The Washington herald., 1907-09-05
ALIENISTS ON STAND
Witnesses for Mrs. Peppers
Husband Questioned.
SOME REPLIES NOT PLEASING
Defense in Vanderbilt Lunaey Case
Often Finds Answers OF Its Experts
N DisnppOintment-EffOrt Made 10
DiscredIt Miss DarreIrs Testimony,
Who Declined to Give Her Name.

New York. Sept. 4.-Muoh Of the evi-
dence taken at the Edward ", Wander
hIlt luuacy hearing in the Kings County
Courthouse to-day was given by lunacy
experts called by the defense TO testify
that from their observation Of the
wealthy lumber merchant. both before
and during the hearing. he is sane and
competent to manage his estate.
While the testimony Of the witnesses
on direct examination was satisfactory to
the defense. the questions put TO the in
sanity experts by the petitioners counsel
and the members Of the commission
brought out admissions that were not
sought for by the defense.
The petitioners counsel was especially
gratified when Dr. John L. Macomber. Of
24g Washington avenue. the second expert
called. answered a lot OF puzzling ques-
tons on cross-exau tnatIon with the re-
mark:
AN ordinarily sane man is not a spirit
uausL"
There was evidence when the hearing
first opened to-day that an effort is to be
made by the defense to discredlt the tes-
timony Of Miss Caroline Boynton Darrell
the mysterious witness Of last week, who
gave the most damaging testimony
against Mrs. Pepper Vanderbilt and aid
ed the petitioners case materially. When
Miss Darrell was questioned as to her
name and residence she wouldn't tell un-
til the commissioner told her she could
be imprisoned until she answered.
Cannon Find Her Home,
Edward X. Rothers. a private detective.
testified for Mr.. Vanderbilt that he had
visited 49 East Ninth street. where Miss
Darrell said she lived. and found that the
basement is occupied by restaurant. the
first floor by furrier, the second by q
dealer In millinery feathers, and the three
upper floors by furriers.
DR.. John L. Macomber attending neu-
rolOgist at the Long Island State Hospl-
tai, and several other institutions. was
called by Lawyer Sturgis fousthe defense
He said that while he did not believe in
spiritualism he was of the opinion that
a man who believed implicitly in his abn-
ity. through a medium, to communicate
with his dead wife. may be thoroughly
competent to manage the ordinary affairs
of everyday life
DR.. Macomber admitted on cross-exam-
inatiOn that ae based his opinion of Van
derbilts mentality on the assumption
that everything he told him was true
n tor rod H.
unchanged. even if it were proved that
Vanderbilt lied to him OF made an effort
to conceal his real beliefs.
Commissioner Fairbairn. who is a phvsi-
clan. took the insanity expert in hand
and got him 10 admit that when he ex-
amined Mr. Vanderbilt it was more or
less superficial.
Not a ParanOiac.
On redirect examination. Dr. Macomber
told Lawyer Sturgis that he did not con-
slider Mr.. Vanderbilt a paranOiac.
The third insanity expert called. whose
testimony took all the afternoon, was DR..
Arthur c. Brush, who said he had studied
mental and nervous diseases for seventeen
years. and was attending physician ar
the Observation ward OF the Kings Coun-
ty Hospital
Lawyer Rosenberg sought to show I'm
his eross-examinatioa of DR.. Brush that
he had leanings toward spiritualism but
the best he got out Of the witness was
that he knew Judge Daley. Mrs Pen
per-Vanderbilt's personal counsel. and
thought Judge Daley believed in Bright
Eyes.
On cross-examinatiOn DR. Brush admit
ted that a man IN the first stages of
paranoia invariably suppressed his de-
fusion. because at that stage of the dis.
ease he did not believe in the delusions
himself. Later, when the sufferer from
paranoia accepts the delusion. he ad-
vanees 1t at every opportunity.