New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-19
AFFAIRS IN BROOKLYN
MRS. CHAPMAN ON THE STAND.
SIZE TELLS HOW sEARvANT, HER HUsBANDs

SIZE TELLS HOW SEARNANI, HEh hOSbh>DS
NURSE, SHOT HER.
The trial OF Herbert searvant for murderous
assault on November 80. upon Mr.. Cora Chapman
wife OF Godfrey Hswley Chapman, at NO 80 ~
Nark's-ave. where he employed as nurse LOT
Mr. CHAPMAN was begun yesterday In the Court
OF Sessions Tho prosecution was conducted by
District Attorney Ridgway. and the prisoner was de-
Tended by T. Grafton Mcmahon and L. I. S'aple'oh'
There were many spectators. MIS-. 'haPm"1i was
accompanied BY her husband. who was apparently 10
covered his mind since he ceased to have the care
OF Searvant.
The prisoner has q nghtoolored moustache ana wore
a red necktie lie Is welleducated Enehshmah' VINO
after serving hospital nurse and ponre'"" III
England came to this country In 1881. lie hao oe'n
employed in the PRESBYTERIAN Hospital the Manhattan
Athletic Club gymnasium. and as valet for Hu!Ier'
the candvpaaker before he engaged last summer
10 care for Chapman.
Tho work OF securing jury was crotracteo DIV the
counsel for the defence the District Attorney expressing
willingness to accept the first twelve men called Mr.
Mcmahon persisted in asking many duesuohs lhS
Judge Moore called him to order and when ne occurred
TO proceed with the examination. instead OF ADDRESSING
tbe court Judge Moore fined him 800, with orders
10 commit him if II not paid. AT the recess inc
lawyer apolocized and the fine was remt'ed' ho
was excessively polite TO the Judge the rest OF TIE
day. DistictAttorncy Ridgway opened the case ana
Mrs Chapman was called the first witness.
buzz O; excitement greeted her appearance she i
n Young and pretty woman, with selfcompoSed
and vvacious abr. She is still thin from the seven
weeks she spent in the hospital. and she has the TWO
Inlets from servants pistol encysted In her b"E
She retained her sefpossession in the wtncssstand
even when the pointed questions OF Servants counsel
were put TO her. some of which she did not understand
until they were explained to her by the Judge. ana
she ndlgnany denied all improper action on her part
charactezlng the conduct OF Searvant a Infamous sew
eral times.
She said she was twenty three old and had been
married four years. She had lived for two years az
No IS St Mark's-ave. on the morning OF November
90 she rose from her bed and let her dog out OF e
room and left the door open SIX inches for Dim 10
return She then went back TO bed ana feii h'' d
doze She was aroused by Servants entrance. Hhe
said How dare YOU enter the room OF a "oh'ui
who is unprotected? - lie said Now, Mrs chapman
dom, he mean" She retorted "Iou are coward!
and he said "In show YOU whethe: am coward
or not, and out Of the ROOM In a moment lie
returned with pistol and fred two shots al her as
she sat up In bed
The first shot struck her in the hand as she pun
II p to protect and the second bullet eneco
,.r breast lust below the heart. Sea-/cIt fed from
tho room and she did not see him again. AFTER a
time she managed to make her way 10 q messenger
call in the back room and called inc ponce enc
cravIed down stairs and opened the front door size
then became unconscious She was i'm the hoSptai
seven weeks. Neither bullet has been extracted o.
she was not strong enough undergo the operations
ssaryant was hired in August and she ad attempted
20 discharge him several times after his cohdnc1 mao
be.n infamous TO her and brutal to her husband Dut
ne declined to Co. she sent her servant away SIX
dave before the shooting SHE INTENDED 10 sh"t uP
her house and put her husband in a hospital In Ne"
York. - ,.s A.,
On tfe cross examination Mrs Chapman related the
storv of the shooting with much dramatic erect
Every question put by counsel tending 70 {. miha'e
or degrade her denied win sPrle' - 'io
fanda
which be misconstrued the details OF The sho sing se
ia :. Are Won so stupid that you can't un3 :rstand
what j said :"
In re,,v to the question why she did not shut the
door after Searvant left the room aeF rous'he ei.
.,o so,d that she was so bewildered that she could
,oom m get the pistol but he gone very short
60 sba didn't know why she did not shut the
docr When he got back she was sitting up In bed
80 ,a sred at once He had frequently abused Mr..
1,bonmap and showed a most Infamous spirit Mr.
Chonmon had been better since Servant leit him
uYo witness denied ever striking searvant but she
.aid size discharged Searvant because he was abusive
:" Mr. Chapman. She denied that searvant ever
complained of certain acts on her paiV WIN nv
Frank Rogers of berkeley Place whose home e is
back Of Chapman's. tesuhed 10 nearing p's'ut ,n,s
~ tho house He saw Mrs Chapman at the "lhoC"
aud heard her call Tor help. lie got tie ponce ana
went TO the house -. ,o oridorco in ro
gard TO going the house AFTER the Ia an" he
searvonts coming TO the door ano SAYING uiaI no
Was .r Chapman. and that Mrs. chapman nag IN
10 see her LAWYER. After some time tne! iea r
tbe facts Police Captain Early and DetecuVe hcs,
nnI6s testified - the statement OF Scarvaht 10 ueu
Hi I've did The shooting. lie said he was ehiascn
because Mrs. Chapman would not Se' "p anu ="
Ut The defence will be heard today