, 1865-09-27
=. rs'.,: 80
THE WtE.TE MURDER TRIAL.
THE WlE.TE MURDER TRIAL,
Killing Of Mrs.. Phebe White :by
Her. Husband, Reuben Z. =:
White. ~. "
HISTORY OF. WHITE AND. HIS
CRIME---DEsCRIpTI0S:0F,
:: THE PRISONER.
Open ing Of tie Circait Court at
+ ! : Waukegaa.


The, Circuit Court for Lake county, Of the Seventh
Judicial District, convened at Wauxesan Oh AIou-
day last, Jpdge E. s, Williams, Of this city, pre-
siding 1Ibescase in which pubic interest centres
is that Of Reuben T. White, on trial lot the murd:r
of RI wite, phees White: The story Of the accused
Reuben r. White was formerly a merchant in
HauleEan, where be was universally liked and re-
specttn+ Some years ago he retired from business
nhont 2A n1ilce northwest or Waukegan, where he
resided at the time Of the murder. He is an Ameti
enn !ty birth: as was wns also Lis wife, whom be
was En- old residout Of Lake county, having settled
there in ISIS. For some yea1e previous 70 the COM
mtssIon Of the awful dscd. be had bean addicted 10
Of rroes inu1ieson ior sevcfai days together, and
until hts eyetem conll bear the fiery stinulant no
longer. at times, when under The influence Of
o;fer lines he wss e:1eemed as one of tha Isndest
Of fathets and husbands. It was generally believed
that be mud his via Hired togrsher even more hap
PLY than usually tails 10 the lot Of married people.
tbs MURDER.
:. About noon on the slkt Of August, 1907, White
returned 70 bis house from a visit to Wankeeaa,
and tod bis wife he had received message :For,
Heaven ihat be sTas to die a. two O'Clock. She,
u t1s W sss on m his nnfs2 sn;h
without Huecees. AboNl one o. clock, when be vas
atscnt from the room, Hrs. Whffo turned the hands
Of the clock to Jour O'Clock, and On hls retnrn
fha, he not 10 die, The time set Tor ha delth
Was already passed, At this be became angry, aud
accused her of having turned the clock forward.
MI th1excu, k*sins esch aIeetionately, and giving
them MESSAGES 10 bear to several Of his neishhott
and acqua1ntances, about the disposition Of big
e. &C. oa 3a upos f. s ap s
wife, fearing something would happen to him, fol-
lowed and soon joinsd him, and fhe two together
aler they were seen sitting on log, not tar from
the scene Of The murler, By young lady who uas
passing. White then Hssed IFS vile, and the tro
asoee md xa!ked away This ~as The Ia. time the
gully husband. About seven o'clock in the even.
ing White called upon the Sheriff Of tue county,
1shseod ls Simmons. feq md Eq1se!ea1o ls taken
coal, vest and Rhoes hispants being vet and muddy
nearly to the knees, as though be had been Ia i
slough. and be vas na'e. hassatd, and apparsatly
should he taken into custody. White replied that
he had Killed his wife and waited to Be locked np
therefor; MI $. disbeiiescd the story, but White
persisted In It and told him ihst he had choked her
untt life vas extinct aod then, 40 make sure
thing Of 1t, hclt out her brains with a stick Of
wood. The Sheriff at last locked him ia tho
Where he learned The bets above stated. Seaech fol
the missing Roman Eas Immediately instituted,
but without success ntn nesr morning, when her
dead body was found in 'clump Of hazel bushes,
a. indicated hy WnItc In his tale to The Sberif On
the mock OF the murdered wou1an wcre finger marks
1lninly indicating the manner of her death, while
her kknli broken in eeyera pt1ces. a1d one ear
nearly pounded OF. She had ben lo:nc abont fonz
led md ea1rfay lid II the bushes, her dress % bene
smoothly 1aid about her, and The bushes replaced
in their natural position a nearly as poassble The
body YVES taken 10 the house which had 70 recently
been her Happy home. where coroncr's inquest
was committed 10 jai 10 await as till ior murIer
On the 30 Of February. 1861 the grand Jury o! Lake
county found an indictment against hin, and his
In session. The case has since been postponed
from time to time on motion Of the defendant for
lack Of witnesses and for other causes, rnt,l the
psesent te5m. which commenced On Aooany. hs
statcd above.
ENrASE1l1xa JCrT.
The regular panels Of jurors struck for the term
included twenty four names. The examination
soon exhausted these, when special reaiFt was
tesned for fnrty-ciEht tafesmcn. OF the eeyeuty-
tro thus summoned, stuy-two responded; Of these
there we're excused By the court !, pefcmptori]Y
eaasllsnged sas and e1sused Tor eanss = Thus f1
D. Mlliard, Benion. 49,
Noah faw, Ella.
Sampet Baktsley. Cubs.
p y Putnam, fremont
c. n. 0etrapdeT. fremont
1sase I. Skinner, Asun.
A. Whitney, Avon.
The panel being exhausted sometime bciorc NOON.
The Court Adjourned With strtet 1njuaettons to
she 70 ,sn in g 0 ne BODY Of e.
scsEion went oycr until halErast one and passed in
hlIsstul quicaude until well nigh on to O'clock,
th Hea aaS1 ss gps1 ra 4 S .yyt ta
sGifas Of The county, hAllng for Jurors Farmers
their field. whose Attendance be demanded at the
opening Of the Court on "Wednesday morning. Ne
cesetty demanded further draft TO answer the e.
tgencdss Of tho occasion. and yet another ckasts
went forth. The effect, however, ot the baI1Id's
error NEa tIErtrevable. and the Court was COM
IN 4{Srr7 r1fS1
THE rR1soSEn.
The psisouer sat IN the coar room dnring the
ps9ton least interested In The proceedings around
The neatneEs md tdiuess OF lis dress, now wears
eeedy black suit. md bore the appearances Of one
who had given up all thorght Of personal ne.tuess.
bsa5S-,Ss lastes hssssliy spTinfled Win sssy. Is
above The medium height, spare, uirJ frame, IS
rather mild looking than Otherwise, with vacant,
from long confinement In jail where he has now
lain 70" osrr THREE Year,.
HIS FAMILY.
White has fire chld1ea-lh.ec eoues md two
danghtrz-l!aye vsised hin, IN jail. Soon amer bis
Incarceration, The eldest daughter visited hn aud
with much foe'tng eald to him. Father. goa know
z15 1a5 ny Sps sss III 2s;sGs9 ';ps f.
Children all appe--ed at drst TO be much fnceased
nGainet the morde-ers but the lapse OF time he.
tween taE EttutulsE3on 0I 1oG ded anu tlE l9l nae
done much to eoi1en this feeling on their part.
The eldeai daughter Aboye referred ia, Mzs- MarJ
Lloyd, who is newly married rrsldea at Buffalo. y.
Y Is IN attendance upon the trial She fs in 4
delicate condition, md fears were entertained that
the excitement OF The trial would prove extremely
hurtful to hex. She insists, however, upon being
present
TIE feeling In NsukeEaa in regard to the me.1E
Of tho case appear 10 be pretty nearly eqns1y dis
| ded- No doupt seems to exist rs to his having
committed the crime for which he Is a.ragned b1i
, many Of bis friends insist that he was tnsanc q,
the time, and therefore not accountable. Others
scout thiidea Of his being insane aud dcnonuce hi
! conduct ia no measuBd terms. To this fact naJ
be Attributed the extreme difficulty experienced u
o5t6uinG Jury. One man. yesterday. being asked
be bad formed m opinion, replied that he thonsh
II W hits had had his des1ts, be would hare beer
hung long ago." ..
Tia tEial promises to be one Of much interest 4.
the dcfence intends 10 rely upon the plea Of intAn
t. 10 secure the ncquitial Of the prisoner The fol
: lowing distinguished physlciaDs are expected Il
testify as 10 Whites condition and what CONSTITUTES
tuFanity: Dr.. Andrew Mcfarland, Superintendent
I Of the Illinois Insane Asylum, Jacksonville; Dr
Van Dnzen, Superintendent Of The Michigan In
sanc Asylum: Dr.. j. Adams Allen, Dr. r. Il BY
ford Dr. \. 8. pavis, and Dr. 4 \. 1sham, Of Chi
cngo; Dr. Es21k, Of Wa1kegan. End number o
others. 1t has been said TINT II White II tusalc b.
Was made 70 By the e1cezEtEe nse Of ardent tptdts
J Charles \. Heed, Esq.. States Attorney, md W
s. Searls, Esq, Of WnuEcean, appear for tbs prose
crtfor and HIM II " TInd ecfr Insenh William