The Washington herald., 1907-08-29
Sees WIFE'S SPIRIT
Vanderbilt Says Departed
Spouse Looked Earthly.
MORE ABOUT BRIGHT EYES
Daughter Who Claims Father Not
Competent to Manage His Affairs
Describes Telephone COnversation
Between Her Sire and Mysterious
Indian Maiden to Commission.

New York, Aug. 2S.-Th5 lunacy COM
mission which is inquiTing into the sanity
OF Edward Ward Vanderbilt, husband OF
Nay S. Pepper, the spiritualist. to-day
heard the story of his twenty-year-old
daughter Minerva, upon whose petition
Justice Maddox decided that an insanity
inquiry was proper
Miss Vanderbilt was on the stand most
of the day, and told why she had ex-
tracted batch of her fathers letters
from the spirit Bright Eyes. and from
Mrs. Pepper. and from his dead wife
through Bright Eyes, and had engaged
lawyers TO petition for lunacy com
mission.
In the course Of her testimony she got
her fathers viii. made on February Is
last, nearly four months before he mar
Tied Mrs Pepper. introduced in evidence.
The VIII leaves Mrs. Pepper $4,000 cash
and the two Vanderbilt farms or Long
Island, and bequeaths the residue Of the
estate, If there is any, TO his two daugh-
ters. Minerva and Florence. This re-
maining property to be distributed at the
discretion Of Mrs. Pepper Vanderbilt, who
Denies Transferring Property.
At the opening Of the hearing Mr.. Van
derbilt was called 10 the stand by his
counsel. He said that neither Mrs. Pep
per nor Bright Eyes had ever asked him
TO transfer any property to Mrs. Pepper,
and that AIRS. Pepper had
never attempted to interfere with his
erty he gave his wife he could not remem-
Der Of any other presents except a library
table
I'VE are companions the best Of COM
paniOns," he said Il worship and love
her with my whole heart, and she's as
nne a wife as any woman ever was TO
husband
When Miss Vanderbilt was called 20 the
stand she said that prior TO her fathers
second marriage he had always called her
his pet She said he did not tell her of
his intention 10 marry the spiritualist,
and declared that she learned it FROM
outside sources.
Calls Daughter Pig-headed.
In telling Of her fathers talks TO her on
spiritualism after her mothers death.
Miss Vanderbilt said:
'On one occasion father told me that
he had caught a glimpse Of mamma and
that she looked very much as she did on
earth. When I told him that seemed i'm
possible; that did not see how a spirit
could resemble body, ne said I was pig
headed"
Miss Vanderbilt said that after her
father became attentive to Mrs. Pepper
he was away from home much of the
time and appeared 10 be neglecting his
business.
Was he ever away all night?" she was
asked.
Yes; one Sunday night. He returned
at 8 O'Clock the next morning. and he said
he had been staying with a sick friend:
subsequently he told me that Mrs. Pepper
had been recently robbed, and that he
remained al her house that night 10 pro-
tect her and her sister"
Who stayed with your her counsel
asked.
MY dog"
Miss Vanderbilt said she spoke to her
father about Mrs. Peppers visits 70 his
farm, and that he tod her that mamma"
always got stronger when he and Mrs
Ee2pef We're together. She said he told
her she would have TO sleep in the hay
loft If she came to the farm.
How SpOOk TeIephOned.
Miss Vanderbilt thus described one of
her fathers phone talks with Bright
Eyes. at a time when he had sprained his
ankle, the telephone bell having rung just
as he reached the house
MY father said: Hello. May. my an
kles pretty bad Then he started with
surprise, and said: oh. Bright Eyes.
well, I can hardly tell you apart. So
you saw me fall and sprain my ankle? II
was too bad you couldn't hold me up.
Good-by.'"
Miss Vanderbilt's lawyers made an
earnest plea TO the commission to direct
Mr.. Vanderbilt to produce his wife at the
hearing Mr.. Ketcham, the lawyer mem
Der of the commission, said he did not
think the commission had such power.
and anyhow. he was afraid the commits
sion was not able TO cali spirits from the
vastly deep
The commission promised to listen to
authorities for such action, which are to
be presented tomorrow.