Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-02-13
ATTORNEYS FOR DAUGHTER At.
TEMPT TO SHOW PhlLANrHRo.
PIsr IMPOSED UPON.
SPEAKING PRIVILEGES
COST COFFIN $500 EACH
Induced to Buy $4,000 Worth Of Stock
in Manufacturing Concern 10 Alleged
jane Adams and Henry Wallace
Testify on PractieabiIity Of Girls
Farm.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Fort Dodge. Feb. 13.-Attorneys for
Mrs. Carrie B. Rutledge in the trial
of her suit to have permanent
guardian appointed for her father. L.
s. Coffin. yesterday afternoon attempt
ed to establish that Mr.. Coffin had
been induced to subscribe for $4,000
block Of stock in manufacturing con-
Germ and also had been induced to
make subscriptions aggregating $4,000
to Ellsworth College. Iowa Falls. thru
his fondness for making speeches.
= I. F. Meier. president of Ellsworth
College had just finished giving his
opinion that MIR. Coffin is Of sound
mind when Robert Healy, an attorney
for the plaintiff, questioned: Your COL
lege holds notes for $1,000 against Mr..
Coffin, doesn't it?" MIR. Meier admitted
it.
Speeches Cost Coffin $500 Each.
1T cost Mr.. Coffin about $500 for
each speech he made before the stu
dents of your school?"
Il should not say that much" re-
sponded the witness. Mr.. Meier said
the college has vesper services every
Sunday afternoon and that as it can
not pay for speakers, it secures those
who will come for nothing. He said he
heard Mr.. Coffin would talk. He asked
him to come and the invitation was
accepted.
Gave Money For Library.
I'VE were walking thru the library"
the witness continued. land Mr.. Coffin
noticed that we needed some books so
he gave $500 for a library on economics.
With the exception of the first sub
scription, he was not solicited to SUBJ
scribe for the college"
HE did not make subscriptions until
after his addresses, did he?" came an
other question.
HE never made the subscriptions
before he made his speeches, did he ?"
was the reply.
Mr.. Meier later said that he had no
pecuniary interest in the matter. When
Mr.. Healy asked him If he had been
asked If the appointment of guardian
for Mr.. Coffin might not hinder the
colleges chance Of collecting on the
notes because of his being adjudged Of
unsound mind, the witness said that
some Of the Iowa Falls people had
asked him the question.
Temperance Meeting Denied.
Norman Tyson, cashier Of the Lehigh
Valley Savings Bank Of Lehigh, and a
director In the -Lehigh Clay Manufac-
turing Company. said that no meeting
eof the directors of the clay company
was held after a temperance lecture by
Mr.. Coffin one Sunday night in order
to get him to take $4,000 block Of
stock in the concern. He declared he
knew nothing about a meeting after the
temperance lecture and said that no
pressure was brought upon Mr. Coffin
to get him to take some stock. Mr..
Coffin had testified while on the stand
that he never secured any dividends on
the $4,000 worth of stock he had in the
concern.
Expert Gives Testimony.
W. p Crompacker, superintendent
Of the state hospital for the insane at
Independence, following the reading of
q long Hypothetical question based on
evidence given by witnesses as to Mr..
Coffin's actions in recent years, de-
clared that, assuming that the state
ments in the question were true, Mr..
Coffin was Of unsound mind. Mr..
Crompacker who was brought on the
stand by the defense, had testified he
thought Coffin Of sound mind but later
said that he had Judged solely by an
examination he recently made of him.
w. H. Fallon, a neighbor Of Mr.. Cot
fin for many years, testified that he had
seen Mrs. Rutledge. before her mar
riage, out in all kinds Of weather at
tending to the stock on the farm. He
said he did not know of Mr.. Coffin's
giving money to either Mrs. Rutledge
or her husband
Jane Adams to Testify.
The sensational case that was COM
menced before Judge c. E. Albrook in
district court here last Friday to de-
termine the aged philanthropist's
soundness of mind probably will soon
come to an end. Miss Jane Adams, Of
Hull House, Chicago. the noted re-