The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-04-09
ALL THE EVIDENCE
HAS BEEN HEARD
Arguments TO the Jury in the Dickinson
Case Will Be Heard Today.
NUMBER OF LAW POINTS PRESENTED
The First for the Defendants Asked
for binding Instructions to the jury.
Reasons That We're Advanced.
Judge Acheson Refused to Comply
with the Request and Ruled That
the Jury Must Pass Upon the Facts.

The closing testimony in the Anna
Dickinson case was heard yesterday
and today the arguments of counsel to
the jury will be listened to. After the
evidence was all in the law points of
plaintiff and defendant were presented
to the court and Attorneys Dawson
and Vosburg made arguments to the
court asking for binding instruction to
the jury in favor of the defendants.
Court refused to give such instruction
and said he would allow the Jurors to
pass upon the case. Mr.. Vosburg will
make the closing address to the jury
this morning for the plaintiff and Mr..
Hodge for the defense
There was a large crowd in the court
room yesterday morning when the ex-
animation in rebuttal of Miss Anna
Dickinson, the plaintiff, was resumed.
She made a strong denial of the story
told by Mrs. George Thompson while
on the stand, to the effect that the
plaintiff was in the habit of using in
toXicants to excess and she also ex-
planned some of the stories she told to
Mrs. Thompson, which that lady said
she considered gross eXaggerations.
Her relations with Howe & Hummell
with reference to her suit against the
Republican national committee were
gone into extensively and the witness
then detailed what occurred immedi-
ately before she was removed to DAN
vile.
In February, 1891, she concluded to
go to New York probably to rer in
permanently and on Feb. 10 she COM
menced to sort over her newspaper clip
pings, letters and manuscripts. In do
ing so she discovered that her papers
had been tampered with and demanded
an explanation from Susan Dickinson
which she did not get. She then detail
ed all the circumstances which led to
the locking of her door on the evening
of Feb. 19. She found on that evening
Martha, the servant, going through her
papers in her room, and for the security
of her personal effects she then locked
the door.
ROOM WAS A BEDLAM.
On the following day, by reason of
her packing up for her intended trip
her room was a bedlam. Piles of pa
pers and letters were scattered all over
the floor and she worked on until even
ing. Then she went down stairs and
The servant refused and ran out of
the house. The plaintiff followed her
and said Come back, you fool"
She explained her alleged assault on
Susan by saying that she merely used
sufficient force to keep her out of her
room Between l and o'clock one
night she was going to the bath room
in her house, and met DIR. Heilman
coming from tba ha III room
mediately she returned to her room,
and DR. Heilman attempted to get into
the room before her, but failed He
thrust his foot between the door and
the door frame and attempted to force
his way in, She said she slammed the
door against his foot and said: Get
out, you rat"
When she went to Danville the plain
tiff said that she carried with her jew
elry valued at $4,000 Several kilograms
written by Miss Dickinson while she
was in the asylum We're read by Attor-
ney Hodge and after brief cross
examination Miss Dickinson left the
stand and Mr. Hodge announced that
the evidence for the plaintiff was all
in.
Mrs. March and Miss Susan Dickin-
son were recalled by the defense. The
latter said she never tampered with or
interfered in any way with Annals let
ters and never wrote to anyone con-
cerning Anna with the latter's con-
sent After she left the stand court
adjourned for the noon recess.
CLOSING TESTIMONY.
Allen Eggleston was called to show
that the plaintiff was intoxicated on
one occasion when she called at his
store, but Judge Acheson would not
permit the testimony.
Miss Susan Dickinson was recalled
and said that she had her sister placed
in Danville because she was afraid of
her and from the way she acted she
thought it was the very best thing to
do for her.
las a matter of fact. did you not
think that if your sister was In the
asylum you could then raise money for
her without being prevented by her?"
asked Attorney Hodge.
mo, sir" replied the witness.
Did you not try TO raise money on
her name, without her knowledge, be-
fore your sister was sent to the asy-
lum?"
II did not do anything OF the kind
Notwithstanding your beautiful insinu-
ating voice. / answered that matter
fully this morning, and you are now
trying to make me lie about it,"
1T will be better, Miss Dickinson, if
you merely answer his question:" sug-
gested Judge Acheson.
II will try to, your honor, but
ought to be protected from this attor-
ney's insinuatiOns."
That concluded Miss Susan's eXami-
nation, and Attorney Vosburg present
ed letter from DR.. Seward, the pro-
prietor of the sanitarium at Goshen, N.
Y, where Miss Dickinson was imme-
diately after she left Danville asylum,
setting forth that owing to business
engagements he was unable to come to
Scranton to testify. AS the doctor is
outside of the state he could not be
compelled to attend.
PLAINTIFF RECALLED,
Miss Anna Dickinson was recalled
and testified as to a letter received by
her sister from Mrs. Elizabeth Miller,
daughter of Garret Smith. She said
she did not know Mrs. Miller, though
she did know her father. This closed
the testimony and the law points of the
plaintiff and defendants were present
ed to the court. Those of the plaintiff
were:
First-If the jury believe under all the
evidence that the plaintiff was sane on the
25th day Of February, 1891, and that the de-
PENDANTS with a view of having her taken
to Danvile asylum as an Insane person,
broke open the door of the room and for
cibly took her from the same to the depot,
a against W