New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-02
DID SUMNER MANUFA CTURE TESTIMONY
HIS WITNESSES SAY so AND THINGS LOOK
DARK FOR THE GREAT IDENfITER.


DARK FOR THE GREAT IDENiIFIER
Perrin H. Sumner, the universal identifer, Is still
confined in the Tombs Prison, and "Arte, the free
lance his son. is "hustlng" foc bail. Cuthbert r.
safery, of No. 46 West One-hundiedthst.. the COM
plainant. charges Sumner with attempting to bribe
him to testify falsely in the Astor House suicide In
quest pending before Coroner Levy and his Jury.
Sumner the elder with Detectives Won Gerichten
and Reilly, enteced the courtroom and took seat
within the prisoners Enclosure. Sumner made gen
eral denial Of the charges and characterized the whole
as scheme to create sensation. Colonel H. H.
Dawson appeared In behalf OF sumner, ana a. H. HUM
mel for the prosecution.
Colonel Dawson said he believed Sumner to be limo
cent He had Just heard that ex-Assistant District
Attorney Purdy had also been retained by the defence
and asked for adjournment until to-day for the pur
pose of consulting with him. This was granted
Mrs Sheridan Plusch, Of No. go West onehundred-
and-twenty third-st, appeared before Coroner Levy
Yesterday and told the jury in the Evans case what
she knew of the Summers and the Edgars The Wright
family in England were represented by George H. Tay
lor jr, of the firm Of Seward, De Costa Guthrie.
Mrs Plusch said she had been acquainted with Perrin
H. Sumner and with James ii. Edgar, who was known
to her as George II. Smith. Sumner had brought a
Young man called Smith to her house on the day
Edgar left her place for Montreal and she had sup
posed that 1t was Edgars nephew whom the uncle had
been expecting she thought that Sumner had in
troduced him to her as the nephew but she was not
sure of that. few days afterward she had read OF
the Astor House suicide and she went down TO the
underakers place TO learn whether II was the young
man she had seen with Sumner. Il was positive
when saw the man in the coffin that he was young
smith, said Mrs Plusch. She explained the manner
I'm which she was afterward offered 1900 S40o for
Identifying the body that Of young Edgar few
days later She met Sumner and told him that she had
seen the body of a young man who she believed was
the young man Smith. Mr.. Sumner, she said told
her that 1t was young Edgar and not Smith, she said
she would not go down again and Mr.. Sumner replied
that IL she would IL would be great relief TO the uncle,
who would pay her Handsomely Afterward the agent
Of her house with whom Sumner acquainted, told
her that she would receive $500 S400 II she would
identify the body as that of Edgar and bury it.
al said / would take IL, though IL wasn't enough
testified Mrs. Plusch The witness at first refused 10
disclose the agents name but she afterward said his
name was Crouch and that he had office on seventh
ave- between Onehundred and twenty fourth and One
hundred and twenty fifth SITS. Crouch will be sum
moned as q witness to-day.
''V ". II. Powell Of brooklyn, testified that sum
ner had urged him TO do the identifying, al
though he had never seen George ii. Edgar
He had gone to Duny's TO tho Custom, House
ner had told him that he would get good deal OF adj
vertislng If he did sumner wished. He had backed
down fearing that would get him into trouble
produced the clothes found in the Ruttlnger aud
Wright effects. and they were exhibited by the side
and shirts corresponded, and bore marks which would
clearly show that they had belonged TO the same
person. Ruttnger wore odd cuts which mated two
odd ones worn by the Astor House suicide. George
C. Harrison identified the clothes Of Evans" those
worn by Wright The case VIII be resumed at ii
O'Clock this morning