Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-08-16
Staff Special.

DEPENDENT UPON STATHERS.
Staff Special
WESTON, w. Va, August l5.-t
was DR.. Stather's day at the hospital
investigation but the testimony for the
defense was confined almost entirely
to an effort to impeach the veracity of
the star witnesses for the prosecution.
1t is evident that there will be an
abundance of evidence of this charac-
ter. 1t is understood that no fewer
than forty attaches of the hospital will
be asked to say whether or not they
would believe Mrs. Sommerville and
Miss Alfaretta Wilson on oath.
The prosecution threatens to intro
duce similar evidence in rebuttal.
The examination of impeaching
witnesses proceeded very slowly this
morning and in view of the infinite
possibilities of protracted sessions op-
ened by this line of inquiry members
of the board held quiet conferences
for the purpose of devising some meth
cd Of expediting matters. More salts
factory progress was made in the aft
ernoon, however
Toward the close of the afternoon
session a bit of salacious testimony
crept in inadvertently and DR.. Stath-
er's counsel felt somewhat elated con-
corning it. 1t developed in the cross
examination of Albert Ankle, Of
Wheeling, who is engineer at the
light and ice plant. When asked if
he heard anybody outside the institu-
ton reflect upon the veracity of Miss
Wilson he named Will Ward.
Don't you know that Miss Wilson
refused to accept the attentions of
Ward?"
Nothing but what Ward told me-"
Here Mr.. Foster
INTERPOSED AN OBJECTION
and stubbornly contested the right of
the defense to insist upon a repetition
of the conversation. Mr.. Miller voted
to sustain the objection, but the board
overruled it.
Mr.. Ankle testified that he was talking
to Ward when Miss Wilson passed
Ward told him he was criminally in
innate with Miss Wilson and that all
that was necessary to accomplish the
end was quart of whisky.
The prosecution handed witness an
affidavit by Ward, stating that he never
had sexual intercourse with Miss Will
son and believed her to be of good
character.
The defense claims to have made an
unsuccessful effort to subpoena Ward,
who is alleged to have left the coun-
try.
The examination of character wit
uesses for the defense was rather tedi-
Gus. The examination brought
out the fact that meetings of employees
were held at the hospital on Thursday.
Friday and Saturday evenings, the ev-
ident purpose being to ascertain the
amount and nature of evidence to be
given by employees for the defense.
Prosecutor Foster referred to these
meetings as ''kindergartens of evidence
conducted by Prof. Brannon. He
asked witnesses if they had been drilled
in their little pieces and managed to
draw out the fact that Attorney Bran
non asked attaches of the institution if
they could testify that from the repu-
tation of
MRS. SOMMERVILLE AND MISS
WILSON
they would not believe either on oath.
The prosecution lays stress on several
facts in this connection namely, that
there is but slight variance in the an
swers of impeachment witnesses, that
they are all employees of the hospital
and presumed TO be friendly to DR..
Stathers and that all the witnesses have
not named more than ten persons. each
person connected with the institution,
who reflected upon the veracity of the
prosecutions two star witnesses.
The witnesses who testified that they
would not believe Mrs. Sommerville or