Evening star., 1899-03-29
EXPERT TESTIMONY.
Physicians Five Evidence in Danger
field Will Contest.
MENTAL 6uhI1os OF fEsrArRI1
Many Witnesses Called in the
Case Today.
OBJ JECTTONS BY. COUNSEL

| Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
| ALEXANDRIA. Va. March 29-Mrs. Viz
| ginia Daingerfeld was the first witness
called to the stand this morning in the
contest case over the will of the late Mr..
Eliza R. Daipgerfield. She testified that
three of her sons We're away from Alex
andria, In business following the death Of
Henry Daingerfeld her husband, and that
she and her little daughter, Catherine. were
frequently absent from the homestead on
account of the unpleasant domestic affairs
The witness stated that gifts which Mrs.
Eliza r. Daingerffeld had been accustomed
to bestow upon her and her children were
discontinued in the late years of the life
of the testatrix
Richard II. Gemeney ;of Washington was
then put on the stand He testified that he
iad been an employe of a stock Office in
washington commonly known as buck
ct shop Mrs. Ellie Daingerfield, he said,
ma mao peeh a dealer at his office and had
dealt on margins although he had never
seen her buy stocks outright She had fire.
quentiy dealt with the witness personally,
ana sometimes the extent of her losses or
gains amounted to $500
Abraham McCorkle an old coIored man
testified that he had been a servant of the
Dalhserhetd family for ten years, About
SIX months before the death of Mrs. Eliza
n. Diiflseriieid she had had one or two
severe attacks, the witness stated.
SHE wen: gradually down in the last two
years OF her life" said the witness, ''and
was very forgetful,'
In regard to her bills, he said, she had
always paid them with cash and never by
check Witness said Henry Daingerfieid,
1r, and his little sister Catherine had been
treated very affectionately by their grand
mother while he tMcCorkle) was in the
service of the family. The family table
PRIOR to the death of Henry Daingerfeld
had been furnished with vegetables from
the farm of the deceased at Springfield
out aiter tnat nothing from this source was
used, the witness being sent to market for
supplies. He could not account for the
change. '-
Infirm In Body and Mind.
Under cross-examination the witness stat
ed that Mrs. Eliza Daingerfield was not
only infirm in body, but also in mind, just
before her death.
Richard II. Gemeney was recalled and
testified that Mrs. Effie Daingerfield had
paid cash in her dealings in the stock
market.
Mrs. Robert F. Knox testified that she
had witnessed VIII for Mrs. Eliza r.
Daingerfeld i1f the summer of 1888 Wit
ness stated that the relations of the tes-
tatrix and Mrs Virginia Daingerfield were
not the most pleasant. Mrs. Eliza K.
death of Henrya the formers son. that the
| family of Henry Daingertieid had no means
| of support other than that derived from
her. Mrs. Knox did not know the contents
| of the will shejhad witnessed.
| Miss Eliza Smith of Philadelphia, the next
witness, said she had witnessed q will of
| Mrs. Eliza R.srDaingerfield in the summer
of 1888 and another after the death Of
Henry Daingerfield, which was drawn up IN
| the residence of Capt. Robert F. Knox,
which will was witnessed by Capt. Knox
| and wife in addition. to Miss Smith. The
last will vas executed. she said. in the fall
| following the death of Henry Daingerfieid.
| Capt. Knox was then called. The witness
! was intimately acquainted with Mrs. Eliza
! r. Daingerfield. He had witnessed a will
| made by Mrs. Daiugerfield. which was exc
cuted in his residence. He did not know
| whether the time was prior to or after
| the death of Henry Daingerfeld.
| He thought the handwriting of the paper
| was unfamiliar to him. Mrs. Daingerfeld.
| the witness thought, had remarked that
| she had copied the will from one written by
relat tive in Baltimore.
Captain Knox testified that Mrs Eliza
r. Daingerfie!d was seventy-six years of
! age. The age of Mrs. Eifie Daingerf1eld was
| stated to be forty-five years.
The Medical Experts.
| At - o'clock a recess of fifteen minutes
| was given, in which counsel for the con-
testants framed hypothetical questions to
be propounded to medical experts relating
| to the state Of Mrs. Eliza DaingerfielG d S
| mind.
| DR.. E. L. Thompkins of Washington was
| first called. Mr., Moore then asked his
| question, which was, in part. follows:
| Assuming that the testatrix, Mrs Eliza
| r. Dalngerield was seventy-fiye years of
| age; that she had but two children, Henry
! and Reverdy; that said children lived in
| house OF their mother; that Henry commit
! ted suicide in the house; that later Reyerdy
| also committed suicide in the house: that
! the testatrix was subject to nervous and
i fainting spells; that she had suffered a
| paralytic stroke shortly before death: that
| she had changed the spelling Of her name:
| that she miscalculatsd money; that her sig
| nature showed tremulousness; that she
| would lose money, papers. ETC.; that she
| failed to recall the fact that a relative or
| connection was dead; that about six raont hs
| before the death of the testatriX she went
| to an attorney and asked if she had e. right
| to dispose of her property as she chose
| that when she came to make her viii she
| made mistakes in the names of her grand
| children: that she rarely went out of The
! house or saw callers; that about the year
| 1883 she made a will equally dividing her
| property between her sons Henry and
| Reverdy; that in the year 1890 she had be-
| come greatly shocked by the actions Of Mrs
| Effie Daingerfield. the principal iegateeof the
| Will: that the relations of the testatrix wit h
Mrs Virginia Daingerfield had been pleas
ant prior to the death of Henry Dainger-
| held. but that subsequent to this the tss-
| tatrix manifested a great aversion to Mrs
Virginia Daingerfeld that a short time
| prior to the death Of the testatrix she had
| spent her money lavishly, and in certain
| stock ir<estments.>-
| Counsel Objects.
| Attorney Moore was proceeding to state
| the closing part of the question when At
| torney Johnson arose and objected to the
| hypothetical question on the ground that
it was misstatement of facts The court
| allowed the questions. the ground that
the hypoth isis as Assumed to be based on
facts. and that the jury must judge as to
whether the facts ware correct.
| What caused-this state of mind in the
| testatrix?" asked MNt Moore
Il think 1t was due to a localized SOFTEN
| ing of the BRAIN" the doctor replied,
1.-The term lesion applies to this he add
| ed. Several c4usesneould 60 to produce
such an effect ,Ui7 liot s-s
| A severe mental shock, he said. would
contribute to this effect and old age would
| aggrayate the matter.
''Softening of the bRRin,'' the doctor said.
| was preliminary of senile dementia. .
while ''irritabiiity oEdhostility to a person
| without cause lis ao symptom of brain
| softening."
J At O'Clock the court adtournad