The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-06-24
THE VAUGHAN APPLICATION
HEARING LAST NIGHT LASTED UN-
TIE NEARLY MIDNIGHT.

Rev. DIR. smyth Gives His Opinion of
the Information on Which He Bases
the Opinion-Witncsse From Pros
pect Place ON the Stand-Hearing VIII
Go On Saturday Evening.
tinued the hearing on the Vaughan APP
plication, the session lasting until near
ly 70 O'clock. The last witness put on
the stand was Rev. DR.. Smyth. He
was first examined by Attorney John
w. Alling, who asked whether or not in
the fall of 1894 witness was interested
in the police investigation carried on
by the police commission. DR.. Smyth
replied that he was, and that he at
tended the sessions of the committee
and that in the course of the investiga-
ton he came across the topic of Mrs.
Vaughan.
did you, as result of that inves-
tigation, have any knowledge of the
reputation of Mrs. Vaughan"
yes"
what was it?"
Bad"
I'm what PARTICULAR"
I'm two particulars; first, that she
kept lying-in hospital used by physi-
clans belonging to a criminal class, ans
second, that she kept her house for the
convenience of her friends, who resort
ed to 1t for immoral purposes
Mr.. Goodhart then began to cross ex-
anime and asked: Can you tell me
the name of any witness you heard tes-
tify at that investigation who thus far
has not been witness in this case?"
81 recall two now at least one is now
dead, and the other was Mrs. Pennys
Oldest boy. There may be others"
will you give me the name?"
II will give it to you in writing"
This offer was accepted and the wit
ness wrote the name on a slip of paper
which was passed to the counsel and to
the board. Mr.. Goodhart then stated
that he proposed to have DR.. Smyth
look over the testimony of the person
whose name had been written, his tes-
timony taken at the police investiga-
ton and would then lay 1T before the
board The counsel for the remon-
strants objected to this testimony be-
ing offered, Judge Stoddard character
izing it as hearsay testimony and say
ing that he objected to the submitting
of testimony of persons whom the
counsel for the remonstrants could not
cross examine. DR.. Fleishner said that
the matter of hearsay evidence was not
the point of the objection. He said
that the point was that the witness had
stated that he had formed an opinion
on the testimony which Mr. Goodhart
wished to submit. DR.. Smyth denied
that he had so stated, and the steno-
grapher was called upon to read his
notes. The notes showed that DR..
Smyth had not stated anything about
forming an opinion based on the tes-
timony referred to by Mr. Goodhart.
Judge Stoddard-'T submit that this
is hearsay evidence, and our testimony
has been cut out time and again by the
chairman because it was hearsay tes-
timony''
DR.. Fleischner-"Theq question is as tc
DIR. Smyth's answer to the question of
Mr.. Goodhart''
Judge Stoddard-"There is no cues
ton asked by Mr.. Goodhart now before
the witness to answer
Mr.. Goodhart-"Well, was about tc
ask question
Judge Stoddard-"I am speaking or
the point now before us. 1t is as to the
laying of this testimony taken at the
police investigation before this board )
DR.. F'leischner allowed the testimony
to be submitted, however, and Mr.
Goodhart then read from page ITO OF
the printed testimony taken at the DO
lice investigation This testimony, al
though the name of the witness has
been kept quiet, was given by a city
official who was asked as to a report
which he had made of a visit to Mrs
Vaughan's house, in his official capac-
ity, to look up about a dead child. He
stated also that he had visited Mrs
Vaughan's house socially and hac
never noticed anything out of the way
there, and did not think that the place
was an immoral one. DR.. Smyth sale
that he remembered this testimony as
having been given at the police inves.
tigation and it was then offered as evi.
dence.
DR.. Smyth then asked permission tc
make a statement to the board anc
permission was given. He said: ''In re.
gard to the sources of information or
which I base my opinion in regard tt
Mrs. Vaughan's house, the testimony
which was taken and referred to in the
police investigation was only a portion
of the information on which I base my
opinion. Much of the information is Of
strictly confidential nature, received
by me as a pastor. I have had state.
ments made to me by physicians, law
yers and citizens in whom I have conf.
dence, by men who have been in Mrs
Vaughan's house and by relatives ant
friends of girls there, and I wish it tt
be understood that when l give my
opinion that this house has been kept
as house of ill-fame and a house OF
abortions I base my opinion on evil
dence as direct and circumstantial al
it is possible for man to receive I'M
less he sees things with his own eye:
and hears things with his own ears.
1.-THE information that received was
of such a nature that 1 did not think
that any private citizen should con-