Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-19
THE LEE WIFE MURDER.
A Defense 81 Insanity Raised-The Tes-
tfmOmy To-day.

THE LEE WIFE MURDER.
A Defense sf insanity Raised-The Tes.
simony To-day.
Yesterday in the Criminal Court, Judge Mac
Arthur, the trial OF the case of Richard J. Lee
indicted for the murder OF Mary Lee, his wife
by shooting her on the 25th OF November was
continued after THE STARS report closed.
w. r. White testified to seeing man chase
and shoot down woman at the corner of 4th
and X streets southeast. He struck her after she
fell, then said: "Now I'm willing to go to the
station house and give myselfup," and walked
up 4th street to g street. Witness went to the
station house and told the police.
Maggie Forester, w. S. Van Fleet and Joseph
III. Thompson testified to seeing Lee chasing
and shooting his wife on the street.
Joseph Williams testified that he met Lee
at the corner of Sd street and Pennsylvania
avenue. Lee said he had just shot his wife and
sister, and If he had any more cartridges he
would go back and shoot the whole ID
George Eglof and Frederick Dyson, restau
rant keepers, testified to Lees saying that be
had shot his wife and was going to hang for it.
Sergeant Mullhall and Officer Wilson, who
made the arrest, testified that they found Lee
West. He acknowledged the shooting and APP
peared to be Indifferent. He was somewhat
under the influence of liquor. He said that his
wife's sister had threatened him with an axe al
Minnie West corroborated the testimony as
to the arrest.
LEES INSANE RELATIVES.
The defense called JAS +. Lee, brother of the
| accused, for the purpose of proving insanity
Witness said that the uncle of the accused, Geo
Stewart, had been in the insane asylum, and
Chas. Hensen and Chas. Stewart, his first cou-
sins, are now insane. On cross-examination
the witness testified that the accused had
worked for him as barber, and he thought
him sane enough to be trusted with q razor al
that Geo. Stewart, uncle of the accused, had
been insane for nine years, and died three days
after he was sent to the asylum. Mrs. J. Lee
testified as to the insanity Of the cousin Of the
accused.
To-DAY's TESTIMONY AS TO LEES ECCENTRIC
ITIEs'
This morning John Barnes, q police officer
testified to thu good reputation of the prisoner
Richard Hinson testified to the strange
actions Of the accused on the day before the
stated that he was a cousin of the prisoner, and
he has brother who is insane; that on the
evening of the homicide Lee came to his house
crying and acting strangely.
Sarah HinsOn corroborated the preceding
witness, stating that Lee came into her house
him, saying that he would kill himself. He
seemed SO much out of his mind that he walked
against a stove on which she was cooking fish
and Knocked 1t over.
Caleb Smith testified that Lee told him that
he had had trouble with his family, and if he
could not live peaceably with his family he
would rather die than live. He said il he could
get his wife separated from his sister-in-law
family.
Robert Bowie testified that he was with Lee
on Monday morning, and he said, "My time is
short; it won't be long before I'll be gone"
Mrs. Lavinia Lee, recalled, testified that de-
PENDANT had been drinking heavily for three
weeks, and acted like a crazy man.
The defense called several witnesses who
failed to answer, one OF them, John Mccarthy
orb in ipiO Nt,aNy hoo ma
w. Godding, superintendent of the Govern.
ment Hospital for the Insane, who produced a
register showing that Geo. Stewart was admit
died in twelve days, his disease being dipsoic
dementia, which, he said, meant that the man
mad become diseased by drink.
TESTIMONY IN REBUTTAL.
Lucy Williams was called in rebuttal and ties.
titled that she never induced deceased to leave
Lee; that she never knew of men coming to see
deceased and never heard Lee charge his wife
with uniaithfulness. Witness never had any
words with him except on the night OF the kill.
ing.
Susan Powell. George Powell, Maggie For
roster, Maggie Campbell and others testified in
rebuttal that they saw nothing wrong about
the deceased and never saw Lee acting
strangely.
Watkins H. Williams testified that he was
asleep when the shooting commenced; that
about week after Mary left Lee the last time
he came to the house and several times after.
ward; always regarded him as a man OF sound
Lees wife was also an upright young girl.
The prisoner-"Yes, and say SO now"
"A recess was here taken.
After recess, w. A. Hawkins, janitor of the
eighth precinct south, testified that he was
we'll acquainted with both parties: that de-
ceased once came to the station with a child in
her arms and a little boy, who begged her not
to have papa arrested. Lee several times spoke
to him about having trouble in his family, and
said II he went to his wife's house somebody
might be dead. He was then under the infiti.
ence OF drink. Never saw anything about Lee
to indicate insanity.
On cross-eXamination witness said Lee was
under the influence OF LIQUOR
Officer j. w. Howell testified that he had
known Lee for five or six years, and regarded
him as an intelligent man. On cross-eXamina-
ton witness said Lee was a man of good
reputation never saw him in liquor.
O1l1cer Parker testified that he had known
Lee on the TallapOOsa in 1881 and since.
Emma Ruckett testified as to Lees reputation
and never saw any evidence of Lees insanity.
THE TESTIMONY ALL IN.
The testimony was all closed at l:45 o'clock.
and the defendants offered payers for the
theory OF insanity.