Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-07-12


no written memorandum or account book
could be received as evidence, but held the
matter for advisement
Robert Williams sworn.-Am the father of
the defendant, Robert B. Williams Was
Post Master before the present Incumbent
My son was with me. At the time gave up
the Post Office to Mr. Mahin, the present Post
Master, | think Mr.. Mahin and Mr.. Stein both
solicited my sons assistance in the Post OF
flee, desiring me to allow him to remain with |
them. l did not decidedly object neither did
assent fully, for thought the boy could be |
of no service to them After comforting with |
his mother, we finally consented to have HIM |
go. Since he has been with Mr. Mahn, |
| have always, with the exception of the night |
| of the 9th of June, and one or perhaps two
stormy nights, been down to the Office in the |
evening to see that all was right about the
| office, and waited until he and Charley Cadle
| we're in bed, or ready to 60, before returning
home. Have never seen Mr.. Mahin or Mr.
Stein about the office in the evening, but once
or twice since the Office was moved. 1t was
my custom to go down every evening to see
that all was safe for the night, more on ac-
count Of my boy than for any other reason.
At the time when Mr.. Mahin spoke to me
about getting the boy, remarked to him that
Blake was not Of legal age for a clerk When
| took possession of the Post Office, | wrote
to Mr.. King the First Assistant Post Master
General, with regard to allowing my boy to
stay in and about The Office. Having never
received reply to my letter, considered
that tacit ass, Mt to his remaining there
Since Mr.. Mahin took the Post Office have
seen at different times Mir Garner and the
>c4l,
Office. The investigation was continued from
Friday till Monday Promises and threats
were intermingled in the attempts to make
which he only replied, II have nothing to CON
fess.' took Blake from school because it
was apparent lie could learn nothing The boy
never could learn the multiplication table to
this day. have tried to learn it to him, his
mother has tried it, but all to no purpose. Be
fore we came To this State he had seasons of
sickness and affection. We employed for him
the best physicians it was possible to obtain,
but they could agree upon nothing more than
that he was troubled with nervous affection
lie was troubled with spasms and would
awake and scream in the night We never
felt any confidence in him, so far as letting
him go away among other boys was concerned,
but usually kept him about home. There was
4 sort of incorr2ctness in his mind, and it
, seemed hard for him to get into the ways Of
the world. He was 16 years old this month
Cross COMMUNICATIONS him inca
pablo OF giving his attention to business. |
never told Mr.. Manin that all was not right
with the boy. The matter was kept strictly
i'll tie family. only tell it now most reluct-
antiy. Never had any conversation with Mr..
. Mahn with regard to making good the
losses through the Post Office. Might have
asked Mr.. Mahin if there was no way to shield
the boy provided he was guilty. Blake was
n tne habit ofkccplng memorandum Of what
. II wished to do. tod him to do So Book
here plut.uccd) Don't know that have seen
5 this book before. We were in the habit OF
destroying drop letters after they had been in
thc Office Il certain length Of time, there being
{ then, no provision in the Post Office regula-
e tons for their disposition. Can't tell what
c these memoranda mean unless it is something
connected with that matter
The memoranda referred to are as follows
rair up all Letters that I find me heave what
:, Differ from the Rest.-hluscatine Iowa, Oct. 3Uth
all .eters that open must be in the csses and
G not in the boxes.-Ce:. 30th.
i Another read by the witness, which he could
T.. not explain is as follows:
: Cheat all cam Tuesday, Oct. Cd, 1860.
: Many Others such rs to get a trunk" elk
: saw d" "shingle the wood house." &C., he recol
I lected as actual duties the boy instructed to
perform
Dr.. Goodno, sworn.-Am acquainted with
: defendant lie went to school to me, | think
three years. His progress as a scholar was
Il very small was always industrious, but una
: bic to make a good recitation. Have tried to
, make him learn by keeping him after school
Wocid study, but weep and say - can't GET
it." Understood he was removed from schoo
d for the reason that he could not, apparently
{ make any advancement Never knew of his
: hesitating or oquvocating in telling the truth,
+ and was always ready to acknowledge if he
d had done any thing wrong. Never played
with the other boys bat stood by looking at
thein as they were playing.
Cross examination.-Eh teachers and
could not learn him the multiplication table.
: Never had a suspicionaof the correctness of his
mental capacity while he was at school, but
often noticed that he was dull Of colnprehen-
sion.
Dr.. George Reeder, Sworn.-Am the family
physician of Robert Williams. Have attend
ed his son Blake on different occasions Ne
yer suspected any thing wrong with aim until
about year ago. At hat time his mother
l. called me into the house, remarking ;hatBake
Was laboring under the impression that he
was soon to die OF the heart disease. en-
deayored to talk to him lie made 10 reply.
Finally asked him why he thought h was 90
' ing to die, to which he replied be didn't
|, know The next morning ] exau med his
heart lie would answer my cues; ions, his
countenance never changing. | thel; thought
and told Mr. Williams, there was something
the matter with the boy mind, but nat there
did not seem to be any disease. LAS well
satisfied ne was laboring under some mental
disturbance. From what | have SO n Of the
boy I should say that he is net Of sou I'd mind
John Mahin recaled-l did not 81; y a word
to Blake at the time Mr. Williams says Stein
and both endeavored by threats a.l prom
ises to make him confess. Stein ak ne spoke
TO him, but made To promises whatever
except that q confession would ms 'zc it 90
easier with him. Afterwards, Blake came to
me rs / was sitting in the front pat Of the
Office ami stared me in the face. Nated for
him to say something, but finally sa; to him
-"lilake, if you will tell us all a out this
matter it will BE- better for you; r.ust pur-
sue tha investigation 10 the Earthest tent it
is duty owe the public and am bound to
find out all about it," All he said IS to ask
me how ] could find out, and what ,aadc me
first suspect him. We burn gas in the P. O.,
and never had Il candle there to nv knowl-
I edge Have seen Mr.. Williams Their, on sew
era! occasions, as it was my habit often to
walk round there after night from the tele-
graph office to see that all was right
1t this stage Of the proceedings, Nj. Cloud,
j: attorney for the prosecution said there had
been no previous intimation of the peculiar
/ character of the defence now set up, of show
ing the accused to be not of sound mind by
the evidence Of the father and the family ply
sic;an, DR.. Reeder-that personally he had