New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-16
HE RECEIVED THE MONEY.
GENERAL IIITLEFIELD'S ADMISSION.
ON TRIAL CHARGED WITH CHEATING AN IN
FORTUNATE MOTHER.

ON TRIAL CHARGED WITH CHEATING AN VN-
FORTUNATE MOTHER
The opening session of the trial OF General Milton
S. Mttlefeld charged with derauding Mrs. Josephine
Stephan Of several thousand dollars. was certainly
field day for the prosecution. The defence admtteu
that the w0man's checks had been cashed by the
prisoner and apparently will base their case Oh gu
effort to prove that she is mentally unbalanced Inc
trial Is before Recorder Smyth In Part OF General
Sessions Assistant District Attorney Vernon NJ Davis
appeared for the people and Charles W. Dayton
Arthur c. Palmer. william S. Andrews and A. j. Ferry
for the defence. The prisoner studied law IN the
Office Of President Lincoln and arose 70 be ofgaoier
general In the Rebellion. The complainant Is tus
mother OF Alphonse j. stephan who on May 10, lo9o
killed 81 Judge Clinton q. Reynolds In his once I'D
Wallst.
Mr. Davis In his opening address. said that he
would show that the prisoner obtained money from
Mrs. Stephani ostensbly TO pay the expenses VI cum
mission TO Inquire into her sons sanity As matter
OF fact the commission bad not been appointed ut
that time, and besides the State paid all lis expenses
Mrs. Lulu Foster. OF No. 1862 West forty'nhu ST.
testified that she had introduced the prisoner 10 NH
stephani She had known him for eight or ten years
and thought that he could help her friend out OF her
difficulty. This wac shortly after the murder OF eA
Judge Reynolds. Mrs Foster evidently tried to sheu
the accused man a. much as possible. ahe s'iu '"''
Mrs Stephani was almost crazy at the time, that she
Respondent and hardly responsible FOR her ac"ohs
The complainant took the stand next ohe Was
dressed In black. She is Of pleasing appearance Du'
evidently OF IL highly nervous disposition. she no"
lives at No. SO Sevenhave.. but In le"O lVed al Tue
Lincoln Hotel In Broadway. she hrst met "eheiai
Ltefeld about June Of that year. lie lved At the
same place and his wife wrote TO the witness asking
her to call on them. Mrs Stephani went on
Il called The Lttleheds and met the DEFENDANT
He said that he thought that something could be done
\ bat h,. 90
next day and ind out. l saw him on the following
day and he said that he had met the family physician
Of the District Attorney and that he, the physician
could arrange to have commission appointed 10 III
qure into my sons sanity. 1t would cost from Sl'oo
to a. 600 he said. asked him why 1t would take
so much money. and he answered that the doctors
and members of the commission needed H. lie De
carei that he wanted money himself but was acting
only out of sympathy with me.
ION June Is | saw Mr. Littlehcld again. lie ue-
clared that the commission had been appointed ana
was at work lie wanted the first payment of sl,ooo
and told me to call his Office No. 80 Broadway,
with IL the next day. went there, wrote out checK
for the sum and paid him. lie told Inc to Keep
quiet about the transaction. - ,, -
ION June % paid him $500 more and on July
81 900. He said The money was needed 10 pay uie
expenses OF the commission" =, ..,
The defence admitted that the prisoner had casheu
the three checks The Trial Will 20 on this inor'h"s