, 1875-09-11

The Prisoner Tells His Story
CONCERNING the Murder.
Testimony as to Insanity..-The Jury
Still Out.

Testimony as to Insanity.-.The Jury
Still Out.
Tho trial Of John Cor,don for tho murder Of
hia wife waa resumed before JadGe Farwoll, III
the Criminal Court. yesterday morning. No
very Rrent public interest waa manifested III Tho
result, judging by tho Hnhll crowd asso1nhlod III
tho chaAbcr.
THE DEFENDANT, coXnns.
waa ths first witness called and Bworn. Alter
ulating that ho waB 70yoara old, nntl otler thlnHa
a,roadY familiar TO thoHo readers of TuE Tn1u-
uSE who llaro studied tho caao thc old man pro.
ceedod to describe lsow the woman ilrht cnn.o
to his house outside Of Rockford, ILL.,; how
sl1o aslfotl sllottcr from him for hcr6olf aud
children; how, without any edGance oil llH part,
sha volunteered to cohal,s with fIln,. aud did
Xix wackH previous to thoir marriage. Afho. how
elIo led him Ar0iiHl from placo u p1acc. hcl.g
tumble to rnH!a. hor aomo"l'at COARSE aud fatijcr
Euunty Clerks oi!ice that otcial asked dcfond-
ants ago. lIo Thought !1o put 1t lower than 1t
was bccnrHo tho widow called lerFe!f -.
Tho .,;, G!ork did not Iko .b: tho appe"ranco
| al should aino appear hofore linn.
which sbo did. Tho certificate MAS listed, h,nl
Tiny were 'nnrE1od.. They lived Mt No. u 1Ia'-
sted streot Defendant expected good treatlnant
At the "omans hands, hecauno ello rtofcnaa1
| mich love for him previous to marriage, Hut
| lle was disappointed. hho becatue tho rory ro-
yv1ho'o of arlah!o and tormonted him In vafloun
ways. Esnecialiy. slo wont Will, other men,
! particularly motlbcrH of tho Smith family. Ehs
aud her daughter wcto wrapped up In sho Snitlla
1fo lsa,l loved tho woman a. Aa lad
hover loved any other. llo grsw jGal-
hut in vain. Iio had earod 4S(h> wl.c,, he took
| tho wur1,an to wife. IFo hal lived i'll Missouri,
whore hc los. ron. In 1910: \ year Subsequently
t1o had lost n 1n,iet!-loyeA daughter. Ihon }!o
moved 10 hockfor'f, Whero llo lost hls tlrd. wlto:
Then h's only surviving sun got married aud
vent away leaving him rutto alono. Then catuo
tiso Woman, aust, with ner, trouble. II. isjl
yllcl 'asted tlreo months liz lad .
DO lanccd under both cara.. The NAL
ady Affected his MUD. aud 10 be-
came tlclirions. lIo remained 10 for quito Il
tliut ho lad mover boon drunk to his knowledge;
| never had been arrested mover Ind becn even II
witness in other civil or criminal caso previous
to tho 3uth Of lant Juno. to waH insalely jca'-
faac to lin. When lo uprahlol hor. a.o
lavl like lin ior," II not for lila
money. slio was bound to hayo that,
| },ioasantly suggested that somebody would blow
! Lila brat,H out. At anottor tina sho threatened
cl.!oroform, and 60 on. The who!o business bc-
came worao q week before tho crime. Size wont
will, her daughter. 6lo actod Hko a etreot-
walker, and nlways frcquonted tho company of
tne sniths. hhe beat tho defendant eyer oa,ycr
9 ,a bso1o sssa h.4 w' aoa s 19p saxs sfh 1 .ds "s
bcor. which he supposed was posouod, becauaa
it masle him very Hlck especially In tho reeion vi
the brain. ou tho morning Of juno 10; tho day
xor 1 u s to tic .heatqs .ot r
SIM had been out with hin tho previous night,
aud tue daughtnr sas will, another Smith. tho
nephow Of Smith No. l. This angerod him, and
llo made some remark about how wrong it uaa
| man NOT i,or husband. She then called hin,
n bud naule. aud, 4eizinK butcher
knife wl4csoHith sle had boon cutting meut
% boen told to do. iii eli stick youi" lie recoiled
from hcr, ,~Hho WIS witlul, arnl's longtb.--drow u
pistol from his yest, aud fired. llo did not re-
member What subsequently occurred, aa no wns
,iot "iil hiH right mind" liz bought tho plso!
somc wcolH provously to defend himhc}f against
tho peoplo who threaeuins: llis lIfc, accord
mlg 10 bin wifoa statement. liz hal lad ITO in
enion Of firing at her boloro sllo drew sho Anifo
| upon him.
Alter shooting at ha wife 10 flrod three times
athimBolf. Two chambers Of the platol u,,Bsetl
fro but tho third exploded and lodged bl,lIbt
In hs breaRt, nbout har an inch from tho hosr..
It alil remained there. Mr. Heed did not eruss-
examine tho defendant ns any length.
| stu. TnouAS cuFFEE,
an attorney who l1nd some acquaintance with
] tho prlsDcr Wah sworn. 1hH BtAteu tint LIE HD-
| l.oYel Condor to he somewhat insauo.
MEDICAL TESTIMONY.
DR.. Zen G. Miller ras nnhb!o to aay whether
the prisoner WEB lnsane when hu tEod ut ilia
wifo, but thought ho might have actod undor IN
inHaus impulse.
Dr. 6. ii. Alten wss Of opinion Tint tondon
wss rather inHapc. from Jealousy and other
causes, when ho tired tho fatal sIot.
DR.. Collus thought the prisoner waa inaano at
Dr.. Abbott coud not sAy. with Certainty. any,
thing on Tho subject.
Dr: Hay diu not thtnk Condor insano.
Neither did DR.. W. i. punnc.
Nor DR.. Frod seymour.
ConHtabla Casey testified that Mrs Condor,
wl,on he went to mako q Seizure at tho house
bcforo tho nurdor. spoke Of having the old mans
money, at nny risk.
1ArLER DOYLE
could not awear whether TIM prisoner was insaue
or otlorwiEo. 1Ia might bo lnad for anything
that llo kncw. Or lie might not.
i This closed tho oyidence
, cLoK1N1 SPEECHES.
Dir. Rood for thu prosecution, 1nalo 4 very
, brief speech. lie abandoned The idon Of capitx
; punisllment aut,rcly aud Bpolo In favor OF
, term OF imprisonment.
Mr. ". ". OBrien followed in lengthy ant
r Ablo speech, In which lG contendca vi1oro1iA,,
that the prisoner wnH Eui!t!osa, having actcd It
selftlefenhe. aud being RlHo moved By tatnpurar,
insanity.
Tho care vaa finally submitted to tho jury
! whicl. retired iur consultation. At D n'clocl
tho Judge called III, but, 1indlug thore was ex
, homo leavinH the Jurors in council.
OCEAN NAVIGATION.
! AMERICAN LINE,