Evening star., 1939-03-21

Witness Says Stinson
Put Crounse Home
On Sale Secretly
: Real Estote Operator Says
She Was Told to Notify
Him to Show Mansion
Joseph Whitlaw Stinson tried to
sell the sumptuous Crounse home
on Wyoming avenue for $450,00O
soon after he married Mrs. Lola M.
Crounse and gave instructions that
possible purchasers were to consult
him, because his wife was not we'll,
according to testimony in District
Court today at her suit for annul-
ment.
Previously Mrs. Stinson had testi-
fed that she never had wanted to
sell her house and it was the one
thing she would hold on to always.
Miss Laura Harlan, real estate op-
orator, told Justice Oscar R. Luhring
that in September, 1887, after the
couple had returned from the we'd
ding at Bar Harbor, Me-, she was
asked to find a purchaser for the
Crounse mansion.
"Mr. Stinson tried to interest me
in selling it." Miss Harlan said.
Did you know Mr.. Stinson at that
time?" asked Alvin Newmyer, attor-
ney for Mrs. Stinson.
."I had met him years BEFORE" the
witness explained.
She said Mr.. Stinson wanted
$450000 for the property, but she
told him the price was too high and
she was not willing to try to interest
anybody in the place for such sum-
Miss Harlan added:
He said that Mrs. Stinson was
not well and that it might be better
to communicate with him if found
any one interested and he would
arrange to show the house"
While nothing was said about
lowering the proposed price, Miss
Harlan said she did not get the i'm
preston that Mr.. Stinson would
insist on it.
Tells About Party.
Helen Thornton, colored maid and
seamstress in the Crounse home,
told of a party which Miss Jessica
Shoemaker, Mrs Crounse's nurse
for years. and Mr.. Stinson gave in
the Crounse home several months
before the marriage, while Mrs.
Crounse was in Baltimore hospital.
Mr.. StinSon was house guest at
the time.
The witness said there was drink
ing before, during and after the
meal and Everybody seemed to
have a good time" The only
guests were two men who seemed
to be foreigners, the maid said.
The witness said she told Miss
shoemaker, who is named in the
annulment suit as an alleged con-
splrator with Mr.. Stinson to get the
Crounse estate:
Il never saw such class of people
in this house before"
The maid said Miss Shoemaker re-
piled: "Oh, Helen, don't ever say
that to Mrs. Crounse."
When, the witness added, she
asked how Mrs Crounse happened
to meet Mr. Stinson, Miss Shoe
maker replied:
Helen, he's a lovely man. I have
known him for a number of years"
On Friendly Terms.
Helen told of Sunday evening
dinner which she served to Miss
Shoemaker and Mr.. Stinson while
Mrs. Crounse was in Baltimore.
They were alone in the house, the
witness said, and as soon as she
served the meal they dismissed her.
The witness said the two were on
very friendly terms and called each
other "Jessica" and Joe"
The maid described another oc-
casion when she said Miss Shoe
maker started to give Mrs. Crounse
some white pills. and Mrs. Crounse
exclaimed Helen, I, don't see why
Miss Shoemaker wants me to take
this medicine. There's nothing
wrong with me-" Miss Shoemaker
insisted that Mrs. Crounse needed
the medicine, Helen said. The maid
added: You never could get Mrs.
Crounse on the telephone. Miss
Shoemaker always answered. She
would say Mrs. Crounse wasn't feel
ing so well Or was lying down. But
a lot of times Mrs. Crounse would
be up and feeling all right"