Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-05
GAGE CASE HEARING
CONTINUED ONE WEEK
Physicians Say Widow Is Suf-
fering From Decisions
of Persecution.

|, Testimony in defense of the charge O.
mental impairment brought against Mrs
Mary Z. Gage of Dupont circle will
be continued next Thursday before JUS
tice Barnard and a jury of inquisition
Physicians and others told the jury late
yesterday afternoon that Mrs. Gage is
suffering from decisions of persecution
and is a paranoiac. Justice Barnard
sat until late hour and then continued
the hearing for one week.
Charles j. Bell, whom Mrs. Gage con-
siders her prosecutor. testified that he had
done nothing toward thwarting the socia
aspirations of Mrs. Gage and her daugh.
ter and disclaimed the position of 'socia
arblter, in which the widow appeared
to place him. He said Mrs. Gage haC
charged him about a year ago with at
tempting to keep her and her daughter
out of society, but he had tried to per-
suade her that her information was in
accurate. Mr.. Bell denied that he haC
sworn out a warrant for the arrest OF
Mrs. Gage and stated he had merely call
ed on the police for protection when Mrs
Bell had become alarmed at repeated
threats TO injure him, said to have beer
made by Mrs. Gage.
Testimony Of Mr.. Worthington.
Attorney A. S. Worthington said a,
the request Of Mr.. Bell he had talked
for an hour with Mrs. Gage at police
headquarters, March II last. following
her detention, in an effort to elicit the
grounds of the grievances she seemed to
have against the banker Attorney
Worth1ngton stated that the conversation
of the woman was incOherent and ram
bling, and he said he formed the opinion
she was insane.
Drs. Edmund r. Barry, II. W. Lawson
and B. R: Logic told the jury Mrs. Gage
is mentally balanced. Detective Evans
told of conversations with her.
In defense, Miss Margaret c. Gage
the daughter. told of the rumors that had
reached her mother Of attempts by Mr.
Bell to keep them out Of society. She
said they found it hard to make friends
in Washington and experienced a. cold
ness at church which worried her mother
greatly. Mrs. Gage was at a loss to
know the cause, the daug nter said, but at
first attributed it to the purchase Of the
property, with which she had difficulty.
Tells of Patriotic Society.
Miss Gage related the work which she
and her mother are engaged in, and told
of the reason for their desiring to enter
society. Miss Gage said that the or.
ganization Of which her mother is the
head is devoted to patriotic educationa
work. To make this society a success
she declared, it was necessary for them
to have wide acquaintance.
When asked as to the membership OF
the society, she announced that Presi-
dent Taft. former President Roosevelt
Andrew Carnegie and number of other
well known men were honorary members
of the society. Medals which are of
fered for public school contests, she
said. are known as the William How
ard Taft good citizenship medals.
Miss Gage said that the members, of
which there are now 500, pay an annual
fee of SIS, while the donor of the madal
Is called upon to pay similar price
for the medal. The medals may be
offered by any member, she declared
She said that the money derived from
the society goes toward paying the
rent which her mother charges the So
clety for the rooms which she de-
votes to it in her handsome home on
Dupont circle.
Should her mother be separated from
her. Miss Gage declared, she would be
without support, as she was not able
to conduct the several businesses in
which her parent is engaged