The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-16
WITNESSES IMPEACHED

In tho Btathers uVestigattun-Uea
fense Throws DiscrcdIt on the TeSti.
mony ofthe Witnesses for the Pro.
secutiOn.
Special Dispatch to the IntelIlgpneeF.
WESTON, W. Va, Aug. lG-The drst
witness for the defense in the statherS'
Investigation case testified late yagter.
day evening, His name il Ralph kit
son, and he is employed by Or. Stathara.
He had taken Miss Grace Busy to her
home at JarvlsYille after she had teSr
tiled, and when he told some Of bis
friends that letter which he had writ
ten to Miss Busy, and which the prose
ecutlon had asked her 70 produce betoro
the board, would never be read IN eve
dence because he had burned Il, togeths
er with pile Of other letters while no
was gone, he denied on the witness
stand having said this. But u hap
pened that the next witness called ~
the defense was the man to whom KITE
son had confessed II, and be 90 stated
upon oath.
This second witness was A. W. Smith
n nightwatchman In the Institutions
who said that from what he knew @
the reputation OF Mrs. SOmmerVllle ann
believe them under oath.
George B. Riddle made a similar
statement relative 10 Mrs. sommerVlllp
and Miss Wilson. All the evidence ins
troduced to-day by the defense had for
It's purpose the impeachlng OF Mrs.
6ommerVille and Miss Alfrettn Wilson,
two of the main witnesses who had te9r
tilted against Or. Stathers. Those WHO
were sworn to-day were p. F. Tierney,
= ~ CnRnnUtnP 81.
Neaswander, W. A. Mick, John NJ. AuFs
ray, T. /. Tagan, j. II. Davis miss
Maggie Wooddeil and Albert Arkel, all
OF them being employed in tha institu.
tion by DR.. StAthers, and all except
one or two Of them testified to the bad
reputation in the institution for truth
and vernclty OF either Miss Wilson OF
Mrs. sOmmervllle, All dlEclalned any
knowledge Of the reputation OF estaes
They were subjected TO long, rigid
and wearlsome cross-eXnmlnRtlon ~
the prosecution, but outside OF showing
their inability to name one or two per.
SONS, ench whom they had overheard
question the veracity OF these young
women, the witnesses Of to-day were
not seriously shaken from their tesu'
mony In chief. ,,-.,.
There were few slight contradictions
which the prosecution made the pest
possible use OF, and the rule estaDlisn"
ed al the outset, permitting an invesh.
CATION into the private character OF
each witness gave the prosecution the
opportunity Of showing that one WIT"
ness. since his employment in the tnstiS
tuition had an Odious experience
with a woman not altogether reputable;
that another had at least bad repu-
tation among the business men OF tns
towuas an untrustworthy promlser' ana
a third that he had occasionally carried
milk and garden vegetables from i. ine ~. M
stitution To his home for his family use.
Attorney Foster drew from number
OF witnesses the fact that the employees
had been called together in numbers 10
the state parlor for several consecutive
evenings, and the testimony which they
expected to give rehearssd In the pres"
nee of DR.. stathers and his attorney
Mr, Brannon. These meetings ME-
Foster joculnrly refers to IN ms inIer
rogatories as the Might Sessions .,SL OL
Prof. Brannon's school for the creaton
Of evidence"
the impeachment Of the main witness
for the prosecution has already been ae-
complIshed and DR.. Stathers feels THIS
evening there is no question as TO MS
being sustained by the board on account
of his having shown alrendy the utter
unrellabillty OF the witnesses relled on
by his accusers. -. =.
He told your correspondent that ne
eXpected Within the next few days 20
just as clearly dispose OF the 81. Louis
trIp. as he feels that he has already
done with the other charges.
on the other hand. the prosecution
claims that his position is not impreg-
nabie. That II Will yet snow ny Rn
array OF evidence that the reputatlonis
for truth and veraclty Of all It's female
wItnesses was above reproach up to the
lime Of their being employed In the in5
stItutlon, and that the burden VIII tail
mon the superintendent TO show the
cause Of their rapid degener1cy while
in MS empioye and entitled to his over
sight and protection.