Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-08-12

A
ERs-TWO HOSPITAL PHYSI-
CLANS GIVE TESTIMONY AS TO
DIR. STATHERS'S INDISCREET
UTTERANCES AND ACTIONS.
TRUSTEE KELLER is DISGUST
ED AND WILL RESIGN.
STAFF Special.
WESTON, w. Va, August 11.-"lf |
had had the affidavit | would have torn
it up
This was the declaration of Mrs.
Sommerville after she had been sub
iected to a very searching cross-exam-
nation by Attorney McGary, in the
Stathers investigation this morning.
She stoutly and consistently main
tanned the truth of her statements I'M
der oath, but expressed the annoy
ance to which she was subjected be-
cause of the affidavit which she made.
Her conduct on the stand was adj
mirable, and her evidence was not
shaken, despite the fact that she was
required to answer questions which
would have broken down many a
stronger woman.
She is very intelligent and she ap-
peared to thoroughly comprehend the
purpose of the questions put to her.
When the session opened the attor-
news for both sides submitted authorl-
ties touching the legal points which
developed before adjournment yester-
day. The board decided to overrule
the prosecutions objection to questions
relative to the character of the wit
ness. The only negative vote was Mr..
MiIler's.
Mr.. McGary then drew from Mrs.
Sommervile the story of her unhappy
marriage and the period which elapsed
before the birth of her child.
Wasn't it a military wedding?' he
asked The witness admitted that her
husband was apprehended in Oakland
and requested by male relatives of the
family to marry her
TO SAVE HER HONOR.
She denied that pistols were used.
DR.. Stathers's attorney then produc-
ed nine letters which witness identified
as written by her to Morris Smith, OF
Parkersburg, nephew of DR.. Stath-
ers They were passionate love letters,
and one of the last suggested that the
correspondence should be discontinued,
as nothing could come of it, because
of the marriage of Mrs. Sommerville. y
There was no suggestions of undue in
timacy in the letters, save two or three
expressions which might be regarded
as discriminating under the construction
placed upon them by the defense. In
one letter, Mrs. Sommerville said: 1--WE
are partners in crime" In another
she referred to her anticipated meeting
with Smith as Spending few days in
paradise
Mrs Sommerville remained on the
stand until the middle of the afternoon,
and when she remarked: Il am very
tired" her appearance did not belle her
words.
She testified that she met Smith
when he visited DR.. Stathers. He re-
manned less than week The defense
made an effort to impeach her, but with
Indifferent success. Some Of her ans
wers were very adroit, but her manner
was ingenious throughout She said
many times: Il don't tell untruths."
and once she added, You can ask Dr.
Stathers."
She admitted that she had denied
making the affidavit, and when asked
if that was not an untruth,
WAS SLIGHTLY CONFUSED.
She said she had intended to retract her
written statement made to DR.. Stath-
,ers's solicitation, when the board met.
Witness said B. d. Gibson, a member
OF the board, ted her the only thing
she gained through her affidavit was
notoriety, and it would have been bet
ter for her to quietly appear before the
board, and complain. She said her
written statement was not an exact
duplicate of the paper DR.. Stathers
asked her to copy. 1t was not so
strong.
DR.. Mark Perry, assistant physician
at the hospital, was the next witness.
He corroborated Mrs Sommerville in
substance in her testimony as to the
advice he gave about making her
statement retracting her affidavit She
was i'll at the time, and the presenta-
ton of the paper annoyed her
What do you know OF the relations
between DR.. Stathers and Harriet
Greene" was asked.