Evening star., 1939-03-20
Stinson Gate Crasher
Al Widows Home,
Court Is Told
Ate Meals There Daily,
Later Moved in,
Butler Testifies

Counsel for Mrs. Lola Crounse
Stinson offered today at her trial in
District Court for annulment of her
marriage to Joseph w. Stinson, at
torney and artist, further evidence
in support of the charge that he
was gate crasher" at her home on
Wyoming avenue NV. and that,
after making her acquaintance
without an introduction. he grad
ually became a regular guest in the
wealthy widows house.
Carl Brown, As, colored butler IN
the Crounse home, testified that the
first time he saw Mr.. Stinson was in
February, 1897. when he called in
the absence of Mrs. Crounse and
left his card. The card contained
his name and the notation, Depart
ment Of Justice the witness said.
When he gave the card to Mrs.
Crounse, Brown said, she asked if he
knew any one of that name and he
said he didn't.
Later, Brown recalled. Mr.. Stin-
son had dinner with Mrs. Crounse
and after that called several times
a week for dinner. Soon, said the
witness. Mr.. Stinson was dining
there every night, and afterward
he started lunching at the house
daily. One morning, the butler
added, Mr.. Stinson called about 8
am. and explained that he had done
days work at his Office already and
had just dropped by for a cup of
coffee. After that he came also for
breakfast daily, eating three meals
day at the house, the butler said
With whom would he eat break
fast and luncheon?' asked Alvin L.
Newmyer, attorney for Mrs. Stinson.
Later Moved In.
He always ate breakfast with
Miss Shoemaker, because Mrs,
Crounse never came down for break
fast" the butler said. But some
times Mrs. Crounse would have
luncheon with him. She and Mr..
Stinson always had dinner to-
gether.
Miss Jessica Shoemaker was Mrs.
Crounse's nurse and is charged with
consplring with Mr.. Stinson to
coerce her into her second marriage.
which occurred the following Sep
tember.
Late in the spring. Brown testi-
fed, Mrs. Crounse, Miss Shoemaker
and Mr.. Stinson took trip to New
York and when they returned Mr..
Stinson moved into the house as a
permanent guest, occupying an up
stairs suite. He stayed there, the
butler added, until the entire house.
hold went to Nova Scotia for the
summer.
Mana Henry, Mrs. Stinson's COL
ored cook, recalled to the stand, de-
scribed an episode alleged to have
occurred after the marriage. The
cook said she heard Mrs. Stinson
charge Miss Shoemaker with get
ting her into all this" Miss Shoe
maker. the witness said, replied:
You are getting just what's COM
Ing to you. I'm going to get mine
and Nana's going to get hers"
Defense Attorneys Object.
Mana said she didn't know what
Miss Shoemaker meant by that.
Mrs. William w. Coblentz, wife
OF a physicist at the Bureau of
Standards, testified that she had
known Mrs. Crounse since 1898, and
IN the spring of 1896 looked over
the manuscript of her second VOL
ume of poetry just before it's pub
hcation. On several visits to her
home, this witness said, she noticed
that Miss Shoemaker rarely left
the room and frequently warned
Mrs. Crounse not to discuss certain
subjects, explaining that these mat
tiers would upset her.
Mrs. Crounse several times pro-
tested, exclaiming, please leave me
alone" Mrs. Coblentz testified.
Defense attorneys objected to this
testimony as not connected with
the alleged conspiracy and Justice
Oscar R. Luhring said he would
reserve judgment on it until later
In the trial.
The plaintiffs case was expected
to be closed today, with the de-
fense beginning to present its evi-
dence to Justice Oscar r. Luhring
by tomorrow.
Plot Charged.
Miss Shoemaker, a nurse who
had been with Mrs. Stinson for
years, is slated to be an early de-
fense witness. In her annulment
petition, Mrs. Stinson charged that
Miss Shoemaker plotted with Mr..
Stinson to bring about the marriage
for her money. Both Miss Shoe
maker and Mr.. Stinson are expected
to undergo lengthy examination on
the witness stand. They deny the
wealthy widows charge that she
was drugged and her will power
broken down to induce her to marry.
Mrs. stinson remained on the
stand three days last week. shs