The San Francisco call., 1909-11-09
MRS. C[BRIAN NEAR
COLLAPSE ON STAND.
Proponent in De Laveaga Will
Case Wits Under Pitiless
Fire of Questions
Husband Testifies That He Was
Threatened by Lawyer
Seeking Compromise

The examination of Mrs. John c. Ce-
brian, proponent in the De Laveaga will
contest, being heard in Judge Coffeys
court. was concluded yesterday, and
just in time, for the woman was on the
verge of a complete nervous collapse
and it was plainly evident that she
could not have stood up under the pltl-
less ire of questioning much longer.
The court repeatedly cautioned her
to compose herself and to answer the
questions. Think as calmly as possible
about these things said Judge Coffeys
This is the only case in which | have
been unable to take notes. You must
answer the questions, madam.
The caution from the court came after
Mrs. Cebrian had begun to answer at
random and to add to her answers 1r-
relevant remarks produced by some
what hysterical effort to explain her
self. Attorney Peter F. Dunno for the
proponent apologized to the court for
the annoyance, saying that the witness
had been suffering greatly in health
and was not in a proper physical condi-
tion to undergo the strain through
which she had passed.
EXPLAINS HIS DEPARTURE
With the departure of Mrs. Cebrian
from the stand Attorneys Oscar Sutro
and e. S. Pillsbury called her husband
to the stand as another hostile witness.
Asked why he had departed for Europe
during the hearing of the suit brought
by Anselmo de Laveaga, Cebrian de-
clared it was because he wished to save
his wife from attack on the witness
stand.
When the suit was brought he said
IAN attorney came to me and asked me
to compromise for $4,000. ! refused to
do so, and he threatened to cause fam
lily differences by having Objectionable
articles printed about us in the news
papers. A short times later two articles
appeared in the papers. and Mr.. Attor-
ney came to me again, asking me to
compromise. 1 again refused for the
sake of my wife He then threatened
to attack my wife on the witness stand.
Rather than face this | decided that the
best thing under the circumstances was
to go away and allow my wife's testi-
mony to be introduced by deposition.
WAS TO SHIELD WIFE
Cebrian denied that he took his house
hold to Europe to prevent guardianship
proceedings being instituted against
Maria de Laveaga, the deceased whose
will is being contested.
But why did you remain in Europe
after the lower court had passed upon
the case? You knew that once the case
was finished your wife would not have
TO testify" he was asked.
II did not know that" Cebrian re-
piled. Il was without legal help in
Paris, and thought that as long assthe
matter was in the courts there would
be danger of Mrs. Cebrian being forced
to go on the witness stand. Besides, l
was beginning to like Europe.
WAS that because you did not have
any legal help there?" asked Judge Coy
fey.
Letters were introduced showing that
the dead sister had no quarrel with her
brother Miguel, and therefore no reason
for leaving him such a small portion of
the estate.
DECEASED'S LETTERS LACKING
One of the points on which the attor-
news for the contestant intend to base
their allegation of nnsound mind on the
part of the testator is her handwriting.
of all the mass of letters introduced
there is only a short note in the hand
writing of the dead sister. The claim is
that the handwriting is that of child,
and that the lack of letters from her
is due to the great difficulty she had in
writing anything.
Attorney Samuel Shortridge was added
to the legal staff of the defense yes