New-York tribune., 1871-04-01
THE TRIAL OF BUCKOUT.
OPENING OF THE DEFENsE-EyIDENCE OF Ills
INSANITY.


inflicted upon Charles Randall, Alfred Randall and Mrs
Buckout Dr. scrbner subsequently testified that some
shot shown him were taken from the face or Charles
Randall, and others found on the foor; witness dld
not take any shot from the body OF Alfred Randall inc
prosecution here rested, and Francis Larkn proceeded
TO open the for tho defense:
He contended that his client, the defendant, was en-
trey innocent Of the crime OF murder believing that at
the time of the killing charged IN the Indictment he was
an insane man. lie then proceeded 10 specify some oi
the different species OF insanity and show now tose az
fected with deusions acted IN many instances IeieIIins
especially 10 where insane persons would tk ia
orsook them mother who idolizes her children aud
would sacrifice ler own life for them oIten at
or as' otheywiso so0 Deliberately S takes their lives
and perhaps her own at the same time;
taught everything to make him useful member o,
society He married happily hcd6 seed a. do" n IN We For For
years everything had gone pleasantly HIS good-na-
rendered him favorc among his neghbors. For three
and hall years Charles Kendall had been lhtlmaieD
dancing, and playing cards together. During the whole
Of that time an unpleasant word was never uterea pc
occurred TO mar tie domestic relations OF Buckogts
family A. last lie expressed himself suspicious OF ms
tween the Renals and his wife, but between two other
% OF whom % had % TGrkd % % On the oIs sr Ia s had
manifested tine greatest attachment toward Dir Kendall
within period OF ten minutes after they had entered
his dTeg at his SWn regHesI To- prsAe n1s and S
ead ei nesT slns hs GiO'rp ef one
II was the Interest Of BucEou that his wife should live for
owned land had other resources which lost to
him when he lost his wife. Everything connected with
the terrible tragedy showed beyond doubt that Buck
ont insane at the time he committed the Oncnse.
Ira Miller tostinedI have lived at Sleepy Hollow 20
years, and have known Buckout for "a or l3 years;
was well acquainted with him; have frequently visited
his house and he has visited mine he came to my house
the day Of January, 1870; IL was about quarter
to 70 O'Clock that day when went out with young
Iaan: BuckhOut along the road and said That he
|
cited, and exhausted; took LIN IN the house ana put
him sofa; when he said he had killed young Ran
CALL expressed my disbelief lie said ut is true poor
fellow :" he said he had made arrangement to meet
Linn 10 TairytOwn and lin up 10 Constable Law
rcncc who put him into carriage. and drove of with
the back OF his head, and his shirseeyes were rolled
up his eyes looked very Wild indeed saw BuGkom on
Tuesday after Christmas day he was tlcn complaining
that he did not feel well he said that lie had drank
good deal and eaten than he ought TO have done
and had taken pills and other medicine TO clear
himself out; he apppcarod to bo nervous he said
Wednesday night sent word Wednesday that he
had had restless night and would not be down there
FORE went up to his house Wednesday afternoon and
was with bin until toward dusk; had some CONVERSE
ton with him. bat nothing OF an unusual character was
referred 10 lie nervous and complained very
much the conversation IN the presence OF nls wIe
day soon after dinner; aked how Buckout was;
he said that BuckOut quite poorly; therefore went
up and him found Mr. Kip, butcher, there Mr.
| Buckout had Just come down stairs in his stocking
feet he TALKED for half an hour on general topics after
Mr. Kip went away, Mrs. BuCkOut asked her husband
II ne had not better wash himself aud comb his har, as
| !.
tlcn told him that he had better take the dOmnoes ana
play game with me- but he replied that he dd not feel
not look bad wien Buckout turned round and asked me
II thought ho crazy Mrs Buckout went out Of the
and then up stairs; when ne came back he said he went
up one way and came back another when he came PACK
| the pistol from him and pnt Il away III drawer; he
would not let her do 80, but laid 1t down the bureau
| shortly afterward he remarked, 81 had dream last
night that was in JAIL" said shoe ), he then sald
" dreamed just before my mother died and II came
|
| him, " You arc not going to use ilai, ore y"hI,
stand his gronnd :" ! asked him TO let me have
G Ses PH Ma fa aTre 6e ssd s G the @ hG"eht a
there was great change IN hun on at FRIDAY al aitof
thought that BucEou Was good ncghbor, obiigng and
Pleasant when BuckOut came 10 my house. his head was
hanging down. his mother had thcu been dead year or
two Buckout had Il fall from a WAGON III front OF my
Tuesday after Christmas Buckout spoke OF feeling bot
about lis throat and stomach ana sdld ne suose1 lt
Robert Yodng exaGllned-I was we'll acquainted with
Buclout before the war. and lived at sleepy Hollow
about months since the war; was at Ira Nilers on
The first OF January, $780, saw Bneout through the
| window lie came into tlc house; | aiterWarIS saw
him sitting OD tDe lounge; he told us that he had killed
Charley Randall; Mrs, Miller said tpat it could not be
true; BucAQut said that u was TOO tiue young hiles
and myself Went up 10 BucEnou;S ava saw me Ieau
bodies and tlen oane back and told what we had seem
me he did not seem 10 know me; he was told who was
but he did not to reccect me- his eyes were blood
shot, and he looked Wild he iookedat win very earnest
gaze as though he wanted to recognize me- never saw
i'm look before when MIR. Miller was going 10 tdke
him away he asked if he taking him 60 his (3uck
OUTS mOthers and on being answered IN ule alirna-
tive he said that lie had engaged to meet his mother at
Il or o'clock he acted quite irrational on that OCCASION
ike man very much depressed - .
Wett C. Brown tcstihed-In April, 1862 lived half
way between Pleasantyille and SING Sing; my family
consisted Of wife and mother; carried on farming and
the carpet tweaving business BuckOut came to my house
April H. 1863, about dusk; he was dressed IN short pair
OF cOrury pants and short coat; we shook hands ana
me- because he had home; said he had left his home
| in the Hollow; told him he might stay next day
Suuday-after breakfast, he said he would take walk
he sat in the neld until dinner time; sent up for him.
and after time he came back he stayed IN the house
during the rest OF the day; next morning he said he
wanted something TO do to steady his mlnd tod MN
me- gn' aaEn as ne dd M Em t TO- Re seemed 5e
derstand how wanted him to do IT, told him to shovel
said he could his better next day he wanted
TO know if he could do something in the weaving shop
told him no; but as he insisted, asked him how much
should pay him he said only enough to pay lis board;
tried teach him to weave, but his mind was not on
sunday following his arrival he asked me II / could
shave him; ho said he did not dare TO shave himself as
after that noticed he had loaded revover the same
day he took walk up into the swamp and sat by
wall between two ana three hours on tue sunday
previous he sat on the rock between three ana four
asked him why he sat there, and think he said he
might as wen sit there anywhere we noticed he ap
room during the night; asked him to let mother have
the pistol don't know what reply he made, but she
gOt e pistol; few days aftcrward friend and myself
were going to shoot 1T mark with my rnej BuekOut
said could beat me with his revolver after we stopped
nut away the revolver again; he worked only part OF
the tme when lie sitting in the loom weaving, he
would stop and sit with his head down; when asked
him what the matter was lie would laugh sometimes,
and again he would look sernly at me, as II offended;
sometimes he would laugh and say he wondered how
they getting on down In the Hollow; he always
came into the house with his sleeves rolled up tight 10
his shoulders; daily at the table he would
appear solemn for moment, ana then
break out laughing he said his arms felt better uneov-
cred; he asked when went to the city 10 get some
seditz powders he felt strangely; the next time he
wanted pills; he sometimes spoke OF his wife; when i
asked him why he left home he said things didnt 20
right he said his wife TOO familiar with other men,
and smoke of "a man named Lev, who was boarding
fhe he said that he had heard this and bis wife In