The sun., 1907-08-27
TRUE TO LITTLE BRIGHT EYES
LUNACI BOtRD HEARS MR. ItA-
DERBILT DEFEND THE "yPIRIT."
BusOand of Mrs. Mary Ann scsnneIi-'epper
Nspderbit Admits That Twas the
Bishop vino wrote bright Eyes
Notes -" Medium DOsiwe~ subp,pna.


Notes =" Medium" Dosiwr~ subp,ens.
A commission in lunacy appointed nv
Supreme Court Justice Maddox Of Brook
lyn to inquire into the sanity Of Edward
Ward Vanderbilt. who married Mrs. Mary
Ann Scannell-Pepper. the spiritunlist. on
June last. began taking testimony yes
terday morning in room 20 Of the Kings
County Court House. Mr.. Vanderbilt was
on the stand all day.
The inquiry begun yesterday was the
outcome Of proceedings brought by his
daughter Minerva, a young woman OF
20. to have him declared incompetent on
the ground that he is giving away his prop
perty to his present wife and Is making
no provision for his children. Miss Van
derbilt was supported at the hearing yes
terdsy by her fathers aged brother and
sister, James o. and Miss Florence Wander
bilt. Her only sister. Mrs. Florence Del
Risko. who is older than herself. was present.
but appeared to side with her father.
Mrs. Pepper-Vanderbilt whose presence
was expected to eniven the proceedings.
was not there and IL wasn't definitely
assured yesterday that she would appear
at any stage OF the proceedings. MIR.
Vanderbilt's counsel said she would be
on hand IL wanted, but the plaintiffs law
yers said they had tried for weeks with
out SUCCESS to serve her with a subpoena.
IL was asserted that she is in Europe.
Ex-Judge Abram H. Daley. Mrs. Pepper
vanderbilts personal counsel. was on hand
to protect her interests. as he explained.
His presence there led the opposing counsel
to inquire as to whether she was a party TO
- xpn,,lA la hn1nd hv
them Judge Daley declared that she wasn't
bound by the proceedings but was entitled
to have her interests protected. Herbert
+. Ketcham. the lawyer member Of the
commission, decided that she wasn't
party to the case. The other members OF
the commission are DIR. Henry A. Fairbairn
and Hubert G. Taylor, a banker.
The case was heard by a Sherif's jury
Of sixteen men. The jury was composed OF
twelve when the proceedings started. but
after an application to increase the num-
Der TO sixteen was allowed Deputy Sheriff
Menger impressed a number Of hallway
loungers into service and the taking Of evi
dence began.
Edward w. Vanderbilt. who is 90 years
old but looks right spry for his age, went
on the stand late in the forenoon end was
still there when adjournment was taken
at 3:45 O'Clock He was cool throughout
the stiff examination bv the plaintiffs at
tornevs. Max l.. Arnsten and Charles n.
Rosenberg and answered all questions.
some very perplexing, without hesitation.
Mr.. Vanderbilt said in reply to questions
about his wealth that he is the owner OF
1917 Waverly avenue. Brooklyn, and OF
several farms on Long Island. Prior to
last January he also owned $50 Eightieth
rI.NRN Ia aE...VNN hut
transferred that to his wife on June 1. the
day he was married. He said that he bought
587 st. Marks avenue in May and gave IL to
Mrs. Pepper. to whom he was then engaged,
soon afterward as birthday present. He
said his business netted him an annual in
come of "a, 900 and valued his lumber plant
at from IS. 600 to $1,000.
The witness said that he was married to
his first wife. Kezia A. Weman, in 1854.
and that they had six children, four OF
Mr.. Vanderbilt put it. He worshipped his
first wife. he said, and before her death in
1904 they often attended Mrs. Peppers
seances together.
Mr.. Vanderbilt said he had made rather
extended study OF spiritualism, and while
he had found some things he didn't believe
there we're other things -of which there
is no doubt" He said that when a medium
makes tables and chairs move the power
comes from somewhere He didn't APP
pear tdke IDuCn btOCk III ktuu Oh
spiritualism.
A question as to what a spirit is, how il
communicates through a medium and
other questions relating TO the way spirits
operate brought out the following re-
piies:
~Well, I don't know what il is. 1t ia
the knower and doer,' and il isn't matter.
Your body isn't you. Your body isn't
anything. Because your body might be
here and your thought of anywhere else,
far, far away, maybe. ! don't believe
in a dual intelligence, and 1 don't believe
in Observation-Disclosures transforming OF
the spirit into matter. lbelieve in thought
ira nsference. That works on the same
principle as the wireless telegraph"
MIR. Vanderbilt said he had tried spirit
communications through other mediums
but without much success. because Il
was "a sort Of Jonah, they always told me.
Often they wouldn't let me sit in the circle
at all.
The plaintiffs counsel spent an hour
with various questions about Little Bright
Eyes, his spirit guide, but his faith in the
little Indian girl was not shaken. and he
insisted that many letters that he was
told came 20 him from his dead wife and
also from Mrs. Pepper were inspired by
repeatedly ss to whether ne had made
presents Of candy and other things to Little
Bright Eyes direct and said he had always
made such gifts to Mrs. Pepper. although
the spirit frequently acknowledged them.
A letter mailed in Germany when Mrs.
Pepper was there last summer was then
shown 10 the witness. and when he said
the handwriting was that Of Mrs. Pepper
and had undoubtedly been sent to him
the letter was admitted in evidence This
letter was in two sections. the first part
supposed to be from his dead wife and
the second from Little Bright Eyes The
letters follow:
DEAR PAPA: ! am glad this Ia the Last
letter we will have to write from this country