The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-13
CLARA TURNER
 AS A WITNESS
Actress Tells of Night When Her Costumes and Scenery
 Burned up in Gar Fire
ONE EMPIRE GOWN S15O
Theatrical Company Suing New Haven Road for 5000 Loss ill New
 London Blaze.

New Haven, Dec. 13-C1ara Turner, whose off the stage name is Mrs Clara Turner Hammond, was a wit ness in Judge Burpee's court yester- day afternoon in the suit of the Clara Turner Theatrical company against the New York, New Haven and Hart+ ford Railroad company for the loss Of $5, 600 worth of costumes, scenery and manuscript which were destroyed by fire while in a railroad car at New London awaiting transportation on February 6, 1910.
 The company played repertoire in the smaller cities of the country and they had finished a weeks engage ment at New London, their effects having beep transferred to the car which was in the freight shed on the New London wharf The fire destroy ed the wharf, the shed and many cars.
 Mrs. Hammond was attired in a fur coat with red and black facing, wore a black silk dress, black velvet French poke bonnet with red roses around 1t and diamonds flashed from her throat and from her fingers. She was alert and rapid as witness and the sten- ographer gasped two or three times as she tried to keep up with the rapid fire talk of the witness.
 Attorney John K. Beach. counsel for the company, did not ask the wit
  tion. After giving her name she was asked what she knew about the fire.
 'I was awakened by the noise and the tumult in the hotel,' she said. .'The guests were rushing around and I got up and found the elevators in hotel itself was all lighted up from the fire. When I got down on the street I met some of the company and I asked them if our things were in the fire and somebody said yes, and they're all burned up.'
 T said, if they are I'll go and throw myself in the river Then I went down as near the fire as I could and people kept pulling me back
 T asked them why they didn't pull the cars out of the shed and they told me that the hose was on the track and they couldn't pull the cars out because that would cut the hose"
 Here she looked at Judge Burpee as if seeking some judicial expression of disapprova1 at any such negligence as that and continued:
 'I staid there till I nearly froze to death and then I went back to- the hotel"
 Attorney Beach then took up the bill of particulars in which her losses are itemized and began a perusal of the things destroyed Or damaged in the fire, and the amount she thought they were worth.
 The first wass saddle which she used when she rode one of the ponies which were a part of the company. The first time she tried it after the fire she said t'she nearly broke her neck as the stirrup fell out and she never tried it again.
 Then there was a trunk which she valued at $25. Such a trunk now would cost $30,' she declared. Next came pony cart valued at $250. That had been used for about two years.
 MT. Beach then, called her attention to the item "One Empire velvet gown, $150''
 That she said was a cream silk and velvet gown. trimmed with gold braid and chiffon and beads. It had a great hole burned in the middle of it.
 "What was it worth after the fire?'' inquired MT. Beach.
 'tWell-why, it was burned all through here," and she described just where the fire did the damage. And of course I couldn't wear it any more.''
 The bill of particulars will be ex- plained further today