Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-11-03
Maid Tells Of Pet Aver
SiOnS of Her Mistress.
Mrs. Martin.
ONCE FIRED SHOTGUN
OVER SLEEPER'S HEAD
Negress Tells of Aged Snead
Murder Suspects Peculiar.
ities in the South.

Testimony leading up to the intro
duction of evidence that win bring tho
famous Olcey w. NJ Snead suicide
notes into evidence was brought out
just after the noon recess, when Louis
Hood, in cross-examining Miss Mary
E. Van Wagenen, former teacher at
Soule College, Murfreesboro, Tenn, and
at Montgomery College, Christians
burg. Va, asked her if she had ever
seen an example if Mrs Martins hand
writing. She said she had and for
the time being the matter was dropped
II is believed that an effort will be
made by the State to prove that sui
eide" notes which are in their pos
session are in the handwriting OF MrA
Martin
The second days hearing of the pro-
ceedings into the sanity OF Mrs. Caro-
line B. Martin brought to the witness
stand Rita sulled, negro woman,
who was Mrs. Martins personal at
tendant during the time in 1904 that
Mrs. Martin was at Soule College
Musfreesboro. Tenn.
This college was in charge Of v1r-
ginia o, Wardlaw and Ocey W. NJ
Snead, of whose murder Mrs Martin
is accused, was pupil there at the
time
It developed today that Mrs. Martin
had been examined by DIR. William v.
V. Mabon, superintendent Of the Met
ropolitan State Hospital for Insane at
Wards Island, Manhattan, and that he
is OF the opinion that Mrs Martin n
insane.
Maid Tells OF PecuIfarftien.
Rite Sulled told OF many pecu1iar
actions of Mrs. Martin
What were her personal hahats?s
she was asked by Adrian RikeF.
Why SIR, shG was awful hard to DO
anything with. I had TO stay In the
same room with her most all the tima
She wore only a long black gown and
hardly ever left her room. She would
not wear any stockings and would
never take a bath"
Continuing, the negress said that Il
was hard for her to keep the room in
which the two lived In a tidy condi-
ton.
why was It hardr' she was asked.
Had Boxes of Real Money.
She had many boxes filed with
newspapers, and she would take them
out and scatter them all over the foor.
She also had a box filed with paper
money, IS and $40 bills, and she used
to count them and then throw them all
over the room.
Did you ever see her spend any Of
this money!"
She couldn't spend it. She never
left the room"
Did you ever buy anything for herr,
"Oh, yes. sir. I used to buy lots of
things for Onna che cent mo .11y4
TO buy her a comb. She went to the
box of money and gave me SO bill.
bought a ten-cent comb and brought
back the change Mrs. Martin wouldn't
take the change. She told me to go and
buy SO worth Of combs. and not to
bring any money back to her"
Did you do it?''
NO, sir. did not. I put the money
ba- in the box and that ended tho
thing.
Did you ever see any firearms In
the room7"
/ Mrs. Martin had a big double-bas-
relied shotgun that she kept at the
head of her cot"
Maid in Bed, Mistress ON Cut.
The witness had previously explained
that in the room used by her and Mira.
Martin there was bed and cot.
Mrs. Martin refused to sleep In tha
| bed, giving II over to the maid.
Did you ever see her handle tha
| shotgun?"
zone night was awakened about q
o'clock by shot. I jumped from thD
bed and saw Mrs. Martin sitting ou
/ the cot with the gun between hek
knees.
What are you doing, Mrs. Martini
I cried.
Why, Rita she said. II that gum
had gone off you would have been q
rich woman
st didn't know what she meant bus
took the gun away from her and
locked it up. She didn't seem to think
the gun had been fired off, but II had
The shot went into the ceiling"
The second witness of the day was
Mary z. Van Wagenen, who now lives
In Chicago. but who for two years.
from 1903 to 1906, was a teacher in
Soule College, at Murfreesboro.
Instructed ocey snead.
She was employed there as a teachaE
of vocal expression, and told Of several
talks she had with Mrs. Martin In
connection with the education of ocey
Snead, who was then a student there.
Was there anything that impressed
you about Mrs. Martini" asked Mr.
/ Riker.
Her arrogant self-importance and
her evident opinion that she was .
person of great power and influence"
"Did you ever see anything in Mrs
Martin at Soule College that would
make you think her Of unsound mind7''
AT one commencement | remember
of her talking in such a disconnected
manner that 1 fairly made up my nina
she was not in her right senses
Miss Van Wagenen, VINO is about -
| wears NJ are was very precise In hn~