Evening star., 1939-03-17
Mrs. Stinson Seemed
Unnatural in 1887,
Friend Testifies
Cried Very Easily and
Often, Neiehbor
Tells District Court

Miss Margaret Bishop Law of
Philadelphia, writer, testified be-
fore Justice Oscar r. Luhring in
District Court today that Mrs Lola
Josephine Crounse Stinson, wealthy
Washington matron, who is suing for
annulment of her marriage to Joseph
Whitlaw Stinson, lawyer and artist,
was in a very unnatural condition"
at Nova Scotia the summer of 1887
shortly before her second marriage.
She cried very easily and very
often" said the witness. "She wasn't
like herself"
Miss Law explained that she had
known Mrs. Stinson for 20 years and
had seen her regularly at Chester
Nova Scotia, where they both had
summer cottages. She was well
acquainted, she said, with Mrs. Stin-
sons first husband, William Living
ston Crounse, widely known journal
list, who died in 1896, leaving his
widow an estate of 100000.
Earlier in the day, the cross
examination of Frederick Douglas
Collins, Mrs. Stinson's chauffeur for
many years, was completed.
Appeared in Daze.
Collins testified that Mrs. Stinson
seemed in a daZe when she and Mr..
Stinson were married in a church
In Bar Harbor, Me- September 27,
1887. The clergyman, this witness
said, omitted the usual question of
whether any one had any objection
to the joining of this man and Wom-
an in matrimony.
IF he had said it, don't know
what I've have said," the colored
chauffeur added, because I felt that
she was doing something against
her will"
Collins said Mrs. Stinson had to be
prompted by Mr.. Stinson to answer
the responses as to whether she &C
cepted him as her lawful husband.
The witness added that she sort
Of staggered" as she left the church
and Mr.. Stinson pushed her into
0ae car"
Mrs Stinson is charging that she
was coerced into the marriage and
that her husband married her for
her money.
She Wept Frequently.
Collins testified that Mr.. Stinson
said before the marriage that he
thought Mrs. Stinson should be in
a sanitarium; that she was men
tally incompetent
II told him there was nothing
wrong with Mrs. Stinson," the wit |
hess added.
Collins said that the summer
preceding the marriage Mrs. Stinson
looked very badly and frequently
wept.
He said that he and Mr.. Stinson
and Miss Jesica Shoemaker, a nurse
who accompanied them on their
Journeys, put Mrs. Crounse on
train at New York the spring be-
fore the marriage.
Went to Atlantic City.
After they put her on the train,
Carroll testified, he drove Miss
Shoemaker and Mr.. Stinson to At
lantic City, where they spent the
night at a hotel. The next day,
the witness said, he drove them
down the coast to Cape May.
Ruther10rd Bingham OF New
town, Pa, testified that he had
known Mr.. and Mrs. Crounse for
many years and frequently saw
them at their summer place at
Chester, where he also had
. cottage. In the summer of
1887, he said, after the death of
her first husband, he made the
acquaintance of Mr.. Stinson, who
was visitor there.
That summer, Mr.. Bingham said,
Mrs. Stinson's physical condition
had "deteriorated very much, and
she seemed vague
Asked what her condition had
been when she was married to Mr..
Crounse, the witness said: "She was
q perfectly well, normal and happy
woman"