New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-17
DIRECTLY AGAINST SAGE.
STARTLING TESTIMONY IN THE LAID.
LAW CASE.
A WITNESS DECLARES THAT THE MILLIONAIRE
ADMITTED TO HIM THAT HE WOULD HAVE
BEEN DEAD IF HE HAD NOT GOT
IAIDLAw IN FRONT OF HIM


millionaire defendant told him. just after the acci-
dent that ne had saved his life by getting Laiu'a"
in front of him. This the coup tnat Laura"
lawyers had BEEN darkly limiting at, and IT was by
far the noteworthy bit of testimony that mas
been adduced In the present trial
The plaintiff Laidlaw. was on the stanu "ne'i
court opened under cross-examination by Coionei
James The diagram was in use AGAIN anu ~
Sage's lawyer went minutey into the relative poS'-
ton Of the plaintiff. NOrcross the bonp-'hro"e''
and Sage. Colonel James seemed to be making
test on memory and hearing. as Laidaw declares
that impairment OF hearing was one OF the IL
1uries he received from the explosion. Laidia"
said there was no word spoken while ne was !"
Sage's office.
DO you mean to tel this jury there was absolute
silence there?'
Eyes"
"And your hearing was sood?"
Perfect"
MR.. CHoATE SCORES ONE.
..Wben Mr. Sage took your hand how far did you
move? n
90 object" said Mr.. Choate, las the witness dis
tinctly said he did not move but was moved.
Judge Patterson sustained Mr.. Choate. Coionei
James took exception.
..Did Won NOT testify on a former trial. asked
Colonel james. that Mr.. Sage exerted no lorce'
and that you only thought of such thng AFTER '"e
explosion
yes | said that
eighteen or twentyfour inches. He stuck closely 10
mis- original testimony and was no, shaken 'oIohel
James went into such minute details as 'hai oi
asking whether it three-1uarters or hve-sMtns
of n minute between his entrance ana MS seizure
nv Sage Colonel James also wanted to know how
near sage's foot was to the floor as ne sat on 'he
table and there seemed to be continual sp'''."s
~ hairs The witness answered all questions
promptly Go,
you say you stood to shield Mr. Sage?
Yes"
There were no holes blown through you. were
there?'
NOT ALL THE WAY THROuGH'
mo; only part way through"
..Now tell the jury all about the explosion
.J cannot tell you anything of this except that
II sounded like the breaking OF all the t'iipe's
In the world"
"Dd you see a fash?
IL cannot remember. l suppose coseu lily
ewes when the noise of the explosion came
Then the witness went over again the STORY Vi
coming TO his senses and helping Sage out OF tie
wreck and seeing man named James III ,"e ~
xate room trying to get out Laidaw said he tried
10 break door open with chair, out couiu not
Then he led Sage out across the street
HAS not your memory peeh iihpa'e" ~ ~"
shock of the explosion?
yes
Haven't you been nervous since theh' anu oeeii
dreaming about the explosion?
Occasionally yes.
Colonel James asked the witness II he dd not
saw on Tuesday that Sage had testheo 10 ,ne
effect that Norcross had handed the letter 10 ''i'
Sage before Laidlaw came In.
Russell Sage came in at this stage and took
seat near the jury-box. This was favori'e seat
with Sage at the last trial 5000
The witness said he could not remember 'es'i-
rvi,p as Colonel James asked Then the stem
opranher turned to the minutes OF Tuesday, ana
Il was found that Colonel James was rleht Inns
brought out the question of memory, winch Laiu-
law admitted. not so good as before 'he "oVi-
dent Mr.. Choa,e brought out. however thdt tne
witness remembered clearly the happenings OF the
day as they had been impressed on MS n'hu'
LAIDI.AW's INJURIES.
TT 1orgboar tba cashier for Bloodgood &
70 who had Iaidaw removed from the drug
store testified that Laidaw had been an athlete,
swimmer oarsman etc, and was al the tI'"e "a
the accident In apparently perfect health he SAN
he saw I.aidlaw lying on the moor OF the oI"s
store covered with blood He said also that when
Iaidlaw came back 10 Bloodgoods he was ner-
vous and irritable. and his memory was pad
Homer NJ Moore, the assistant cashier OF Blood
good & Co. gave testimony OF the same nature
Langhaars
Dr. Shea who the surgeon at st. vincent
Hospital where Ladlaw was taken after the ex-
mission was the first witness after the noon recess
He described the burning off OF Ladlaws mar
1nustache and eyebrows. and the wounds on 'he
body He said Laidlaw suffered excruclating pam
He could not sleep. and it was necessary TO give
him sedatves nightly. ~
The testimony of DR.. A. B. Whitney, of NO liS
West Seventy-seventh-st. given at the last trial
was read and admitted. DR.. Whitney had been the
attending physician Of Mrs. Laidlaw before the ac
cident TO her husband. Laidlaw had always peeh III
perfect health before the accident After ne LETT 'he
hospital Dr. Whitney treated him. He described 'he
wounds and said the result was a loss OF nervous
force OF the hearing and Of memory
DR. Daniel H. Smith. who next took the stand was
called in 1888 he said. to attend the paintH' lie
found two sores on his foot from wnich ne 'oon
nieces OF bone They healed and opened again. and
vere again treated DR.. Smith and Colonel James
got into an interesting discussion as TO the derence
between shock and conclusion
His physical condition and nervousness are uue ~
shock is it not?' asked Colonel James
1T is not. Shock does not last person either
racovers from II or dies" answered the physician
Colonel James was not pleased He got further
tangled up In medical questions. 10 which ne doctor
Hsf, the stand. Judge Patterson remarked: "You
could get a diploma on your testimony, 100 s,oo,.,-
pr ,es.ed 10 having treated Ladlaws ear and
declared that the drum had been burst
AN IMPORTANT WITNESS.
George II. Kendall. Of the American Bank Note
Company gave the sensational testimony oil 'he
trial II was what ex-Judge Davis had foreshadowed
when he said IN his opening that there wou.u De d
,vwi,ness produced who would swear that sage mad
admitted that I-aidlaw saved his life Mr. Kendall
testified that he was at No. Broadway the New
York Bank Note Company's ofhce, on the Gay o.
The exn,oslon Some one telephoned for him 10 come
up to Mr. sage's office. there had been an acci-
dent He went at to the office and iouhd II
Guarded by a policeman lie gained admittance and
going up to the Office of Mr.. Sage found 1t stFe"n
with wreckage and saw Mr. Sage's brother-m-iaw
gathering IN the books He asked for Mr. Sage and
was told that he the street In the drug
store
IT went over there" said the witness. and
saw Mr.. Sage standing in the place holding
niece of cotton his face. ] took his hand ana
asked him whether he was much hurt He held
my hand ncrvously and said he could not hear me
repeated the question three times when he
finally answered:
"'No, am not much hurt. but If hadn't got
that young man between us would have been a