The Washington times., 1905-03-13
Wife of Eloping Pastor
on the Witness
Stand.
JURY WELL INFORMED
Judge Rules Perusal of
News Accounts No Bar
to Eligibility.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N. J., March 13.-
The Indictment for abandonment against
j. T. Cordova, the eloping pastor, was
moved by Prosecutor Bordine this morn
ing before Judge Woodbridge Strong
The court room was crowded to over
flowing. Sheriff Carman had extra depu-
ties sworn in and the city police, with
the regular corps of court officials, were
on hand TO keep hack the crowds of
men and women.
Cordova was brought into court by
Detectives Mulvey and Reiter through
n rear entrance and sat beside his coun-
sci. Lawyers II. B. Cook and c. P.
Clark
Lawyer Cook moved for postpone
ment on the ground that Harry Dudley,
of Brooklyn. a brother-in-law of Mrs.
Cordova, was assaulted by a negro
Wednesday night and is confined in q
hospital. An affidavit reciting these
facts was presented.
Judge Strong asked for the nature OF
Dudley's testimony and it was submitted
in writing to the court by Lawyer Cook
Cordova debating what Dudley would
testify to to Lawyer Cook. Judge Strong
declined TO postpone the case, the
grounds, he said, being insufficient.
Refused to Quash Indictment.
Lawyer Cook then moved to quasi
the indictment on the ground that il
| charged desertion on May Il, and thai
he still deserts his wife and children
| two separate offenses.
Judge Strong denied the motion, ana
| also one to quash because the granf
jury fled no caption with the bills.
The trial then proceeded.
When Daniel p. Snedeker was calieg
as the first juror Lawyer Cook chal
lenged hirs1 for cause. and asked hin
if he had read newspaper accounts o
the Cordova story,
Prosecutor Bordine objected.
Newspaper Reading No Bar.
Judge Strong said: 1T makes 40 dif
! ference in this State whether a juro
! has read newspaper accounts, and eyel
! ii he has made up his mind from suc]
/ accounts adversely TO the defendant
j il does not bar him. Jurors are sup
/ posed TO be intelligent enough TO dis
| regard newspaper reports and go b.
| the sworn evidence. II does not take II
| Il week or month in New Jersey to ge
! Il jury IL d simple little case.
/ Lawyer Cook excepted 10 this rulinj
and challenged the juror.
! The jury was sworn as follows. afte
/ many We're challenged:
! Voorhees, Cox, Of tins city, foreman
/ William {. Lawson, Charles A. Morse
/ Paul Mcdonald. George Schlosser, Jere
miah Boylan, George Dawson, Loui
! Cober!y. James F. Burke. Joseph II
Iatmau. William T. Van Welt. William
| Coulter
/ Prosecutor Bordine. in opening tn
! case 20 the jury, said the State Won
/ prove Cordova deserted his wife, bu
7 that all sensational features will b
J eliminated and d conviction asked ol
/ the facts.
Mrs. Cordova First Witness.
Mrs Elizabeth Cordova was called a
/ the first witness. Cordova kept his eye
on his wife while she was on the stand
She said she had three children, an
that prior 10 her husband leaving her Il
] South River, On May II. he said he wa
| going for good and she would never Sc
/ him again. She had married Cordova OIL
/ May 26. 1881. and the marriage certificat
J was offered in evidence
Objection was made by Lawyer Coo
I 10 the offer OF the book of discipline O
! the Methodist Church as to the maGriag
vow, It WAS admitted in evidence.
In repIy TO the court Mrs. Cordov
said her husband had earned 500 at iii
( time he left her.
on cross-examination Mrs. Cordov
said she saw her husband again July
/ In Brooklyn. and he had sent her none
. with no instructions as 10 its use. Judg
/ strong admitted two letters sent by Cor
, dovlt 10 Mrs Cordova, urging her To &c
a divorce IN these he cared for tn
! children only.
The cipher letters Cordova sent Mis-
she identified them TO be in Cordova
/ handwriting. All these letters the Stat
+. introduced.
Feeling Runs High.
Cordova's conviction On either cour
means not less than one year in I'll
! penitentiary.
! Feeling runs high. Delegations froI
/ South River, wnere Cordova labored d
/ n.stor Of the Conklin Methodist Epi>
copal Church. are present to show thei
! LOYALTY TO the interests concerned.
| Most Of the Inhabitants Of the littl
town five miles from New Brunswic
! are arrayed on the side Of Mrs. Con
dova and synpathize with Miss Bown
as one who was misled. while minority
! among whom is the mayor. Josep
Mark, are stiIl true to cordova whoi
they consider the victim of circun
stances.
Both the principals in this dram
spent yesterday in cells in the Middle
sex county jail The mental attitud
Of the man is defiant. that Of the gin
Continued an Eaanpd pa0 4