New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-07

Just before the close of yesterdays session
OF the Molineux trial Mrs. Anna Stephenson
the wife of a policeman at No 534 Hicks-st..
Brooklyn. gave what to many persons I'm the
courtroom seemed to be the most important
testimony of the day for the defence Her story
on the witness stand had been told partly in
advance by the newspapers. but the jury had not
heard 1t before. She declared that she saw a
package like the poison package addressed to
cornish at the Knickerbocker Athletic Club
mailed at the General Postofice on the afternoon
or December %. 1898. The man who mailed
the package was not Molineux.
Her testimony might have ended there, after
Moineux stood up in the courtroom 10 let her
look at him. but Harry 5. Cornishs name had
been mentioned in connection with her story
and he stood before her and bore her gaze She
declared that she believed the man who mailed
the package addressed to Cornish was no other
than Cornish himself
Mrs Stephenson is an elderly woman whose
respecte bility and good character seem to be be-
yond question. There was a hutter of excite
ment In the courtroom when she went IN the
witness stand, and the court officers had some
dlfhculty in restoring silence before she began
her testimony
MRS STEPHENSON's TESTIMONY.
Ex-Governor Black led her gently along while
she told the jury that she had lived all her life
IN Brooklyn. that her husband is a policeman.
that her only son is twenty-five years old. and
that IN 1888 IL was her custom to visit Wash
lhstoh Market every Friday to purchase sup
plies.
NOW tell the jury what you did on Friday
December %. 1895. after you left the market"
I came up Vesey-st. passed St Paups
Churchyard" the witness said in a low. feeble
voice. and crossed Broadway to the Postoffce
had a package I wanted 70 mail. and I got
into line with the other people"
,Q~1Were YOU attracted by man in front Of YOU
t.4 &c man stood there with a package in his
lis pocket and pulled it oT, asan uT a t1e p595age II
955Dld You see the address on the package? A.
g. 95@cgrosty prompted tus look at the pack
.,So-nts5 .,SuWhat ID did ~ YOU see? Al saw the name
2,,SsDid you see the man mail that package? A
Ven; %9e Ss5 df tBs s s. Be- s sas7 r. A. 55 ~ M
Wy iiae ,he3 he3reS. eS 10 tie City Han Park
RSSSon, ,,i iPac,kag4 wrapperl A-Perhaps it is Il
.,9 8 .5iow soon after YOU saw the package mailed
GIa a6 you near near OF the death OF Mrs Adams A
@ @anout week think It was saw II in the news
husband and my son about IL
WHEN SHE FIRST SAW Nro11NE1rx
Mrs. Stephenson said she attended the coro-
he was not the man, and she told her husband
she ought 10 make known her knowledge He
persuaded her that there was no occasion for
her to mix up in the case. When the trial came
off. she went 10 offer her testimony but was
shut off by the decision Of the lawyers TO offer
no defence. After Molineux's conviction she
sent word OF the evidence she had to give to
General Molineux.
rs that the man." asked Ex-Governor Black.
as Molineux stood up
1T is not" Mrs Stephenson answered. with
emphasis
DO you think YOU could recognize the man
who mailed the package?" asked MI Osborne.
in opening his discrimination.
Il think I can
DO you say Cornish is that man?'
Il say he looks like him
WITNESS THINKS CORNISH WAS THE
Cornish stood up at the invitation of the
Assistant District Attorney. and he and the Wit
ness regarded each other steadily Mrs. Ste
phenson's eyes dropped first
rs that the rnan?" Mr.. Osborne asked
1T looks very much like him. Mrs. Stephen
son replied
But is it?'
To the best of my recollection. II is
A1S 04You were suffering with nervous pEostration
when YOU first told this story to General MoineuX!
QNWhcn did You hrst recognize Cornish as s the
trial I saw him leaving the elevator and felt
t9at onWhere II re did you first see the mani AIN
yss He bumped up asaPSs Ssn e he anS took il from
his pocket and looked at H. saw the aooreSS ana
tne S show sJH5oIRS many stamps were it? A-Three
Now" said Mr.. Osborne triumphantly. Look
at this wrapper How many stamps are there
on it?'
Five There are three in a straight line.
and suppose my eye did not take in the lower
one"
Mrs Stephenson was quite self-possessed- In
spite OF her feebleness she spoke clearly She
told the contents of the package she mailed to
Wisconsin on that Friiay afternoon, the num-
bsr Of stamps she used and the name Of the
drue store where she got the package weighed
and bought the stamps. She was unable to /
read the wrapper when Mr.. Osborne asked her /
70 read it. and said that she had left her read
ing glasses at home.
o-vas your sanity ever questioned? A.-No sir. I
S-Were YOU ever medically examined as 20 your /
sanity? A-No. sir-
Mr. osborne abandoned that line of ques-
tioning and went back again 20 the probable
effects upon her Of the early newspaper ac- |
counts of the case Mrs. Stephenson admitted
reading much that published about the |
case
Did they make you nervous?" counsel asked |
Not so very nervous They did not prevent
my sleeping at night"
ASKED DIVINE INSTRUCTION
Mrs Stephenson said she saw the picture OF
the person published in the papers. and il
worried her.
Did you ask Divine Instruction." counsel