may
I state the conversation? | have had two
conversations.
OIL am talking of this one.
Al have had two, and | am not sure
which it is.
Q.-This is the one a week or ten days al
ter the bringing of the trial
A.-Those conversations were about that
time, both of them.
Owe are speaking of this one.
Al don't know which it was am sure;
but it was the one in which this conversation
occurred
Q-That is The one I mean; go on and
state that.
Al wish to state in the conversation
with Colonel John S. Williams
Q.--In the presence of his son Fred?
A-Yes, sir l stated to him my full be-
lief in the entire innocence of Mrs Cougar:
that | believed that she was chaste and
pure a woman as there was in the city, and
as evidence of that, | stated that had been
intimately associated with her and Captain
Wallace for years.
Q.-You told all this to Colonel Williams?
Ayes sir, in subslance-and as members
of the Presbyterian Church and as members
of the Parlor Club, and as thrown together
otherwise, socially, / had opportunities to
know something of the conduct of these two
ri oh flar nd haH
noticed in all this familiar acquaintance
with the parties, had never noticed an act
or ANYTHING resembling that indicated the
least improperly of relations between the
parties; that never noticed familiarity of
any kind between the parties, in word or
otherwise; that had never known in my
acquaintances, of two persons thrown to-
gether as they were, two persons that so in
variably preserved such dignity and uni
formity of conduct, and where it impressed
me as superior to this. Then | said to her
to him-that, on one special OCCASION
Q.-To whom?
A.-To Colonel Williams.
Odd YOU not say to her?
Aft | did, it was n mere slip; to Colonel
Williams, in the same conversation, | con-
tinued by saying "And out of this, judge
is what this comes from"
Defendant moves to strike out last part of
answer
A.-Well, did not mean to say anything
improper I stated TO HIM that on one coca
sion | was in company with Captain Wallace
and Mrs. Cougar, coming from indianapolis
to LAFAYETTE and that in the cars our fiji
culties in the Parlor Club came up; that
Captain Wallace entered into that conversa-
ton. He sat in front of me, facing US. Mrs
Cougar occupied the same seat with me, and
/ learned in the conversation that Mrs.
Cougar had written an editorial which would
appear in that weeks issue of Our Herald,
Dr l,, haH
been a member of the Parlor Club. When
she told me that, felt that she was making
very great mistake.
Q.-YcG told all this to Colonel Williams?
Ayes, sir, substantially, and | tried to
persuade her from putting into her paper
any reference to Dr. Burke, whatever; that
she should not notice it; that not having any
effect on her, my advice, | finally made an
appeal to her, and called on Captain Wal
lace to bear testimony to it, hoping to in
fluence her not to take that unwise STEP and
said to her and asked Captain Wallace to
notice
Q-All this you said to Col. Williams2
Ayes sir, in substance, | stated that,
and asked Captain Wallace to bear witness
to what said to her. and that was that she
was woman and DR.. Burke was a man, and
she could not afford as woman to have any
personal controversy in her paper with DIR.
Burke; that he could injure her in ways that
she could not possibly defend herself
against, and that she ought not to run the
hazard She replied that DR.. Burke had
been slandering her for some time, / think
she said for several weeks, and could DO no
worse Captain Walace's face was as near
mine as Mr.. Langdon's, or nearer.
wondered what Mrs. Cougar ment by
''slandering."
Q-You told Colonel Williams this?
Ayes, sir, and | watched Captain Wal
lace's face to see if he divined-to see if he
knew what she referred to, and his face was
as blank as mine. / didn't want to ask her,
and there was nothing in Captain Wallaces
face that indicated that he knew what the
conversation referred to- Captain Wallace
conceded with me in the whole matter and
tried to persuade her from her course, ana l
stated to Colonel Williams if there had been