The Washington herald., 1907-09-13

New York. Sept I2.-The spirit
Bright Eyes. through which Mrs. Pepper,
the medium. was able TO control the ac-
tions Of Edward Ward Vanderbilt, the
lumber merchant, so as to get lot of his
property and eventually become his wife,
was tudicially dematerialzed to-day,
when the sherif7s jury, which began 10
deliberate on the competency of Mr.. Van
de-bilt in the King's County courthouse
a. 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. reported
that it had agreed that he is insane.
Almost from the time when the case
went To the jury, that body or fifteen
men stood eleven for inCOmpetency and
three for competency with one man de
claring that he wouldn't vote u2til he saw
certain papers IN the ease All night
long the jurors wrangled on the third
floor OF the courthouse, bringing pressure
to bear on this one man.. They had been
informed when they were locked UP at
10l5 last night that a verdict would be
expected when court was opened at 9
o'clock to-day.
DepOse Their Foreman.
AtSI5 a. m, the jurors We're suT strug-
Cling with the obdurate one. Five min
utes later he said he would vote for in
competency, and the worn-out jurors then
sat back 10 wait until they were sum
moned into the jury-room at Q o'clock.
When the jury filed into the courtroom
il had a new foreman, the original having
sided with the minority and been deposed-
I'VE find Edward Ward Vanderbilt in
competent said the foreman, in response
TO a question from Commissioner Ketch-
am.
Il demand that the jury be polled.
said Judge Grifing, of counsel for Wander
bHt.
When Deputy Sheriff Menger called the
roll these jurors voted for iucompetency:
A Payne, Daniel Donovan, Thomas F.
Regan, John Mitchell, William Moore,
Joseph AIcCaffrey. j. w. Lawlcr, F. a.
Dalton, Walter Z. Leach. Thomas Reece.
Harry Mullen. and Edward Cahiu The
three who held out for competency were
Luke Salt, r. @. Baker, and Otto Wenz-
Vanderbilt "a Lunatic."
Lawyers fer the petitioner then sub
mitted TO the commission their recon-
mendation as to the manner in which the
jurys finding should read. Mr.. Wander
bits lawyers objected 10 the form. bu;
Commissioners Taylor and Ketcham
agreed that il was properly wOrded The
verdict read as follows.
THAT said Edward Ward Vanderbilt is
a Iunatic, and by reason of such iuhrmity,
ne is not capable of governing himself or
managing his affairs cor property. taking
care Of his affairs. lands. tsuements.
goods. and chattels, and that such indrm-
ity manifests itself in "a weakness of the
mind Ownership of the following prop
erty reverts To Mr.. Vanderbilts legal
heirs:
The property in Eighth street valued
at 5000. and subject TO q mortgage Of
5000
The property al 5ST St Marks avenue.
valued at S0J00, subject 10 a mortgage
OF $500
These are the houses given 20 Mrs.
Vanderbilt before her marriage the ST.
Marks house now being occupied by the
couple.
The document set forth that the per-
sonal property not released to Mrs Pep
per-Vanderblt was valued at $l0C0G, also
real estate, consisting Of a farm Of llO
acres al YaphJnk Long Island. worth
$4,000. farm at Little Island. worth Sc 900:
a house and lot AT l9l Waverly avenue,
Brooklyn, valued at $10oo. and a house
and four acres of land at Center
Moriches, worth Sl5C01.
Daughters Precede Wife.
The annual income Of Vanderbilt was
stated as $4,000, and his next of kin were
cited as Minerva Vanderbilt and Mrs.
Florence Delrisco, his daughters and his
wife. May 5. Pepper-VanderbHt
Counsel for Vanderbilt objected 20
every feature or the inquisition except
the reference TO Vanderbilts property
and his next of kin. Commissioners
Ketcham and Taylor signed il al once.
and Commissioner Fairbairn who was
not present at the time. signed il later.
Then the twelve concurring jurymen
signed.
After the jury had been thanked by
Commissioner Ketcham, they fled out Of
the box Miss Vanderbilt then arose, and,
smilingIy. shook hands with each one
Her father wasn't in court nor was her
sister, Mrs. Delrisc0, who has sided with
her father. Her aunt and uncle, James
and Florence Vanderbilt who have stood
the courthouse Wednesday night, seemed
more joyous over the verdict than did
Miss Vanderbilt.