New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-19
LAWYER DRAKE TESTIFIES.
WHY HE THINKS RHINELANDER INSANE
his BUSINESS RELATIONS WITH THE MAN WHO SHOT
uIM-RuINEI ANnERs sIRANGE CONDuGT

his BUSINESS RELATIONS WITH THE MAN WHO SHOT
mM-RHINELANDER's STRANGE CONDUCT.
When the commissioners, counsel and witnesses
engaged in trying the question of William u
Rhinclanders sanity called at the lodgings OF Law
yer Drake yesterday, the landlord refused 70 arrow
the COMMISSION to sit there. Mr. Drake phy sfodn
consented to allow him TO walk 10 the rooms oi tio
Bar Association, at No 7 West Twenty -nlnth.st',
where the commission arranged 10 slt, hhino
lander present while Drake gave ms eslllonfS.
Drake said he had known the khlnelandeT lhlhIy
about thirty-ive and the respondent about twenty
years. His business relations with khlnelahder
consisted III the payment OF the allowance
his father had given him, and his first business
transaction with HIM was on the occasion OF hhlne-
lander's starting for Europe a year or two before
his marriage-about ten years ago Al the ,,g o.
Rhineander's marriage his allowance was elther
5000 or $500 year. After the marriage IL was
increased from time to time, and Tor me iast Two
years II was So 900 year, paid weekly by the VII,
ness The relations between the witness and
Rhineander had been uniformly friendly. lie nIst
learned about RhiDelander's marriage from Drlei
note which Rhinelander sent him from Canada
in 1878 or '76, asking him to go on there there
and see him, as he was in "scrape." ne
witness went to Toronto Pm company with Mr;
Clark, who called on him and whom he understood
TO be an intimate friend of Rhinelanders. In
boarding house in Toronto he was introduced 10
Rhineander's wife for the first time. lie had new
er even heard of her before He there learned that
the marriage had taken place in Newark, \. D. un-
der assumed names. Rhine landers plan then was
TO remain III Toronto but not many weeks AFTER
with some of his wife's relatives. When
in this city he would call about twice week at
the witnesses office, and stay an hour or two at
time. When the witness grew tired of his COM
plants about domestic affairs and left him stand
ing alone he would lean his head on the table IN
peculiarly moody drowsy, sleepy fashion. linen
he would pace the floor rapidly. AT such times he
was restless and would not he seated for two MN
utes In the street too, his manner was such as 10
attract attention and cause people to stop aud re,
mark him He seemed to be particularly affected
by the ght of women. lie would suddenly wander
away from his companion as If looking after an
acquaintance, and then running up would reJoih
his companion, and ask him: Have You seen
that woman " His conversation was extremely IL
logical and his temper violent amounting almost 10
frenzy. His eyes would roll and he had the bearing
of a maniac when he fancied he was going to be
disappointed in anything 49,
Mr. Drake said that he had not seen khlnelah-
der's wife more then a dozen times during the ten
years, and only once apart from her husband when
she called to speak about an arrangement for turn
ing the children over to Rhnelanders mother.
once when Rhinelander and his wife were IN wit
ness's Office together bitter quarrel oc-
Cured between them. few days
afterward Mrs. Rhinelander came to the Office
alone and STAYED not over ten minutes. The next
visit Mr. Drake had from Rhineandcr was on the
day of the assault, which he described without
telling anything new. Rhinelander had frequently
complained about his wIfe's bearing toward gentle
men whom she met in yariOus boarding houses, but
had never said word about ms wlies relatlohs
with the witness Speaking of the nationality or
irratiOnalIty Of Rhnelanders actions for two or
three years before the assault. Mr. Drake said he
regarded them as peculiar and eTTatlc-as inc
that Rhinelandcr was not of sound mind.
His irratonality increased in late years, ana where
his wishes were not promptly compl led with
il was a common expression OF his that he would
kill or shoot somebody.
EX-Judge Curtis then began n searching cross
examination. The witness denied that when IN
Toronto he offered To give RhrneandeTs wife $4,000
If she would leave her husband and go to Europe:
He did not deny that on the journey Mr. Clark bad
spoken to him about the means of separation, but
he took no part in the talk He understood from
Mr.. Clark that il was some woman scIapc' that
Rhinea had got INTO and that the woman could
he easily bought of. tie denied that II was from
him the suggestion came to put Rhinelander IN an
ms ane asylnm if he did not give up his wife. As an
instance of the actions which caused Drake To re-
gard RhincandeT as irrational the witness recalled
that about three years ago RhincandeT visited the
Office complained of delay in the payment OF his
allowance called the witness the dhty, low attorney
of the Rhine lander family hurled law hook at him,
and msbchaVed that one Of the clerks had to
assist the witness in compelling RhlnelandeT to be
seated.
Judge Curtis-Is Il not that on that occasion
Rhinrander charged YOU either Justly or unusty IN
IN appropriation OF his allowance tIat y0l sa'i;
- Rhfnea udci, ass that Rhinelaudcf
replied You are lar that on ~ n ana there
scizad upon q ruler and attempted TO Assault himf
Mir DTakr-Nut word Of truth in {.
In view of the feeble condition Of Mr.. Drake, the
sitting was adjourned till noon to-day, at the same
place.