Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-10-01

away and injured the back bone. He
had seen Barnes several days that week.,
he was mildly intoxicated. He seemed to
be simply drunk on the day of the
| murder. He had been sometimes in n
sort Of drunken frenzy. He swore that
| his wife should not enter his house
| again. The witness thought that Barnes
| wanted to murder his wife, and therefore
advised her to leave him.
Edwin Physic testified to being present
at Browns house when Barnes and Brown
were having loud conversation Barnes
was excited; he said when he left he
would have revenge some day Dennis
Beers and Alexander Campbell corrobo-
rated Physic. The State here closed its
case.
The defense called Edwin Barnes,
brother of the prisoner, who testified
that the prisoner had changed for the
worse of late years since he taken to drink
and had charged hiswife with unfaithful-
ness in connection with four or five men
residing in the neighborhood, one of
whom was witness. There was not the
slightest ground for the accusation
as oil in the neighborhood
knew. The prisoners wife was
q lady and faithful wife. He once was
compelled to tie his brother. Had war
rant sworn out for his arrest. Intended
10 have his sanity inquired into of this
term of court. An elder brother of his
had become insane, as had also his
mothers cousin. Once Barnes thought
some medicine DR.. Brown gave him was
poison, and would not take it, but said
he would have it analysed.
David L. Warning, the constable who
made the arrest, said he found the
prisoner lying ON his bed A demyjohn
was in the room. He made no resistance.
Had seen the prisoner when he did not |
think he was right. Had heard prisoner |
run down his wife, calling her the worst |
of names.
David Scott, James Dale, his nephew, |
Harry Barnes, and one or two others, ties l
titled that Barnes was drunkard and had |
talked outrngeously about his wife and |
had also Threatened her life in their pre-
sence. There was not the slightest foun-
dation for his talk about his wife. Evans /
Taylor testified to Barnes drunkenness.
Court here adjourned at O'Clock until 8.
AT the night session William Win
chester testified that Barnes used Often
sive language to his wife. He had seen
him sober week before the homicide.
Herman Smithson saw prisoner drunk
day or two before the shooting.
Sheriff William j. Smith testified in
regard to Barnes attempt to commit
suicide by butting his head against n
staple the second day he was in Jail.
He Ind been wild about half the time
since; kept all awake around the jail by
his noise. The prisoner once thought the
deputy sheriff was going to poison him.
He had several insane people in his
keeping and thought Barnes insane. james
McKinsey, formerly an inmate of the Jail,
the sheriff.
DIR. Charles M. Ellis testified that he
had visited the prisoner on several occa-
sions in the jail since the middle of July.
Each time he talked about hiswife, claim
ing that she was unfaithful. Had no
doubt that this delusion of the prisoner
was sincere. He believed that Barnes
mind was unsound and that time would
show this.
James e. Haines visited the prisoner in
Jail. Prisoner did not appear to recog-
nize him although they were well
DIR. Horatia @. Wood, professor of
nervous diseases in the University of
an expert on insanity, was
ooicu W WIG sttuu ny tuo proStCutiOns 1
He visited the prisoner about the last of
July. He was very suspicious of him.
The accused said he could not re-
anything about his family
or place of residence. This
state of mind was only shown
in dementia and this he wa sure, from
his looks and the fact that he was able to
attend to business up to the time he was
arrested, the prisoner had not. Still this
did not prove that he was not
afflicted with some form of in
sanity. The delusion about his wife
was an indication of alcoholic
but the witness could not COS
why that delusion would make him kill /
Brown. The prisoners drinking to ex-
cess had no doubt injured his brain rs il did |
the brains of all habitual drunkards. He |
hardly thought the prisoner insane. In
answer to question of the court, witness
said that the probability WINS that the
killing of Brown was rather caused by |
than generalization.
Court adjourned until tomorrow morn
ing. Both sides have closed testimony |
and the case will not be argued. A |
witness will be recalled in the morning
after which the case will be with the |
court.