The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-17
R R AND WENT NAL.
DE WITT o. LAWRENCE DEAD IN
LoVE, SAYS ROBERT COLLIER.


1t pidn't Strike the Clergyman That Tsat was
H1adness-lana Bees Thera miuseif-But Mr..
Lawrence vyent to y Hnadheuae AFTER the
WeddipE ana MS Chiidrcn Dispute HisWhL
The counting Of De witt c. Lawrence, banker
ana broker and member Of the Union LeaRue
Club, which resulted in his marriage to the
young widow, Mrs. Louisa Cotton, was de-
clared In the contest Of his will In the Surro-
gates Court yesterday to be coincident with his
gradual mental alteration. Lawrence's first
wife, by whom he had five children. died about
1884, and in 1886 he began to court the widow.
He married her at Geneva, Switzerland, July Fl.
1887. On May o. 1887, he made q will by which
gave the income of $50, 900 to Mrs. Cotton and
the rest Of his estate. which amounts to about
100000, to the children by his first wife. Tho
children arc contesting the will.
A week after the marriage Lawrence showed
pronounced evidence OF insanity and he was
put In an asylum in Paris. He remained In that
asylum for several months and was then
brought to this country. when he was put In
the Middlotown Asylum. where he died in April,
1896. At his second marriage Lawrence was
90 years old, about twenty years older than
Mrs. Cotton. The contestants say that soon
after he began counting Mrs. Cotton he began
to buy high-priced horses and to give costly
presents to his friends.
The Rev. Robert Collye r, who had known Mr..
Lawrence many years and who also knew Mrs.
Cotton before the marriage, testified in behalf
Of the widow yesterday. Speaking about the
counting period, DIR. Collyer said that 1t was a
pleasure to sit and listen to the love story" OF
Lawrence and his song Of love-" Lawrence
told tho story to him in 1ss6-1ss7. II had
been there myself and knew what 1t was" Mr..
Collyer testified. "He told me his love story
and oonfded In me. He was very much in love;
much moro 90 than most men,"
Q.-What did he tell you about the woman
who became his second wifei A.-He said that
he loved her and that when she became his wife
Q.-What else did he say to youi A.-0h, 1t
was all a love song. such as a man will sing
Odd he appear rationale A.-oh, yes, so
far as o man who Is SO dead in love can be-. He
was perfectly sane. He was uncomnionly in
Q.-Then you considered him saneI Ale
was greatly In love, but he was sane.
renee nnst often n prior rnaA tS i tss5'p at the Saa Union MO II League z
Club and considered him sane.
DR.; I, B, ad Douglas 4pst Of Of 1 ESs East Thirty-s Ea1f
and considered him sane. Mrs: Cotton and
her father-in.law. De- J. 3. Cotton, left for
Lawrence had called upon him and told him
that he was spending sleepless nights, and
asked that tho witness prescribe a trip abroad
Ole wanted you to say that it was right
for him Ui t9 60 St to EGg nl9p, and contract IT, q MAR mar
that as q remedy.
98.-bbinSS yoqS Ia sG srT 4Ssd l. Ah AID We'll yes; ,sos
that she should go to Europe alone and return
in September when they were to be marriedi
that he was very much in earnest, and was
amored Of her; The condition of his mind was
not anything different from what L would eX-
nact from Ona of lHB ape under such gircnm-
Q.-There was an intense anxiety to go to
9 9es's 81. "Ho . N'i'' 'n@' 40 ''D," S'' A.
WAS his manner any different from what
enamoredi Al think it was intensified in
s-o.SBut a little of the same characteri A.
Q.-Anything unnatural in til A.-No. sir.
1t was not an unnatural manner nor unex.
his love for Mrs. Cotton. He was thoroughly
in earnest and anxious to meet her, and had
not been en-, able de to tor rest ssS after ter her nrs6 dePsptur nsro in.
mani A. lIsd :. to ~ SIg%OttS So Sn Old g. sd lass There
family man. and was In such a state of mind
as we frequently see in just such cases. He
was infatuated moro than enamored, and thor
Dr.. Cotton testified that he was opposed at
first to his daughtsrin-law's marriage to Law.
Q.-whyi Airs. Cotton wanted me to
oppose it because she was not sufficiently ac-
Quainted with him. After things went on some
little time l had my o. rinion that Mr.. Lawrence
was a man of excellent character and wealthy,
and, on.the whole. Il thought it would be a good
thing for her to marry him, and l rather adj
vised 1t.
law had been in Geneva only a few weeks
when Mr.. Lawrence followed them in the sum-
mer OF 1887. He spent his time in the day
playing croquet, and they went to concerts in
the evenings. Mr.. Lawrence gave a dinner at
one of the hotels in celebration Of the mar
rage, and the next day the marriage took
place at the Cit, Hall in tho presence OF tho
Mayor. Mr.. and Mrs. Lawrence went OFF for a
wedding tour Of five. days. When they re;
the witness that he was sick, and that II he was
at home he would be in bed. subsequently he
said he was feeling very badly. and Thought
he would never live to return home. They
went to Paris Immediately to return to this
country. but Mr.. Lawrence was seized with
symptoms of mental disturbance in Paris and
removed TO an asylum.
Mrs. Lawrence testified that her husband
showed to sign of insanity until they arrived at
Paris. He became Ill one night at Paris. his
eyes were wild, and he was very much ex-
cited. He accused her OF trying to poison him
and said she was trying to get his money and
tewelry. She had sent for two physicians in
Paris. who ordered that he be taken to q sani-
tarium. She had remained In Paris while he
was in tho sauitarium, and she came over
with him to this country. He had to be care
fully watched during the voyage.
The case was adjourned o week.