American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1855-09-08
TRIAL OF IrPscoNID.

We copy from the '1heSScR9ef ana
Recorder, the following interesting
letter from ED. D. 3. Purinton, in re-
latior to the trial and sentence of the
murderer Lipscomb:
KlNGwOOD, Preston co., Va.
August 20, 1855. {
Editor Messenger s. Recorder:
On Sunday, the 10th of
June last, Eben Lipscomb, of the Ger
mar Settlement in this county, while at
his suggestion his wife was engaged in
devotional reading, fcllcd her to the
hearth with an axe, which he had con-
ccaled under his garment, and although
she begged him, i'll behalf Of their chill
drcn to dcsist, he in the most brutal
manner murdered her byrcpcatcd blows
upon the head. He had before the ar
rival of the neighbors, inflicted some
small injuries upon his own person. He
was immediately arrested, and on the
next day confined i'll the Jail in this
town. On the 10th inst, the first day
of the Circuit Court, bill of indict-
ment was foundry the Grand Jury and
he was brought from his cell for trial.
The question Of insanity was raised,
and four respectable physicians were
called to testify, viz: }. p. Sturgis and
j. Manown, Of Kingwood; F. Elliott,
Of West Union, and II. Kennedy, of
Evansville. Drs. Sturgis and Elliott
believed him insane, but Drs. Kennedy
and Manown held the opposite opinion.
On the following morning, Hon. G.. d.
Camden, the Judge presiding, after
some very judicious remarks upon the
difficulties and responsibilities of the
case, postponed the trial for the pur-
pose Of obtaining the professional SER
vices Of DR.. L. ". Striking, who has
been connected with our State Institu-
ton for the insane, at Stanton, during
the last 10 years, and for the last 2
years has glvcnh his attention almost cx-
clusivcl y to the insane. His testimony
was given during our absence. As we
have it from several gentlemen of the
bar, it was substantially as follows:
"The prisoner is in very bad health,
is Of ahighly nervous temperament and
prcdispOsed to mania. From test;mo-
ny respecting his conduct before the
homicide, and Immediately after arrest,
he would have concluded that he was
insane at the time; but from his sub
scquent conduct, and from a personal
examination, he was inclined to the be-
lief that he was fcigning insanity and
appeared to be ovcr-acting his part
The expression Of his eye, if he had
met him in the street an entire stranr-
cr, would have indicated insanity; but
that Is ovcrbalanccd by other facts.-
He, by no means, intended to say that
the prisoner was not insane, but that
his insanity was not such as to relieve
him from responsibility
The jury, after listening to a large
number Oh witnesses, and the arguments
Of MIR. G.. Cresap, the Prosecuting At
torncy, and Hon. VIM. G.. Brown, Coun-
sci for the prisoner, and after patient
investigation and reflection, have, this
morning, solcmnly rendered the verdict
Of guilty of murder in the first degree,
and the Judge has pronounced the aw-
full sentence Of death to be executed
on Friday the 18th day of December
next. The remarks Of Judge Camden,
though entirely cXtcmporancous, are
spoken of as very appropriate, able and
impressive: which, with the sentence,
produced great solcmnity in the Court
room. The prisoner heard him with
fixed attention and some emotion, but
his coUntcnancc soon resumed its usual
stoical expression. The public mind has
been in an excited state, but the result Of
the trial will, probably, give general sat
isfaction, and we hope the moral effect in
tended by the law will be produced. Tru-
", The wages of sin is DEATH"
Yours, &C., d. b. PURINroN.