The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-15
PROSECUTION RESTS

In the stathers InVestigation-MisS
Wilson's Testimony the Most
Damaging Yet Given The st Louis
Trip Comes up Again.
special Dispatch to the Intelligeneer.
WESTON, W. Va. August 14.-Mrs.
Ida E. Wilson was the first witness In
the stathers investigation who testified
this morning. She stated that she was
the widow OF deceased veteran. and
the mother of Eve children. one Of
whom was Miss Alfretta Wilson, who
was recently discharged from the hos
pltaI, because Of an affidavit which she
had made regarding Superintendent
stathers, for making improper ad-
vances toward her.
She was poor and had taken her old
est daughter to the hospital to secure
her q position that she might help 70
earn a living for the family. TearA
stood IN her eyes, and once or twice sne
almost broke down as she told the az
fectIng story Of how DR.. Stathers gain
cd her confidence on the promise tnat
he would be a father to her pretty
younR daughter, and that he would
nrotect her and watch her Just as he
felt that the mother desired.
The next witness was the daughter
herself, Miss Alfretta Wilson. beauti-
fuf young girl. who told straight story
OF an attempt Of DR.. Stathers to ruin
her, on the night of April so, 1889,
about the hour Of II o'clock, she says
DR.. StatheFs came into q room where
ghe was sleeping and which he had as
signed TO her, knowing that II could not
be locked from the inside. She says the
doctor hastily turned out the lght'
which she had left burning N the room
because It was infested with roaches,
and came to her bed. She protested
against his advances, but he ordered
her to be still and attempted to put me-
arms around her. She insisted on ~
leaving at once, and he finally did
leave saying that he meant no harm By
what he had done, that he had simply
come in to see her.
AS soon as she saw her mother ene
told her Of the occurrence, ana also tola
DR., Snyder. When the facts became
known to the public DR.. Sththers sever
al times approached her and insisted on
her denying that there was any truth
in the statement. When she declined,
saying, "It Is so, and cannot tell
lie about It," he threatened to discharge
her for II.
She was advised by friends to make
an afiidavit Of the facts, and when DIT.
stathers learned that she had done 80,
he promptly discharged her.
on Cross-exRmination the defense
sprung a little sensation by producing
the note to her which had been written
by Postmaster r. Ad. Hall and enclOs-
ed in an official envelope. 1t developed,
however, that the letter had not gone
through the mail, and that the word
personal" was written across the en-
yelope, showing that the writer had not
Intended to violate the law. The evil
dence OF Miss Wilson has created some
alarm on the part of the friends OF Or.
Stathers on account OF her high stand
ing In the community where she resides
and the fact that she is n second cou-
sin of Congressman Dayton, her moth
er being a daughter OF the late Capt.
Dayton, for whom the little town OF
Dayton, in Harrison county, was
named.
tlon thinks connects very important
link in tho chain OF testimony relative
to the alleged st. Louis trip, was w. ID.
i. Jarvis. night clerk ut the Central
Hotel, at Grafton. who produced his
register TO show that Or. stnthers had
registered there for supper May 6, 1888,
that being the evening upon which FILL
more Howell. the Ward house porter.
carried a note from Miss Harriet
Green to some unknown person at the
Central Hotel. and also the same even-
ing that Baltimore & Ohio Ticket Agent
Henderson sold to Or. Stathers double
berth Pullman sleeper ticket TO ST.
Louis, and to Harriet Green, alias
Maude stathers, an INTERCHANGEABLE
mileage book.
Two other young lady employees were
introduced by the prosecution and ask
cd whether or not Or. stnthers had
made any improper advances toward
them, but his counsel objected becauSo
there were not specific charges alleging
these facts. Tho prosecution closed Its
case to-day Director Gibson arrived
this evening.