The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-24
New Yorker Testifies Concern
 ing Wife's Behavior
DENIES THAT HE DRINKS
Mir. Brokaw Tells of ouarreis With His Wife and Threats of Wife's Father Because He Loved
 Her Too Much.

New York, December 2S.-W. Gould Brokaw, whose wife is suing him for separation with alimony of s60,000 a year. took the stand In his own de- fense today and swore in the court room at Mineola, L. l.. that his father in-law, Joseph A. Blair. had threatened to kill Brokaw because he loved Mrs. Brokaw too much. When the defen6- ant told Mrs. Brokaw of this she laughed and said:
 Don't mind father, Billy; he's crazy"
 MT. Brokaw described the night when his wife took poison. In minute detail his lawyer led him through the two years of their married life, with painstaking attention to the charges Of drunkenness, cruelty and abusive language brought against him in the testimony of his wife
 Brokaw made good witness. His attitude was easy, and his answers were ready and firm. Occasionally he peered daintily through a lorgnette Tn examining papers submitted to him. Mrs. Brokaw was ashy pale and muf- fled in furs Her head tossed scorn- fully when her husbands testimony contradicted her own and she cough ed constantly, with nervous little hack
 Brokaw swore that he had never been drunk in his life "The times when Mrs. Brokaw said I was drunk he testified, my face was flushed from a long walk or drive"
 He had never struck his wife. q never struck any one in my life,~ he swore. Mrs. Brokaw knows I could not harm her"
 He admitted that he had called his wife a liar. "Yes,- he said, q called her liar but not until she had called me d. liar. I had been out and when I came back, bringing her flow CTS, she accused me of meeting some woman. I denied it. She said I lied, and I had to tell her the same"
 Brokaw swore that his wife had smoked cigarettes before their mar to stop it. He had never seen her dring cocktails, but he had under stood from the servants that cock tails were taken to her room on the f sly.
 ''Will you tell the court of your | drinking agreement with your wife ?" asked John F. Mcintyre, his counsel.
 "Yes.' answered Brokaw. We wanted to mix ginger ale with aerated water until 1t was the exact color of champagne. I wished to appear to drink with my guests and yet not to drf hi ,ix4. was harmless. have used 1t for years. l do not drink"
 ! MT. Brokaw did not recall any scene following an incident at a table when guest had changed his wifes gla ss so that she got real champagne and not the imitation.
 If Mrs. Brokaw drank champagne. she was the only one who knew it," he testified.
 Shown a list of objectionable names which Mrs. Brokaw said her husband had applied to her when angry, Mfr. Brokaw scrutinized them through hS lorgnette and said:
 "Of course I didn't use such Ian 1 guage."
 Tell us what happened on the so- called poison night" directed Mir. Nc Intyre.
 "On that night" compiled the wit ness. T had the Marquis Hermosa and others to dinner Mrs. Brokaw did not come down. After dinner I went to her room and knocked. She did not an- swer. Then I said: Mary. I want to come in.' She did not answer. Finally l pushed in the door. She was furious : l told her I only wanted to kiss her good night and left.
 When l came upstairs again Mrs. Brokaw was not in her room. I could not find her and got a nurse to help me hunt. After a search the nurse called to me from a room at one end of the hall. I got there just in time to see the nurse struggling to take something out of Mrs Brokaw's mouth It was some kind of a white tablet. l screamed: My God, she's l dead"
 Did you do anything to cause ..er to take poison?"
 Absolutely nothing.
 From the fact that Mrs Brokaw'e counsel for the first time brought 8 complete set of the minutes of tn e tran records which they have hitherto said their client could not afford-it is inferred that Brokaw will undergo a rigorous ross-examination when court | convenes tomorrow