The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-29
MEMORY IS TRICKY
JOSEPH WATERS IS UNCERTAIN
ABOUT CERTAIN DETAILS OF
HIS MARRIAGE.
AGAIN ON THE WITNESS STAND
HIS CLAIM STRENGTHENED BY
TWO WITNESSES WHO TESTI-
FLED YESTERDAY.
MRS. MINTzER SAID SHE MARRIED..
Referred to Her Husband as an "OId
Crack" and Her "0Id Silk
Hat"

"My mind is completely shattered,
exclaimed Joseph Waters, while under
cross examination in the probate court
yesterday afternoon.
when did your mind become shat
tered, Mr. Waters?" inquired j. D.
O'Brien.
Three or four years ago." promptly
answered the old man, who claims to
have married the late Mrs. Anna
Mintzer in 1892.
The lapse of memory which moved
Mr.. Waters to declare that his mind
was completely shattered was revealed
when Mr.. O'Brien called his attention
to the fact that he had testified the
other day that Justice of the Peace
Burgess had married him to Mrs.
Mintzer in the Justices office on Wa
basha street opposite the court house"
Didn't you testify, Mr.. Waters, that
you were married in Justice Burgess
office on Wabasha street opposite the
court house?'
Il don't remember was the answer
of Mr.. Water.
Continuing, Mr.. Water said that he
walked with Mrs. Mintzer from her
house and met Father Bigot and
Hickey on the street.
where were you married?"
"At the Justices office on Third
street"
When did you begin to doubt that
Burgess office was located on Wabasha
street opposite the court house?"
Mr.. Waters paused again, elapsed
his hand upon his forehead and an
swered:
MY mind Is completely shattered.
Then followed the next question and
answer as related.
Isn't it fact, Mr.. Waters, that
when Burgess testified here as to the
location of his office in March, 1892
you found that you had made a mis-
take and that you afterwards went to
find out where the Office was lOcated?"
Mr.. Waters hesitated an instant and
then answered:
That's the whole truth You're
right"
DO you now remember the circum-
stances of your marriage on bridge
square,
"I do"
Pressed to describe the location Of
Burgess office in the old McClung
block. Mr.. Waters couldn't remember.
Mr.. O'Brien closed his cross eXamina-
ton with the two following questions:
Mr. Waters, you say you once work.
ed for Sloan & Wellington's nursery.
Now weren't you charged with forging
certain orders on them?"
mo sir, no sir" very emphatically).
Didn't they threaten to prosecute
you?"
dignantly).
Mr.. Bell then offered Justice Burgess
docket book in evidence for the purpose
of identifying the handwriting Of Bur-
CESS, and rested.
A comparison between the signature
SGT. c. Burgess" affixed to the marriage
certificate, and the admitted signatures
of T. c. Burgess in the latters docket
book, of which there are at least
hundred samples, reveals one marked
difference in the style Of writing the
middle initial &C" In every instance
In the docket book the "C'' is written
IN only one style, whereas the &c" In
the signature to the marriage certif1-
cate is constructed in another form
that Of the capital c used in printed
document.
The forenoon session brought forth
testimony of a more encouraging char
acter for Mr.. Waters side. The wit
nesses were T. D. Browning, a collector
and formerly night clerk at the Clifton
hotel, and Sidney Watson, law clerk,
son of John Watson, whose name ap-
pears signed as witness to the alleged
marriage certificate.
Mr.. Browning among others things
testified:
'I knew Mrs. Mintzer, who lived at the
Clifton hotel, and used to see Mr.. Waters
there on an average of about twice a week.
He seemed to have no business there"
ABOUT
married."
''she said she was married to an old
crank She spoke of him as her book agent.
She would ask il 1 had seen him-if l had
seen her old silk hat going through the
hall. She did not wish me to say anything
about her to him nor tell what was going
well. She said she was going to travel to
get rid of him. Nearly every time l saw her
She would say something about him and ask
If l had seen him..
Did she ever say anything about her first
husband?"
Objection made and sustained.
II don't know whether he was book
bbe afei. he oio wear d SIN nA' AD'u' Tic
was there any talk around the hotel as
10 whether they were married?
81 never heard any conversation among the
help. No, SIR
On cross-examination Mr.. Browning testi
led that Mrs Mintzer told him her first hus
band was dead, and that she had married an
pther "old crank" and she did not care
Tor him, and that the witness must not tell
him CWaters) anything about her, whether
She was dead or alive. She had no use for
Ibid she say that this old crank wanted
10 marry herr" asked Mr.. O'Brien.
mo, sir. I think she said she did not care
for him any more"
'"Did she say any more?"
That's the recollection that 1 have of
NJ
''Did that make a deep impression on you?"
well, 1 did not bke much stock in it.
It did not interest me. When the matter
came up l remembered the conversation be-
cause 1t was peculiar. 1 thought, perhaps,
NE % bad % ~ ms eeIt of them
c. w. Eberlein of the St. Paul Trust