Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-17
CAPT. CRESSEY
GOES ON STAND
TO ANSWER NEleHB0RS' TALK
IN COURT
Judge Wilbur, After Seeing wife, De-
eIares She Is Physically Able to
Attend the Guardianship
Hearing

Capt. Frederick ]. Cressey, who is
fighting the petition of his neighbors
who have asked that guardian be
appointed for the care of Mrs. Nellie
Il. Cressey, will take the stand in his
own behalf this morning at 10 O'Clock
in the superior court and give his
statement of the many as yet unex-
planned circumstances of Mrs. Cres-
seys sudden Illness and attack OF
paresis.
Yesterday illness and the inclem-
ency of the weather combined to cause
the trial to drag, and at first 1t was
thought that postponement of week
would be necessary in the case.
1t was late in the afternoon when
Attorney George Adams, representing
Mrs. Cressey, stated to the court that
he had called all the witnesses he
knew of to prove his contention OF
Mrs. Cresseys incompetency except
one.
"The woman we have been unable
to subpoena in this case has been hid
den from u.s." said Adams. I'VE have
been unable TO find her, for she is the
nurse who attended Mrs. Cressey dur
ing her illness.
Deaths Shadow Prevents
Her name is Lena Bundy, and just
as we got clew to her Whereabouts
the shadow of death prevents us from
bringing her to court. She is at pres
ent at the bedside of a patient dying
with pneumonia. and the presence OF
that witness there may alone be able TO
save him. l move that the defense
proceed with the case and that we De
allowed to call Miss Bundy at such
time as she is free"
The permit was granted ana Al
torney Valentine for the defense then
for a week so that Mrs. Cressey might
be in court to give her side or the
story.
our client. Mr.. Cressey, has been
charged with having attempted TO Sc
cure a continuance and at the same
time cause Mrs. Cressey to become
weaker. The attorneys even 1ntlnated
that Cressey was seeking MS WIZ
life, and your honor has been to the
house and seen the woman and we ask
a week so that she can be in court
Woman Not Helpless
at see no use why she can't be IN
court now" said Judge Wilbur. Wv hen
7 saw this woman at her home she
seemed to me to be able to attend thls
trial without Inconvenience.
you attorneys for both sides nave
been urging that the woman is unable
to attend court and one might take
for granted that she wasn't, but When
I went to see her she seemed physical
lv able to be present l Will grant
no continuance and the case will be
resumed tomorrow morning.
DIR. Robson, who attended Mrs.
Cressey for some time, was one or the
chief witnesses in court yesterday
"T believe Mrs. Cressey is insane,
said the physician amid storm OF
nrotest from Cressey's attorneys.
"Vyhen 7 first met her it was on her
wedding day. had heard many queer
things about her before that relative
to her neculiar actions and eccentrici-
tias and when she married Capt.
Cressev after a seventeen-day Woolng,
7 had a chance to meet her On that
dav a, fire broke out in the rear or the
Cressey home and everyone was IN a
state Of great excitement bordering on
panic.
"T went over and there was Mrs.
Cressey, calm and smiling, ana snow
ing not the least excitement.
3As 7 started to dash up stairs she
called one of her friends and lnslsted
unon being introduced to me. She
then took me in the next room and
formally introduced me to Capt. Cres-
sey, and then she permitted me 10 run
nm stairs and help in getting down
some furniture"
When asked whether it was unusual
IN he formally introduced, DR.. Robi-
son replied that at fire such cere'
-, diSnpnSpd with.