New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-26
MRS. EATON TELLSPO|SON
Jury STORY OF HER LIFE
"Most Absurd Thing | Ever
Heard Of" She Says, Denying
She Gave Admiral Arsenic.
CONTRADICTS ONE DOCTOR
Never Took Steps to Have Hus
band Declared Insane
Drugs Made Him Flirt
with Other Women.

plymouth, Mass, oct Zo.-An lnslStent
denial that she ever gave her husband
,oison Of any sort brought to a dramatic
close to-day the direct examination of
Mrs. Jennie May Eaton, widow Of Rear
Admiral Joseph G. Eaton, with whose
murder she is charged.
Sitting I'm the witness box, where she
had passed the entire day reviewing the
story OF ner life, Mrs. Eaton leaned for
ward a little in her earnestness, but her
face still bore trace Of its habitual easy
smile as her counsel, William A. Morse
nut the concluding questions as to her
guilt.
do YOU know anything about poison?"
she was asked.
NO. sir, / do not" she replied.
Did you ever see any poison
II never saw any in my life. No. sir"
did YOU have any white arsenic In
YOUR possession at any timer"
mo. sir"
Never Gave Him Poison.
Did YOU administer any white arsenic
10 your husband?"
'Why that is the most absurd thing l
ever heard of. No, sir; never in my life"
"Did YOU ever give your husband any
other poison?''
mo, never.
Morse announced at this point that the
direct examination was ended and ad-
journment was taken until Monday, when
the state will cross-examine the defend
ant.
During most Of her six hours in the
witness box Mrs. Eaton was confronted
by District Attorney Barker, who sat not
two yards away. and when she replied to
the questions about poison her glance
often met his squarely. Mrs. Eaton re-
NAMED most of the time outwardly I'M
rufred. answering all questions without
hesitation.
She described her life with the admiral
as that of a wife devoted to his comfort
and striving to lift from his shoulders
the burden of debt under which he la
bored She said that she had sacrificed
her furs and her jewels to assist in sup
porting the family, and that after they
had purchased the farm at Assinippi, TO
begin stock raising, she had done all sorts
of mental work about the place to keep
the household expenses within proper
limits.
Drugs Made Him Flirt.
Mrs. Eaton said her husband was de-
spondent at times, particularly after in
diligence in drugs, and that it was also
when under the influence of drugs that
he had fiirted with other women. She de
MED that she was a jealous wife in the
ordinary meaning of the word. but added
that she was jealous at such times of her
husbands dignity as a rear admiral Of
the navy.
Regarding letters TO Miss Grace p, How
ard. Of New Bedford, and others COM
planning of her husbands alleged fiirta-
tons. Mrs Eaton said she wrote these
only because she wanted TO show in court
the state of the admiral's mind should it
be found that the adopted child which had
died had been killed by poison.
Mrs. Eaton denied parts of the tesu-
mony given earlier in the trial by DR.. {.
H. Colgate. of Rockland. DR.. Colgate had
testified that Mrs. Eaton asked his assist
ance in having the admiral committed to
an asylum.
She testified that she asked Or. Colgate
10 examine her husband TO better his con-
dition, as the admirars poor physical con-
dition worked up to his head she de-
MED that she ever had taken any steps
toward committing her husband as IN
sane other than TO ask local physicians 10
examine him.
With great detail the witness told OF
the last week of the admirars life OF her
visit to Medford TO see her daughter, Mrs.
June Keyes, on Wednesday Of that week,
Of her return to Assinippi the following
day and Of the admirars final sickness
and death
Mrs Eaton said that in the converse
ton that Wednesday with June, who had