The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-10
MRS. HOLMAN'S GIFTS
AS A POET SHOWN
Accused Of Insanity, but Wrote
EffusiOn Claimed by the
Rev. Mr.. BrentOn.
MORE LOVE LETTERS READ
Fifty-six Of Them, Clergyman
Says, Made Him Sunder
Marital Relations.

HARTFORD. Conn, June s.-The Rev.
Cranston Brenton of Yonkers N " sec.
rotary OF the New York state Social
service Commission OF the Episcopal
church and the principal defendant in
his wife's $4,000 suit for Imprisonment,
In Vermont insane asylum, was sub
Jected this afternoon to a Rrillinp cross.
examination in the United states Court
during which he paid a compliment TO his
FORMER wife's literary talents by admit
ting that In 1899 when he graduated
from Trinity College and she was his
hancee she wrote his class poem for him.
DIS Paul Waterman and oliver c.
smith. codefendants to the charge of
aoductlng the present Mrs. Elizabeth A.
I. Holman of Waterville, Me-, and kcep-
ing her locked up until she signed a
concession of improper conduct with her
present husband are yet to be called TO
the witness stand.
Mr.. Brenton testified that he took nli
the Intercepted love letters to Mrs. Susan
Il. Curtis, his wifes mother. He told her
that whereas they did not concluslvely
prove his wife's guilt, they planned a
meeting with Holman. Mrs. Curtis was
shocked at the terrible immodesty" and
thought her daughter must be insane.
MIR. Brenton then went to see DR.. Smith
and later DIR. Waterman. and they de-
cided Mrs. Holman should 20 away. He
testified that he repeatedly told his wife
he would not divorce her because she
was unhappy. but would divorce her on
the only ground which would be recog-
nized by the Episcopal Church. He de-
MED Mrs. Holman's testimony that he re-
quested her to do wrong.
THE night | received from Mrt. Curtis
bundle of fifty-six love letters wsitten
by Holman to my wife. I took another
room In my house and ceased all marital
relations" said Mr.. Brenton.
I'm her letters to her husband Mrs.
Brenton addressed Brenton as Dear Gus
tus' and signed herself Mother Moo She
referred to certain Hartford people as
honey bees TO her little boy as the Mic
Cat and to Mr.. Brenton's parents as
Grandpa Cat and Grandma Cat"
An expression that the little fat cat
must be careful crossing the big city.
where he Is meowing and meowing and
meowlng," Mr.. Brenton translated for the
jury as that he. himself was to be care
ful In New York city. where he was then
preaching.
on September :. four days after Mrs.
Brenton was lodged at Brattleboro. DR..
Lawton wrote to Mr.. Brenton that he 80,
very carefully examined Mrs Brenton's
case and was bound to say she exhibited
no symptoms OF insanity.
Mrs. Holman's counsel. David T.. Fltz-
gerald, on cross-examination laid stress
on the fact that Mr.. Brenton made an
exact copy OF letter Mrs. Bren;on wrote
to her Hartford lawyer 10 ask her friends
10 desist from searching for her. as she
was In Brattleboro voluntarily. The orig
inal letter cannot he found, and Mr.. Bren-
ton was unable to explain what motive
prompted him TO make a copy In Septcm-
Der. 1919. more than year before the
present conspiracy suit was instituted. Mr..
Brenton denied that he was influenced
against his wife by her poem THE Morse
man." and said he first saw In news
paper the acrostic reading ITO Thee,
Ernest, o my Love-" whereby she dedi-
Gated her book to Holman.