THEY DON'T AGREE. : Byrne and Asimov Genealogy and Family Histories

Source Information

Title	THEY DON'T AGREE.
Date	05 Jun 1888
Date Viewed	23 Jan 2025
Page	1
Periodical	Brooklyn Daily Times
Place	Brooklyn, Kings, NY USA
Source Type	Newspaper
URL	https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-times-glen-cove-inque/163747753/
Source ID	S1464
Text	THEY DON'T AGREE. Mr. Titus and Mrs. Coles on the Stand. THE GLEN COVE INQUEST. The Father of the Child Says It was Born Alive. MRS. COLES' TESTIMONY. She Gives Her Side of Case at Great Length and Submits to Cross-Examination -The Inquest will be Continued To-Morrow Afternoon- No Arrests as Yet. The inquest over the mysterious death of the infant child of Jacob W. and Mary Titus, of Glen Cove, was continued last evening before: Coroner Hall and his jury. The examination was public and the Town Hall was crowded. Counselors Cromwell and Nicoll were present, and several times the former attempted to make a point, but met with rebuff, once by the foreman of the jury. It was all good-natured, though. The testimony of Mrs. Coles was very important, as she was the only person in the room during the confinement besides the doctor, except one or two who came in occasionally. She testified to not having left the room except at short intervals. But Dr. Zabriskie testified last week that Mrs. Coles told him that she left the room and remained away for two and a half hours, and that when she came back the child was dead, This, Mrs. Coles says, was untrue. as was also the doctor's testimony regarding the washing of the child, & Dr. Zabriskie will undoubtedly be re: called and be given a chance to correct or confirm his testimony. Mrs. Coles' examination was very lengthy, and below will be found the important points and facts concerning it. Mrs. Maria A. Coles, being duly sworn, said: "Have lived in Glen Cove nearly seventeen years. Am the mother of Mary Titus. My daughter WAS married to Jacob W. Titus on January 7, 1888. Was not present at the marriage. Mr. Titus and his wife reside with me. My daughter gave birth to a male child two weeks ago to day, May. 21, Dr, Zabriskie and myself were the only ones present at the time. My daughter was taken sick at about 2:30 and her her husband was not there at the time. She told me she had an attack of cholera morbus and was sick, and that she had taken long walk and had fallen and hurt herself, and wet a cloth in alcohol and laid it on her side. After that she felt better and I laid down again, but not more than half an hour, when she called me again, saying she had pain. I got up and gave her ginger, or something, and stayed with her until 3 oclock when I sent my son Thomas for the doctor. Dr. Wright is our family physician, but did not send for him : sent for Dr. Zabriskie; I did not know what ailed my daughter before I sent for the physician, and did not have any intimation, or did not think that she was in such a condition; did not send the doctor word for what he was wanted. He came about 3:30 or 4 o'clock, and did not wake any of the rest of the family; they all slept until the usual hour of getting up, about 6 o'clock. Mr. Titus slept with his wife this night until about 12 o'clock, when he got up and went home to bis father's. It was his habit to stay at my house all night, but this was an exception. After the doctor came he asked my daughter what ailed ber, and she said she didn't know. Then she went to bed by the doctor's direction (she was sitting in a chair). I really did not bave any intimation as to her giving birth to a child, and asked the doctor it be thought she would have a miscarriage, aud be replied that he did. An hour and a half or two hours after this she gave birth to a child. I was the only person present at the time beside the doctor. My daughter was very feeble and conscious only at times, and faint all the time. I do not think she was conscious at time of birth, and did not seem to know anything until about noon. I did not go out of the room. Just as the doctor was about to go away she had a nervous chill, and then I got her a comforter and spread it over her. I did not leave her alone until the doctor came the second time, about 9 o'clock. She had recurrence of the fainting spells, and went out of one into another, and didn't speak to me during the three hours more than to ask me for a drink. I don't think she knew who I was between 6 and 9 o clock. * * * Mr. Titus came in the room and asked me how his wife was. He took her hand, but I did not hear him speak to her. Had no conversation with him. Did not call his attention to the baby and bad not seen it myself. I first saw it in the afternoon, when the doctor came. I did not know even then but what it was a miscarriage. Nothing was said to me and I said nothing about it. Still, I suppose if I had not been so much occupied with my daughter should have paid more attention to it. The doctor said nothing at all about it and I did not hear it cry. I say upon my oath 1 did not know whether the child lived or not and did not make any examination of it whatever. The doctor asked me to get some brandy immediately after delivery of child, which I did, and when I came back he had wrapped the baby in a linen cloth, and he told me to roll that up and lay it one side, and I wrapped it in a flannel skirt and handed him the brandy. Did not wrap the child in the skirt to keep it warm but because it the handiest thing I could find. I laid tine baby on pillow on the foot of the bed, covered it up and went back to my daughter. Its face was not exposed and I did not know which way its face was laid, and the doctor had not told me whether the child was alive or dead. I covered it with a double flannel blanket and spread, which I drew up from the foot of the bed and spread over it, while the doctor was there, and it laid there until a little before 9 o'clock, before the doctor came. I had not looked at it during that time. No part of the body was exposed, in fact I had not thought of it, being too much occupied with my danghter, who was very low. My daughter did not ask at any time to see her baby. Dr. Zabriskie did not direct me at any time to wash the child, and do not know that he said anything to me about the child at all. I do not know what should have been done if the child had been born alive, but suppose it would be proper to wash child. Have had six children and don't know what was done with any of them. I looked at the child about twenty minutes before the doctor came the second time. At this time the child was off the pillow, with its face toward the pillow. I opened the blanket and looked at its face to see how large it was, and supposed the child was dead, and gave it no more attention, but it seemed rather dark; don't know whether its eyes were or closed. I sent for doctor the second time because my daughter was very low. Asked Mr. Titus if he heard the doctor say anything about the child, and he said no. I told the doctor at 9 o'clock that the child was not living, and he said 'is that so!' I did not know that he knew the child was alive ; didn't suppose anything about it. I don't know why I told the doctor the child was dead, only that Dr. Zabriskie was going to take the child away. He expressed no surprise in words. I carried child into next room. Dr. Zabriskie opened the covering on it and that is the first time I ever saw it. It was taken away by Dr. Hall the next day. Dr. Zapriskie told me to tell Mr. Titus to come to his oftice and he would give a certificate of death. Ob cross-examination by Counselor Nicoll Mrs. Coles testified that she had an intimation of her daughter's condition in February. That no preparation was made for infant, no clothes prepared and no nurse engaged, nor any physician engaged, to her knowledge. On redirect examination she testified that the main aud important parts of Dr. Zabriskie's testimony, as to conversations, were untrue. and this part caused much excitement in the court room, as the doctor was present. The next witness was the father, Mr. Jacob W. Titus, who testitied that he was called at about 8 o'ciock and wont upstairs and remained until the doctor went away. "Am satisfied that the child was alive and there is no doubt in my mind on this point. Mrs. Coles did not inform that my wife had had a miscarriage. Yes, I saw more than the face of the child. There was no question about it being alive when born. My wife did not ask to see the child and I asked her if she desired to see it and she replied, 'not then.' Mrs. Coles told me she went down stairs to get some water to wash the child and when she came back found it dead." He heard no sound or cry and testified as to his wife's condition, confirming Mrs. Coles. As it was then nearly 11 o'clock, after consultation with jury and counsel, the inquest journed to Wednesday next, 6th in6t., at 3 o'clock P. M. It will be seen that there is a strange variance of testimony between these two witnesses, and the deeper the case is gone into the more mysterious seems the sad affair. The next session will undoubtedly wind up the sad affair..
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