The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-11
mrs. PEPPERS HUSBAND SUED
SPIRIT LETTERS AS EVIDENCE
IN HIS DAUGHTERS ACTION.

petent-Says He Ia NegtectIng Her and
Giving His Property TO ''the Bishop
Edward Ward Vanderbilt, the lumber
| merchant who got himself talked about
in Brooklyn and elsewhere a week ago by
marrying Bishop Mary Ann Scannell.
better known as Mrs. May s.. Pepper, high
priestess Of the Brooklyn Spiritualist
Church. laid aside the joys OF the honey
moon long enough yesterday to go before
Justice Maddox in the Special Term OF the
Supreme Court in Brooklyn to contest
an action brought to have him declared
incompetent to manage his affairs and to
prevent Mrs. Scannell- Pepper Vanderbilt
from getting most OF his property to the
exclusion Of his children.
His youngest daughter, Minerva, who
brought the suit, alleged that her father
hasn't had a mind OF his own since he fell
under the influence OF Mrs. Pepper and that
it he hasn't already handed over $50, 900
worth Of property to his bride, he intends
to do so very soon. Little Bright Eyes"
the spirit who, or which, has made Mrs.
Pepper famous, is alleged in the suit to
AVE a great deal to do with the case.
When Miss Vanderbilt's counsel, Max
Arnstein, made the motion to have a COM
mittee appointed to inquire into Bride
groom Vanderbilt's sanity yesterday morn
ing, Mr.. Vanderbilt was on hand with
lawyers Of his own, and with ex-Judge
A. II. Daley representing his old client,
Mrs. Pepper-Vanderbilt. Mr., Vanderbilt,
despite his gray hairs and his 90 years,
was looking right spry and denied in
dignantly to all inquirers that there was
my need OF n commission to look after
him,
The application for the commission was
backed up by affidavits from Vanderbilt's
brother and sister. James o. Vanderbilt
and Sarah |; Vanderbilt Of 15s Skillman
street, Brooklyn. l. was said by Lawyer
Arnstein that Mr.. Vanderbilt's only other
child. Mrs. Florence Delristo of Centre
Moriches. l.. l., would also figure in the case
before il was finished. Justice Maddox
finally set the case down for argument on
Thursday morning.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of
the f1davit OF Miss Vanderbilt is the ref
erence to the spiritual control over the
lumberman. which is backed up by two
letters are in the famous violet ink Of the
Little Bright Eyes school of spirit CORE
spondence, one signed by the busy little
spirit herself and, the other purporting to
come from MIR. Vanderbilt's first wife. who
dice in 1904. The latter is in the same hand
writing as the Little Bright Eyes epistle,
but lie signed Mamma" the name by which
Vanderbilt always referred 20 his wife when
she was alive.
Both letters were received by Mr.. Van
derbilt last year while Mrs. Pepper was in
Europe and just before she came back to
Lake Pleasant where for some years she
has conducted a summer school for her
followers.
The alleged letter frNm Mr.. Vanderbilt's
dead wife follows'
DEAR PAPA: am glad thiSi * the last letter
we will hav We 10 write from this country be-
"a Ige IL flkpG 60 lnnp bpfprp Won repaiNp IL
The oneness Of life In the physical needs an
expression, and this. i the only way | have Of
expressing myself T. you. The trees. crops,
flowers can spelk plliner 10 your conscious
ness than | can without this medium. for you
see the ms nifest1tion Of them. and mine has
returned to Mother Nature. However, ! an
as real and my influence Grester in your spirit
ual being. We have much to tell you when
once more we ca n talk face to face. lam sure
she will return 10 Lake Ples-a mt the 18th, so
a. b. he ready for Sunda y. and SO We will see
you then. | hope Bright Eyes will write you
all about IT. And now in the spiritual con-
seriousness Of this eternal oneness. ! am.
MAMMA.
Bright Eyes was certainly on the job
when II came to writing Papa Vanderbilt
all about it, as the following shows
DEAR FRIEND: | have had an awful time
to get ticket for my medy. got the folks to
change | wrote you about for the Deutchland
and she had an accident so my medy had to
change them | got your check and had ii all
fixed now she may have to go by the way OF
Boston she has telegrsphed to England and
lea YES here tonight. Anyway | viii have
her al Lake Pleasant for the 10th and have
much TO tell you she is better and have told
them she must 90 home so wont leave her
till she is on the steamer you can come over
here easy and cheap enough, but to 90 home
il 800 or 900 marks and everything crowded.
! will be glad 10 see YOU and tell you OF all the
things she did. see YOU Al Lake Pleasant
sure Yours. BEICHIEYES
In her affidavit Miss Vanderbilt SAYS
that soon after her mothers death her
father became acquainted with Mrs. Pepper
and that he became a constant attendant
at all her public and private seances. She
that she has been informed and verify
believes that her father IS in receipt Of
various communications purporting to
come from the spirit world in which he lie
advised to dispose Of his property according
TO the advice contained therein and away
from her and her sister.
Miss Vanderbilt swears that when she
asked her father what was to become OF
her he told her she could have a room on
the third floor. She says that ever since
his acquaintance with Mrs. Pepper her
has neglected her, and declares that
in April he cut of her allowance and COM
PEELED her to apply TO relatives for shelter.
Miss Vanderbilt, who IL now living at II
st. James place, is a slightly built, attrac-
tive young woman. not much more than
20 years old, with wavy chestnut hair.
She said yesterday afternoon that she
had collected in all about fifteen letters re-
by her father from spirit sources.
All but four. which purport to be from Mr..
yanderbilt's dead wife, are from Bright
There are several letters from
Mrs. Pepper herself, one OF them a note
Of thanks to Mr.. Vanderbilt for a $500 Per
sian lamb coat hat he gave her last Christi
mas. Most Of these letters will come out
the case is finished
SEC'Y ROOFS VISIT TO MESI(O.