The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-03
Miss Ross Too Clever for
Opposing Lawyers.
Successfully Defended Her
Character in Court.
Made The Counsel Who Questioned
Her Beg for Protection.

New York, June a-Miss Julia Ros
was witness and Edward 5. Clinch
cross-examiner yesterday at the trial of
the suit in Justice Roesch's civil court of
the Rev. DIR. Daniel G. Potter TO be rein
stated as tenant in the parsonage of the
iaDernacle BAPTIST church. Miss Ross
had lease of the property when it was
ioreclosei by the Baptist City Mission
society She sublet one floor to Dr.
Potter. The defense set up the claim
that the lease is worthless.
MI. Clinch is member of the execu-
tive committee of the Baptist City Mis-.
sion and Its counsel. Miss Ross has been
named as correspondent in divorce pro-
ceedings brought by Mrs. Potter against
the doctor
Mr.. Clinch soon found that the little
woman on the stand was far more clever
than he had anticipated. He would ply
her with questions for an hour in an en-
ueaVor, apparently, to bring out evidence
that would be Of value In the divorce
SUIT, and In nearly every instance scored
an error by making an opening for the
answer that he had been studying TO keep
out-the alleged connection OF John d.
hockeieller with the big Baptist fight.
Rockefeller's Name Appears.
Miss Ross corroborated the testimony
OF DIR. Potter, that detectives employed
by the mission society broke open the
door OF his study on March 3 last and
dragged him TO the sidewalk
MIR. Clinch then commenced the cross
examination which lasted four hours:
Q. Has Mrs. Potter been under the
same roof with you since you moved from
IN Second avenue? A. Yes
q. Wheny A. / cannot fix the date.
u. Fix 1t as near as you can. A It
was since John ID. Rockefeller took me up-
Cfp ptna and .t.lt .exL<I~x
cess of the Young Woman's Home I was
conducting.
Mr. Clinch stormed at this ansver.
moved that it be stricken out, and asked
the court to compel the witness, who no
said had been coached, TO refrain from
dragging In the names of persons not con-
nected with the case. The lawyer then
started on new line.
q. Where do you liver A. At No 10
East Iwenty-first street. with DIR. Potter
and his sons.
q. How extensive are the apartments
there?
Mr.. Scharps, DIR. Potter's counsel. OBJ
jected to the question. Mr.. Clinch said
he had a right to show tho relations that
exist between DIR. Potter and Miss Ross
The witness finally said there were four
rooms.
Q. Did you 60 to beer saloon when
you left the church house on March AZ
Miss Ross then said TO Justice Roesch:
This Is contemplate attempt to
blacken my character, and the man behind
1t Is a millionaire.
Triumph Over Opposing Lawyers.
Mr.. Cllnch had this apparent thrust ut
Mr.. Rockefeller stricken from the
minutes.
@. Did you have a conference with Pot
ter on the night of March A? A. Who IL
Potter?
q. Don't you know A. I refuse to
answer anything about Potter. know
DIR. Potter.
Mr.. Clinch-Will Your Honor instruct
the witness TO answer my question:
The Court-No. She has right to de-
mand that persons be properly designated.
Mr.. Clinoh compromised by designating
the doctor of divinity as "Mr. Potter.
Mr.. Scharps, DIR. Potter's lawyer, then
took the witness in hand.
q. What did you charge for board in
your Young Woman's Homer A. Four
dollars, but the mother and sister of John
Elder, there, paid three dollars.
q. Did Elder board there? A. Yes; he
paid four dollars week.
The Court-Who is John ElderY
MIR. Scharps-He is MI. Clinch's associ-
ate counsel.
Mr.. Elder, who was fauItlessly dressed,
blushed, while Mr.. Ciinch appealed for the
protection of the Court against Miss Ross
sharp sallies. The reference TO the lawyer
was stricken from the record.
MIR. Clinch-You referred to n person
who had made an attack on your cnarac-
ter. Has any one else made such an
attack A. No; It's all tho same con-
temptible business.
q. Did Mrs. Potter make an attack on
your character? A. That's part of the
contemplate business.
Resented Question as an Insult
O. You said you had KEYS of all the
doors in the church house. Did you have
the key of the door of DIR. Potter room?
A. don't propose to sit here and be
insulted by you even though l am wit
ness and you an officer OF the court. I
had the key of his study, but not the key
of mis- room.
Mr. Clinch then tried to force the Wit
ness to admit that she had the exclusive
use Of a dark passageway that led to
DR. Potter's study, but Miss Ross insisted
that it was used in common by all per-
sons going from the house TO the church.
and that the tour doors were never locked
until the men sent by Mr.. Clinch Co drive
DIR. Potter out put padlocks on them.
DIR. Robert "A. Gum, the Potter family
phy sician for twenty live years, testified
that DIR. Potter was dragged from his
study by men who said they were author
lied by the mission society TO put him
out of the house; that Charles Tinchor,
the chief OF the detectives at the house.
said TO the witness:
DIR. Potter will be put out tomorrow.
He has revolver. We do not want to
hurt him, but the mission society has
given us bond TO cover any damages
we may be held for. and II no attempts
TO use his gun he will be killed. This 10
the dirtiest lob 1 ever had TO do. F"
DR.. Gum and MIR. Tinoher then talked
sharply TO each other. and the court said:
"If these little fights continue the first
thing ysu know the tabernacle Baptist