Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-06-22
STEPHENS DENIES
USING MURDERER"
TO MRS. VAN TRUMP
Arden Pacifist Emphatic That He
Intended No Disloyal Word
or UtteranCe.
WITNESS FOR HIMSELF

into The courts know that every trial,
be il Of large or small Importance, has its
hig moment moment being elastic
enough TO mean rs long period rs u day
or as short a one as half a minute where
everything seems to graYtatC toward a
common center OF interest n tense
situation a witness. a sentence. a word
And Your veteran lawyer, court attachc
or spectator inevitably comes To look Tor
this one high point even though II he not
the vital ono IN the case. and compelling
only by reason oil things really cXtrancous
to the issue although in most instances
the moment gets rs blgneSs from the TACT
that il marks CRISIS
Those who have been attending the
trial of Frank Stephens. founder Of Arden,
single tax apostle. pacltiSt and advocate
pf non-rcSistancc, ON the charge Of violat-
ing the United States Espionage Act IN
having uttered words intended 10 inter
fere with the operation and success oi the
national forces have been waiting for ITS
Dig moment. and expecting II 10 como
when stephens should % upon the wit
ness stand IN hls own defence md their
waiting and their expectation were re-
wardcd Yesterday afternoon
lor about two hours stephens was a
witness for himself telling hle version OF
that April dav when Mrs Mabel NIn
Trump and Mrs Newton Gruhh called
upon him at Arden. while selling Liberty
bonds in the Third Liberty Loan drive,
and he told the former according TO hcr
testimony that she WAS q murderer that
all Liberty Bond sellers were murdcrcrS.
that soldiers were being scut away 10 hc
murdered and that no lady would engage
IN such mission
Stephens was listened 10 hs he largest
audience thus far "a have pat in 2p-
pcarauce Al tic spectators seats wcrr
full. the women greater IN number than
the men. while inside the nar enclosure
there WAS numerous squad 81 lawyers,
AMONG them Attornevt Srneral tCIphardt
and Deputy Attorneys Grccn.
And everybody listened with both ears
to what was gong on
SAYS Hr DIDN'T SAY II
Tho results OF stephens testimony
giving were somewhat varied In tho first
place be created direct issue between
himself and tho government Two chc(
witnesses. MIR Nan Trump and Mrs
Grubh. IN hc matter nj ycracIty because
he denied absolutely that he had u~cd the
words imputed to hmm N addressing the
former. although he sal1 tbat tic had
used the word mur,icrouS III talking 10
her. Ilc admitted tins hcat of mind when
the conversation took place and ssid
their visit had rrijatcd him in view of
suudrv happenings PRIOR - The occasion.
but he declared that his attitude had NOT
hCcn threatening aS indicated Ny the
testimony Of Mrs Gruhb. and III effect
that he had no. intention whatever of
saving ANYTHING that could hc construed
,lts 4.-.al
violation Of 1 hc law of the land
While he was giving tho evidence Of
which this Is the cl>t Mr. Stephens told
more CIR less at length and rs the OCCASION
offered something concerning hls views
upon philosophical politics, religion and
war and The sclrttNc draft His concept
of Christianity leo HIM - believe hat war
was organized murder ami he dlsapprovcd
Of il He likewise dIsapproved Of the
sclccfiyc draft but he was emphatic
that he had not even advised his SON who
Is coutesilng punishment by the govern
ment for failure 10 comply with the law
relating 10 it, in the matter He was a
pacitiSt and "a non-rcSi>tant, lie SAID but
ne; violator Of the law.
Nhilc teetlfyiug he was very cool and
collected and exceedingly careful in
phrasing hls replies 70 questions both from
his own counsel Glider; \ Roe. of New
! ork. and District ATTORNEY Curlcy.
while tho latter was crosS-cXamining
Several tlmcs the former intcrfcred be-
tween qJuzzeT and quzzcd. but Stephens
seemed amply ahlc iostahc care of him
Felf whlch fact Judge WooIcv remarked
In passing upon objections raised hy
counsel or IN the framing Of questions
HIS evidence va. gwen with rather more
than the usual number of gestures one
sees IN witness some dramatic. some
explanatory. some argmcntatlvc. but
always simple y . whole the period of
ais STAY on the stand was oi decided
interest.
PERSONAL DETAILS.
When called t. the WORK of tcstifving.
after hl~ counsel had questioned char
scter witness who wished 70 leave the
-IJv early. ~teuhcIi> vas questioned bv
he court before being sworn Is 10 whether
hc was . wItnc~~ 81 lis own request and
desire He said mat BE- VA. Then Mr.
Roc took hlm through details Of his per
s0nal ilje
He said he was IS wears of age and had
2 wife and two sons daughter was
dead He Was "a sculptor and craft -man
and had been trained IN the fine arts as
.be former but had been led later INTO
allied crafts, modelling iron work etc.
Before taxing up tins WORK al Arden he
had been il Philadelphia for many wears.
at the head Of two concerns. Stephens
Cooper and CO. and Stephens Armstrong
and ConkHng in art craftsmanship and
named some OF the buildings upon which
they had done wort He is now. be said
onc Of the trustees of Arden an CxDcrI-
nent in single tax and land tenure and
the foundation for DEVELOPMENT Of the
arts and crafts He also Is secretary
treasurer VI the Arden Water GO and
clerk of The Ardcn credit union, an Or
ganizatiOn To lend money for home
building al Arden etc He bad lived
there for eighteen years. almost all the
tame continuously
He Was p4ciAst he said by which lie
understood one WLo stands for peace
ma King IL tad come 10 this through
association witt William + Price.
Philadelphia architect. whom hc had con
verLed 10 single tax and who Id turn had
converted hIin to being what he called
'uor-reSistaut Friend
After going into this matter Al some
Iong.I me- court suggested that the
questions come III the matter of the
charges upon nhIrn the defendant u..~
on trial and Mr. Roe plunged into tlt.
taIA stephens fad Wiih Mrs Ean TrInp
and Mrs Crubh Hc said he was III i
field selling hedge when thc{ came
along Mr.. Roe sought % introduce Il
diagram of The locality hut MIR ClrIel
objected unlcss II Was 10 show that the
witnesses Tor tie government were ID