The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-30
ELLISON TELLS HIS STORY.
OROUS DENIALs OF All TH1
CHARGES AGAINST HIM


riaucs Tried TO Shoot Him and that ne
Acted In SelEDefence-His ExpIsnstioa
OF the sievin Assault Case-Cross-eIar,.
ined Concerning Various Fights in which
lIo IL Said to Have Been Engaged.
Mr. Frank Ellison had his day In court yes
terday. and he took good advantage OF It so
far as he was permitted. That is. the matter
and manner OF his examination in chief By
Mr.. Brooke plainly made a favorable impress.
sion upon the jury. This i'm preston was none
the less favorable because ut times he dis.
played a rather angry impotence at the legal
iormalities through whose devious ways Me-
Brooke. step by step. preferred TO have the Dc.
PENDANTS story told.
Tbere we're many questions asked which re-
lated only Indirectly to the charges Mira
Neame made against him in her testimony.
and It was difficult for his counsel to restrain
the witness from answering these questions
impulsively and at greater length than Mr..
Brooke desired.
Mr.. Ellison showed more intense desire TO
contradict the evidence which had made 10
appear that he had not conducted himself ao-
cordinG to the unwritten code supposed to
guide the conduct Of gentlemen In their per-
sonal and social affairs than he did to contra.
dict the evidence which went to show that he
had broken the written criminal code Of the
State His hottest Indignation was expressed
when he denied that he had ever threatened
to testify against Mrs. Neame in her divorce
case. or that he had ever shown her letters to
men about town or threatene ed to publish them.
His story OF the assault itself he told quietly
and with good effect.
His examination in chief. which was begun
in the middle OF the afternoon sossion. was
not concluded at half past 6. when an hours
recess was taken for dinner. aud he was not
turned over to Mr. Wellman for cross-exami-
nation until nearly 8 o'clock in the evening
session. Mr.. Wellman's cross examin alton
was bitter and merciless. and developed one
highly sensational feature which. although In
all its details It was exactly according to Mr..
Welman's programme and included con.
fession OF perjury on the part OF the defendant.
helped him rather than injured him in the
eyes Of the jury
The incident was led up to through one Of
Mr.. Ellson's volunteer remarks during the
course OF his examination in-chief Mr.. Brooke
had asked him II he had ever threatened to
testify against Mrs. Neame in the divorce
case. and he had replied that such q thought
had never entered his mind. He added india.
nantly. although Mr.. Brooke aided the efforts
OF the Court and the prosecuting attorneys In
endeavoring to stop him:
with oil my faults. I am not as bad as
that" and to the next question which WAS
II he had asked Mrs. Neame to periure herself
in the Slevin case. Ellison. after denying that
he had done so. added again: II have plenty
of faults. but would not ask a woman to per-
jure herself for me. nor would / perjure my.
SELF"
In his cross-examination Mr.. Wellman re-
called this remark to tho witness and then
asked him II there had been any doubt or
question as to his engagement to marry Mrs j.,
Neame when tho divorce should be'seeured. The
witness answered that the engagement had
been perfectly understood. Then Mr.. Wellman
dramatically read the testimony Of the witness
given in the divorce case. in which he had as
positively sworn thatthere was no understand
Ing about an engagement to marry between
himself and Mrs. Neame. The witness adj
mitted that he had given such testimony In the
divorce case. and Mr. Wellmaa sneerlnGly re-
marked:
But this afternoon you said. With all your
faults you would not perjure yourself"
Mr. Ellison settled himself back in his chair.
regarded his merclless oross-examiner stead.
lily. and answered quietly
"Inever said l would not perjure myself to
save u woman
When Ellison WAS called to the witness stand
he carried with him a memorandum book.
from which he frequently refreshed his
memory as to dates. CONCERNING the names
OF watering places anu nOtelS WHICH u6 NlSlt0u
In company with Mrs. Neame and her mother.
the witness said almost appealingly: All
these statements can be verified by the books
Of the hotels"
In answer to various questions he testified
that he had known Mr.. Henrlques twelve or
fifteen years. and was n member OF the Stock
Exchange with him six or seven years ago.
At that time he was an intimate friend Of Hen.
riques. Not very intimate" said the wit.
ness. but intimate"
One afternoon six or seven years ago. whiIs
sitting in Delmonicos with HsnriQues. the
latter invited the witness up to his house to
dine and meet his daughter Leila. There.
after he paid his dinner call and &C.
cepted an invitation to Sunday afternoon
tea, which Mrs. Henriques gave him
at chance meeting on the street
Those were the only times he met Mrs. Neams
before she went to Europe. In 1890 no sailed
for Europe in company with Mr. Goddard. This
night before they sailed Henriques, Gebhard.
and himself dined together. and Henriquss
asked him TO call on his daughter in London.
telling him then for the FIRST time that she was
married. Mr. Henrlques also gave Gebharda
letter OF introduction to his daughter
In February. 1870. he called on her In Lon
don. and afterward received an invitation from
her at Longs Hotel to dine lie declined be-
cause OF u previous engagement. and saw no
more OF her until she returned to this country
with her husband in November Of that year and
went TO live ut tho Victoria. There his init.
macy with the family began. II was resumed
when she came to this country again In July.
1901. On that visit Mr.. Neame remained only
about month, during which time the witness
accompanied tho family to Long Branch. Upon
their return from there. Neame one day called
ON the witness at the Manhattan Club and said
that he and his wife were to sail for England
the next day. and asked tho witness to come
and E go them OH Mr.. Ellison called for thsm
at the Victoria in the morning and found tho
Neames ready TO sail Mrs Neame was dressed
In steamer costume, and hor maid was In
charge OF hor hand baggage.
"Sho left the room where We were all talk
ing said the witness. and went into another
room, where sha remained "a fow mlnutes with
her husband When they returned Mrs. Neame
announced that she was not going with her
husband to England. Mr.. Neame seemed very
much shocked and begged and begged bis
wife to so with him. but she persisted In her
determination and did not sail"