Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-07-17

The Interesting Question 10 DO De-
terniined by Jadgo GruDb of the
Orphan, Court.


Judge Grubb in orphans court Thursday |
morning OF the application of Mary No
Grenra for her dover in the estate Of her
late husband, Cornelius McGrenga, and |
again the defence tried to defeat her
claim by proving her guilty Of bigamy
and adultery. Thursdays testimony
was mainly devoted to the child which,
according to the defendants Mrs. Nc
Granra, then known as Mrs. James
Andrews, gave birth to in Philadelphia,
hut the maternity Of which Mrs. MoGrenra
stoutly denies.
The defence placed in evidence the
bond book OF st. Joseph's Orphan
Asylum, Philadelphia, and Mr.. Hoy, o
clerk OF the institute n, identified 1t and
stated that parties placing orphans in the
care Of the asylum are required to give
bond as to their faith and good credit.
The particular bond In this book Bpeci-
fed as bearing upon the case Mt Issue was
for the admission Of one Robert Andrews
and was signed by Mary Andrews. Mr.
salisbury, counsel for the defendants,
next offered two Judgment bonds. signed
by Mary MoGrenra, and called j. jack
son Psirce as an expert In chirography to
prove that the signatures Mary Andrews
and Mary MoGrenra wero written by the
same person. Mr.. Pelrce said there was
great similarity between them, with re-
spect to size, formation, slant, outline
and general characteristics. Although
not absolutely positive, he was OF the
opinion that all the signatures were the
writing of the same party. Tbs sigma
lures OF the judgment bonds ware ad-
mitted to be those of Mary McGrenra.
Mr.. Davis, of counsel for Mrs..
MeGrenra, wanted an opportunity OF ex-
amining the asylum bond book, 80 IS to
produce expert testimony to prove that
| the signature of Mary Andrews was not
that OF Mary McGrenrS. The clerk said
| he could not leaye the book here, and
Mr.. Davis agreed to examine 1t during
the noon recess. If Mr.. Davis feels that
it is necessary 10 keep the book here
pending the hearing MIR. Salisbury will
Withdraw the evidence, as the book can
not be kept away without detriment to
the institution, where it is ia daily use.
An application that was filed at the
| time the Andrews boy was admitted to
the asylum was offered in evidence, but
Mr.. Davis objected to 1t because it bore
no signature whatever, and could not in
anyway connect Mrs. McGrenra with
the affair. Pending discussion court
adjourned for the noon recess.
The hearing Of Mary MoGrenra's appli-
cation for her dover in the estate OF her
late husband, Cornelius McGrena,
developed some more contradictory testi-
mony at the atternoon'a session OF
the orphans court. Il is clearly ap-
parent that this case Is either an instance
OF mistaken identity OF OF some OF the
talest lying on record.
At the hearing of the defendants tes-
timony last week, Mr. and Mrs. James
Ferguson of Philadelphia, who said they
witnessed the marriage ceremony OF Mary
MoGrenra Rrd James Andrews, testified
that on Sunday, June Both, Mrs. McGrenra
came to their house and begged them not
TO give testimony against her in her suit
for dover. Thursday afternoon in be-
half OF Mrs. McGrenra, Mre. Helen
Wynn and Herman Paper of Camden
testified positively that Mrs. MeGrenra
was ct Mrs. Wymms house in Camden on
Sunday, june 30th, aud that she remained
there the entire day without going out,
which made it impossible for her to call
on the Fergusons. Mrs. MeGfenrA denies
this alleged visit, denies her reputed
marriage to James Andrews and denies
being tho mother OF the child, Robert
Andrews. James Andrews was cousin
of the Fereuaons. The only connecting
link in Mrs. Wymm's testimony was that
she knew Mrs. McGrearR as Mrs. or
s'Nurse" Andrews She said, however,
that Mrs. MuGrenra told her she assumed
another name in order to avoid the per-
solutions OF the McGrenras.
With regard to the charge that the
signature Of Mary Andrews to the bond
sor the admission of the child Robert
Andrews to the st. Johns Orphan Asy lum,
Philadelphia, and those of Mary McGrenra
to two Judgment bonds were written by
the same person, Mr.. Davis introduced
the expert testimony Of Johu y. Rossel
of the Security Trust and Safe Deposit
Company, and Edward W. Smith, paying
teller OF the Bank Of Delaware. Boil
! ssid that while there was some similarity
between them, they would not feel justi'
fed in hoDoring a check upon which the
, signature differed as much from one they
knew to be genuine, as did the signsturel
of Mary Andrews and Mary MoGrenEs
from each other
With respect to the bond for the ad.
mission of the child to the orphan asy'
! lum Mrs. McGrenra positively denies
that ahe signed thereon the name oil
, Mary Andrews.
Further evidence for the plaintiff va
heard in the MoGrenns dover case ut Fri
, day mornings session Of orphans court
going to prove that Mrs. McGrenra wa
, not the mother of the Andrews child, q
! asserted by those who are endeavoring Z
keep her out of her dover in Oorneliu
a McGrsnra's estate.
i The principal witnesses heard Frida
!, were Mrs. Sayers of this city and Mrs
/ Marvin Of Philadelphia, who testified t.
their knowledge Of Mrs. McGfenr
= during the year 1879, when the Andrew
. child was born. The exact date of the birth
I according to the oificial records, was Octc
Der 31st, 1879. Mrs. Ssyers said she sa7
Mrs. McGrenrA frequently that year, AM
was positive, from personal knowledge
that she could not have passed throug
: theregulation process Of maternity durti
n that period. II she had, Mrs. Sage,
would certainly have known it. Mri
l. Savers definitely fixed the time by refel
. ence to the famous Dugan-Row
!, tragedy which occurred in 1875
l, Hugh Dugan, who was Mrs. McaEenra
brother, ehot and killed ex-Oouncilma
" Richard Rowe of the Ninth ward, in
|, quarrel over family matters. Mrs. Sayei
" saw Mrs. McGrenra when she came dow
4. from Philadelphia to visit her brother i
d jail before, during and after his tria
p which came of during the Noyembt
70 term of court, 1879. She was confder
Mrs. McGrenra had no baby that yea
70 Mrs. Marvin testified that Mrs. McGrenl
a frequently visited her during 1879, an
4 that abe failed to detect any evidences {
"a maternity.
On account of the Importance of Il
q issue and the amount of contradi
l. tory statements, Judge Grubb is maxi .
q report Of the testimony. IS is also N