The New York herald., 1877-03-21
PIKE, TIE CHICAGO MURDERER.
An Interview with the Prisoner
and His Wife.
Strange Statements and Adj
missions.
INSANITY TO Be THE DEFENCE.
From the Chicago Tribune. March ls.l

Pike has been assigned cell No. AZ in the County
Ja,l and Yesterday was more composed than at any
time since the murder He has abandoned In meas
ure his reflections upon his wretchedness and the
wrong done him by his wife and Jones, and now taiks
In quiet dignined manner of the circumstances lead.
ing to an act which claims their legitimate re-
suit He seems TO rcsen; the indisnity put upon him
In incarcerating him. and when speaking OF bis Tor
lorn condition looks bitterly upon the necessity for
dcpriving him OF his liberty ''Ths Is not the place,
nor am | situated In way to show any independ-
ence he said a Tribune reporter yesterday "Of
course the world condemns me; but you have BE-
frended me- and while bct little what the world
thinks OF my action will trust you with the handspring
and the motive" "Didyou read Geneveves iession
through? What do you think oil itY" "Did you force
Il from heryn "Poor Genevicve! ! didn't have to
force /. from her would not believe II for long
time Ill she forced viii make statement
by and by" "shall you give anything in addition 10
what you gave me yesterday 2" "No; nothing beyond
that | will swear TO what you have published, and
give that as my statement" He took hold Of the
grated door and looked steadily at the reporter You
got mo a lawyer?" ''Ycs." "You published my
statement as gave it?" eyes" You published
Gencvievc's confession as l wrote it9" Eyes" 81
am grateful to you Tor what you have done shan't
forget your
He turned away from the door and buried his lace
IN his hands.
PIKE is sensitive man, and proud man, and he
Keeny feels his position Ever since he became satis
fed Of his wile's inidclty he has been completely
broken up He has brooded over II ana amented until
nc scarcely knsw what he did, and now that his dis
grace has become common town talk he has been
pretty well upset
AS an indication OF Pike's pride his friends tell n
story % a time when he was hard up some time ago.
His wife and lady friend went 10 tho Relief and Aid
Society Tor assistance Pike was SICK IN bed, and
every excrtion made to keep tho iact OF his wife
mploring aid from him. An agent OF the society went
to the house, and subsequently to Mr. Butler. now
Pxe's counsel, and then gave Mrs pike $40. circum
stance which Pike Will now learn for tho nrst time
Mrs. Pike spent greater portion OF the day In con-
versaton with her counsel and Tribune reporter As
better head than her husband. lie reasons the i'm
propIicty OF locking him up and theories geseraily
On The nutty oil trying man who maniicstly ought
not 10 be convicted. Genevicvc, on the contrary,
takes practical view OF the matter, and having first
satisfied herself and counsel that she prove by sur
rounding circumstances and people who were present
al The last conversation between herself and husband
that she knew nothing projected shooting scrape
she has turned her whole attention yanking of
the unfortunate Pike out OF danger and durancc.
What Will be the nature OF your husbands dc.
icnccY' asked the reporter. "Foor man! am afraid
his only defence will be his love for ana the wrong
Jones did him. was AFRAID Tor long time that those
people would drive INN to madness, and told Mrs.
Robinson once 10 let him alone or she would drvo him
crazy" Ibid she especially Affect his mental bealth!"
T think" SAID Mr.. Butler, her lawyer, ~ think his
is II affected at the time?' said the reporter
"Oh, hc has always been crazy,' saa Mrs Pike.
us that your deicnceY' asked the reporter oil
Mr. Butler ccrtainly." said he. "wc shall plead in
sanity ana prove It," 'Ive got the proofs, - said
Genevlcve The reporter looked incredulous "on,
yes, have -! she insisted 81 have got the best proof
n the world" THAT'S SO, said Mr.. Butler, ~ she
has got what she says w she has sne WI, n, get him OF
SAID she .'why don't you tell himY' demanded Sir
Butler "Did you know my husband was crazy ?" she
the matter with him, SAID The reporter ..Yes, there
is something the matter with him. In 1870 my hus-
band was shut up IN the lunatic asylum at Taunton
kInss md IA hA wnS ftCc I'm NnSyV VnPe hah.
lam I" slow long in Taunton 2" .'Severa months -
"How long in New York;" 'Thc first time about two
weeks" "was he at Bloominsdales" "No,
hc was on some Island forget tho
Backwclrs Island" BackweIfs Island, New York,
is city property, and contains pententiary tsynon-
ymous WIN Chcaeo's i'ridcwelD an aimshouse and
paupers lunasic asylum. Can you prove that state
OF facts?" IL can. Ihave the papers IN my trunk"
HAS any other member OF his family ever mamie lcsted
symptoms OF nsantyy" "Yes. his younger brother,
Loveoy Pike, is IN Iunatic asylum now." 'Thcn
this appears TO be hereditary trait rather than emo
tionalY' "0h he has always been crazy" ''SnaIl
you rely exclusively upon thisY asked The reporter OF
Mr. Butler. 'Ycs, this and the circumstances oi the
case We VIII avail ourselves of every detail that may
appear beneficial" ''But insanity will DO the
pointY" "Oi course" "Did you notice, madam, that
Mrs Robinson swore at tho inquest. tina.
ticed IT, and it is not true Look ut
this" She drew out some scraps OF paper and the
reporter, fitting Them together found that they formed
marriage certificate, uniting William Pike TO Gene
we've Evans at the city OF ST. Louis and tho document
signed by John II. Ncmycr, Justice oil the Peace
III hope that will Set that story at rest" she said
"How came 1t torn so Y' II tore 1t up day and
threw II at my husband but | saved the pieces "
'WLcn did you hrst lind out what sort of house you
were IN 2" "When We nrst went into the house
supposed its Inhabitants TO be respectable We were
acquainted with but one OF the inmates, MIR.
Jones, aud we knew him to be respectable.
That on the lst OF October. | began feel
soon that there was something unusual in the
atmosphere In the house Something dense, dark;
something that caused feeling OF sufocatlon. Ispoke
OF 1t one dav 10 lady. She said girl who had been
TIM ,.,cAA had
committed suicide there The blood stains the
door. Then also saw mat there was u woman on the
same floor who would never come out OF her room
when there was anybody IN the hallway. liked her
looks, but never could become acquainted with her.
nouced that her husband was always alone when she
went out. one day spoke to the servant said 1t
was funny that the woman's husband should stay at
home and cook for himself The girl said no not
the woman's husband. that he had NO wife. | spoke
TO the gentleman r Jones) about 1t. aud hc said s
that all you can tell me, little girl? This house
q law unto itself. People do they please
furnished tor an assignaon house. | turned
away from him dlssus'ed, and he afterward
told mo that his remark was only tost, and he
glad 1t dlsgusted me, Tor then he knew that
vir.uous and upright WOMAN; Yon & can't think what
out 7" "How could II Jones had cast q spell over mo
that could not resist. considered my husband too
my own strength aad fell :" Did you read your con.
fession In this mornings Tribune" "Ycs; that was
sne only paper READ u m ~; us tina, The confession
dozen confessions and gave them TO sign, and
tore them up" Were they as full as the one pub
lshcdy" mo; that was the most comp!etc" "Was
that one trucyn at true, word for
word.n "Dd you rcad your husbands state.
ment" 'The Times and Inter Ocean said he could not
be induced To make statement, but saw that the
Tribune had II IN ulLn 'Was that statement truey'
at was In substance but he was awiuIly mixed to
dates Tho circumstances ho spoke OF as happening
Christmas Eve occurred Now Years. Then he has
got several other dates wrong; but in the main, he
has told just what occurred" ''Did your husband
ever know what you had found out about tho build.
ings" "Oi course no did. told nm." "What dil
he say?" "He SAID, Gcncvicve, sunbeam will spoil
rat hole, and you are the sunbeam to purify this
nest r" "What did you say to that?" II didn't say
anything" ''Was your husband free lovcrg" "No.
He was spirituas,, but hc did not believe in free
love-" "Did Jones know OF his views that sub
tect?" eyes; Jones aud | were TO consummatc our
marriage on the 22d OF November, after my husband
should 60 out Mr. Pike got up aud dressed himself
and put on his overcoat TO go out. Just as he
going he was seized ith chill and lay down the
outside or tho bod covered him up Mr. Jones
nd nj " all day. They lalked