The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-04-04

Coroner Mix in the afternoon was in
teresting, and was objected to by the
counsel for the defense. The coroner
was asked to give the testimony of Har1
that he (HarD gave at an inquest held
in the coroner's office on December rs
In order to be absolutely certain as to
some of the statements, Mr.. Mix was
| obliged TO read from record kept by a
court stenographer at the time, and tc
| this Attorney Bishop objected, on the
| ground that a witness has no right to
refer to minutes while ON the stand
The objection was overruled and the ex-
| ception was noted. The chief point in
| the testimony of the coroner was the
| confession Of Hart, that he had been
| committing adultery with Mrs. Rath-
bun for a period of six or seven years,
up to about three months before the
| murder of his friend Rathbun. 1t was
| shown that the confessions of Hart at
the time of the inquest were made OF
his own free will, and that he had made
no attempt to conceal the facts as they
| were. Coroner Mix was on the stand for
about thirty minutes and was cross ex-
amined briefly by Attorney Bishop
The next witness was Detective Nc
Grath, who was present at the time of
the inquest in the coroner's office, and
what he said agreed with the testimony
of the coroner The next man put on
the stand was Detective Ward. He was
also present at the time of the inquest
in the coroners office, and his state
ments were the same substantially as
those of Detective McGrath.
Stenographer Doty was then put on
the stand for about a minute, and he
read a few lines of the testimony taken
at the session held yesterday morning.
He was put there by the state. This
concluded the evidence and at 3:15 the
arguments were begun.
Mrs. Rathbun was in court the first
part of the afternoon attired in black
and wearing a heavy black veil. With
her was her 13-year-old son. Mrs. Rath-
bun looked we'll, and wept nearly all the
time she was in court. The first thing
done at the morning session, yesterday,
was the offering of the marriage certifi-
cate as evidence by Attorney Williams,
and Attorney Bishop argued that he
didn't object to the certificate being
marked for Identification, but would OBJ
ject to it being put in evidence, unless
it were shown that the woman named
in the certificate was the Anna Maria
Rathbun in this case.
Judge Elmer admitted the certificate
as evidence, and Attorney Bishop took
an exception. The certificate showed
that William Rathbun, aged q, mar
ried Ann Maria Greenfield aged II
years on July IA, 1875, at the county
Jail.
The next witness was Rev. W. G.
Anderson of Guilford formerly pastor
of the Church of the Ascension. Witness
said he performed the marriage cere-
mony at the county Jail, but that he
was unable to remember the principals.
George e. Kimberly Of New York,
formerly jailor of the New Haven Jail,
the last witness marrying
the couple which was the only mar
rage which occurred at the jail while |
witness was there.
Mr.. Kimberly recognized Mrs. Rath- |
bun as the woman who was married 80 /
years ago. ~
On cross examination, witness said |
that he hadn't seen Mrs. Rathbun since |
the day at the Jail, but insisted that he
was able to~identify her.
Elisha Rathbun, a brother of the de-
William Rathbun of Bristol,
Conn. testified that Mrs. Rathbun came
o Bristol some seventeen or eighteen
Years ago and lived with Mr.. Rathbun
Charles A. Lane, of Bristol, a store
Keeper, knew Mr.. and Mrs. Rathbun for
| period Of one year about 1885 or 1887
At that time they lived in Bristol to-
,ether.
Charles r., Neil, a railroaaAr Of this
,ity, knew Rathbun some twenty-eight
years ago. He was at that time a
reight brakeman with the witness.
Neil recognized Rathbun in the pic
ures. Witness had seen Rathbun but
nee or twice since that time.
Mrs. Bridget e. Tribbles, of 81 Oak
'treet, testified that she knew Miss
Ann Maria Greenfield, both before she
vas married and afterward, when she
ived. on George street with Rathbun as
lis wife.
Mrs. Hattie j. Mccormick, of So Ham
Iton street, stated that she had known
he Rathbun's some thirteen or four
cen years, and that they lived as man
nd wife. Coroner Mix was the next
fitness. The jury panel was composed
( Robert Miner, Alonzo Adams, red
rick I. Baker, of Cheshire; Levi l..
Bradley, Samuel r. Chidsey, Luther,
'ratt, Of East Haven Danie4 r. Spen-
err, John A. Phelps, and Ehasaph FL,
,utler. of Guilford; Frank A. Warner,
erome Munson, Howard Dorman of
[amden: Charles T.. Lewis, Edward N.
Willard, Frank Doe, of Madison; SAM
ell M. Camp, William Lewis and Au-
ust Yost