Clinton Clapp Acquitted
CLINTON Jv. CLAPP .dCQ UITT.BD.
.
A SLAltDER TRIAL 0.1 USES A SENSATION
A T :POUGHKEEPSIE.
POUGmtEE1"SlE, N. Y., Deo. 21,-The DutahesB
Oounty Oourt; room was orowded beyond it.
es:p8oity to-day when the caBO of Clinton W.
OmP)), under indiotment tor having wrl\ten ob-o
Boelle letters to :Mrs. Elizabeth Smith of Wap.
piUjt8r'S Falls "Was oalled. Both Mr, Clapp and
Mra. Smith nre llfOminent Ill" tbe v1l1al,te, and
are loading members of tho B&ptlst Ohuroh
tbere.
Clapp hllB been twioe Snpel'ViBor of the town,
AlIS085or, and Village Trustee, and was tor
thirty :rears Trustee of tl10 Baptist Churoh.
whloh laot lod to tho uuusual speotaole of \
ohuroh records botUK produced In court tor tile
purpose of provinG the simllln'it)" of tho hand-
writing thoro1n with t)Lot In iii moaTi abookin,; I
and horrlblo letter whloh ,vas reoelved bY ODe I
of the most llromlnent ladies In the oODgrOg;a- :
tlon,
The 0:\80. whioh has been in the hands or
Anthon)' COlDstook sInce last June. ha.a created
: a furor througl\out Southern Dutohel\800unty,
.A. few years a.ltO Olapp's fathe-r dteal. l6a.vin~ to
him an estato ot$150,OOO. Hte onUdren brou~ht
the cst.ato affairs Into court, and 80 long uttga-
tion l'e8ulted.
PrlDr to tblB Ura. smith's husband died. loaV"
tug nn e8tato of $5,000, of wbloh (napp '\\'1\8 .
apPOinted Bxeontor. The trouble over the
Clapp estate alarmcd :Mra. Smith, and ahe de-
manded of Clapp Qn immediate acoountlng of ,
her Interesta In hla care. Bore the trou1>>lo .
beJl:alltIl earnest.
Tho Rev. Henry B. Maurer, then pastor of tbe
Baptls' Churoh, bnt who haa alnoe resigned from
tbe mlnts1il'.f ond 8nga~d 1n the l\u<1y of law 1n
New-York, boa.rded at Mrs. Smith's hoose, and
took an intorest 1D her aff~rs. aod. 1 t 1s aUeg;ed,
urged her to bave Clap'D removed from the
chal'ge of bel' hUlband'8 estate. This brought;
on trouble between t.bo ]1aetor and tbe Trustee.
III June, 1.891, 'Che toWJ;1 was j{Tea$l)" exoIted
over tl1ft reoeip~ by prominent people of 8hook-
ing leUera sit@ed Frank B. Horstlo.. whom nO-
body In the vlUa.4J8 kneW'. The olergyman pro-
oeeded to dlaoonr tho writer anel oalled in Oom- .
I stoak. Experts wore employed, and 1he ohuro11 '
, reoords were examined and. oom]1ared with 'the
letter. Olapp was lIDall)" confronted with the
oharge of he.v1nlt written thO letters. Then fol-
lowed the inclletment.
Mellntlme Clapp was not idle. as was demon-
strated ~o.dal" whell hlB lawyers. WaUor FOT-
rlngton and ex-Judge Henry M. Taylor, at-
wmpted 1n their defense to show that the Rev.
, :Mr. Maurer. Dnd not l4r. Olapp. wae the author
I ot tha obJeotloDAhle letters, and that he had an
I ambl'tlon to oontl'ol the estate himlolf.
A seneation fo1.1owed the attempt to turn the
tables on the ex-olel'~an. The lawyers pro-
dDced lit letter addressed to Fral1k B. B01'stln
whloh a member or the choir found in :Mr.
Maurer's study at the ohurch. From this tbey
lioDght to provo that the handwriting 1D. tho
letter found In the cburch corresponded with
'hat 1n the letter OIAPP was indioted. tor writing.
Sevoral timeS when lir. Far~lDgton asked
lilaurer plainlY, II Did you write this letter to
Mrs. Sm.ith' .. the witne8S in areat excuement
exolalpled: f' May God paralyze my haud this
Insta.nt if I knoW anything ot a orimmu.l naturo
ooneernlng this letter."
Tho oase was ~lven 'to the juT)" at 5 P. :M.
After au hour's deliberation the jury returned
a. vord10~ of no~ Rutlty,
mbt NtWlotk l!'tmt'
published: December 22. 1892
Copyright@ The New York Times