The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-06-29
|NSANITY HINTED
Testimony Continued IN
the Mcpherson Will
Contest.
CONTRADICTORY WITNESS
Contestants Gain Little Ad-
vantage From Yester-
days Proceedings.

The feature of yesterday afternoon's >
proceedings in the Orphans Court in the
attempt to prove the will of Mrs. Edla j.
Mcpherson, widow of ex-senator John r..
Mcpherson, which sibeing contested By
their only child, Mrs. Edla McPhersoti-
Muir. was the admission of Miss Cornetia
N. Parsons of Flushing, 4. u tise trained
nurse who attended Mrs. Mcpherson dun :
ing her last illness, that the testatrix was
a victim of insomnia and had made two
attempts to jump from the window of her
palatial home in Lexington avenue, New
York. on the Saturday before her death
and two days before the contested will
was drafted.
The line of cross examination pursued
by Lawyer Maillard Provost, who is as
sociated with Messrs. Van Wrinkle ana
Wall for the contestant, disclosed that
the attempt to break the will would be on
the grounds of testamentary incapacity
and alleged lindue influence on the part Of
Aaron S. Baldwin, the executor named
in the will.
Miss Parsons, who seemed very un-
certain witness and several times con-
tradicted herself, said that Mrs McPher-
son on the Saturday preceding her death
had said that she thought she was go
ing to be very i'll and directed the wit
ness to send for Mr.. Baldwin at once.
She tried to reach him by telephone but
finally telegraphed
Mrs. Mcpherson, who was very nery-
Gus, walked with her up and down Lex
ington avenue while awaiting the arrival
of Mr.. Baldwin. When Mr.. Baldwin final
ly came, in company with Mr.. Whitney,
Mrs. Mcpherson was suffering very
much.
''She looked very excited and twice
went to the window" continued the wit
ness.
did you not tell any one that Mrs.
Mcpherson tried to throw herself from
the Window" asked Lawyer Provost.
81 said she looked as though she might
throw herself from the window"
Didn't you say that she attempted to
do so?"
.I. might have said that she attempted
to do so.''
s.Did any one try to restrain her?"
Il put my arm around her and led her
back to a chair"
Did she struggle?"
did she show any special feeling OF
Hike or a1sliixea's --r----.-sFfsss -
'.she seemed to be very i'll and wanted
to be eomforted.''
Did she not throw her arms around
Mr.. Baldwin and address him as her only
true friend?''
mo; she sat between Mr. Baldwin and
Mr.. Whitney and both tried to comfort
her.
The witness said that Mrs Mcpherson
retired at $3.50 that night and shortly
afterwards awoke and said there were
people at the door to carry her off. She
also said it was her sons birthday She
did not sleep over fifteen minutes that
night
Miss Parsons then described the draft
ing of the will on the following day, cor
roborating the story told by Lawyer Reid
Dilworth, who had preceded her on the
stand. She said that until the following
Friday, when Mrs. Mcpherson died, she
had no fever but complained of severe
headaches.
Mss Eliza Lucss, Mrs. Mcphereon's s
ward, who also signed the will as a wit
ness, was not called, the proponents un-
der the will, represented by Judge Abel
!. Smith and Henry M. Nutzhorn, deem
ing it unnecessary to call more than q
majority of the witnesses.
At the conclusion of the examination of
Miss Parsons, an adjournment was taken
until July 10.