The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-02-04
JUDGE AND JURY
Hearing the Murder Case
Close OF the Prosecutions Testimony
Opening for the Defense'-Rob-
ertsOn on the Stand.

|
ness for the prosecution was examined
last night ana IL the defense occupy as
much time, the case will not go TO the
Jury this week. When the prosecution
rested their case last night, Mr.. kenworN
t.,v moved that the case be dismissed as
the indictment did not cover the evidence
produced. An evening session OF the
court was held, and arguments were
made on both sides At 10 o'clock Judge
Glenn overruled the motion Of the de-
PENDANT and court adjourned. The evi-
dence
FOR THE PROSECUTION
closed yesterday afternoon with the ex~
animation of Maggie Shanks. an inmate
of the poor farm, who testified as TO hear
ing Samuel Robertson narrate his account
of his encounter with Hans Zimmerman,
stating that grandpa" had said that he
had cuffed Zimmerman until the blood
flew as high MS his knees. Saw Thinner
man the Saturday before he died in the
crazy house. She washed the clothes OF
Hans Zimmerman before and after the
trouble. She washed them the Monday
following the trouble The clothes con-
sisted of shirt and undershirt, There
was blood on the sleeves and about the
neck. She never saw any blood on them
before. She corroboraied Lucinda Ev
ans testimony regarding what happened
at the hotel when Robertson urged them
not to tell the conversation with Thinner
man in the crazy house.
At the opening OF the court this morn,
ing, the witnesses for the defense were
called
SAMUEL ROBERTSON.
the defendant in the case, was first put
upon the stand He testified that he was
sixty>five years of age. His home was
with his son at the county farm, where
he had lived since a year sgo last April
He was born and raised in Allegheny
county, Pennsylvania, where he lived
prior to his removal To Rock Island
county. He said he was II widowcr, and
had brought up ten children, the oldest
being thlrty-six and the youngest six>
teen. He served during the wrr and is
member OF the G. A X. He belonged
to a post in Pennsylvania and now is a
member Of the post at Coal Valley. In
1916. he WAS elected county collector of
Allegheny county, and hal held various
offices from that time to this. Been a
member of the United Presbyterian
church since 1915. Never been arrested
for violation of law before. Had charge
of the insane department at the county
farm ever since he came there Knew
Hans J. Zimmerman; he came to the farm
in November, 1884; remained there six
months Then he went away, and after
four months came back. Was cared for
as a pauper. He was put under my im>
mediate charge in November of last year
Was told by the employees in the wash
house that there was foul sheet
belonging to Zimmerman. Found
Zimmerman in the sitting room
took him down to wash house and told
him to wash the sheet Left him there.
Went to drug store. Martha Shlnks
came in and told me Zimmerman had
struck her. Zimmerman was washing his
sheet on some clean clothes told him
to behave himself He sassed me, and
said | thought had better take him to
the crazy house. then escorted him to
the crazy house and locked him up. He
muttered on the way over kept him
there. He wanted to know how long he
was sentenced for | told him six weeks
and longer if he did not show good con
duct. First put him in cell and few
days later gave him the liberty of the
hall. At the end of six weeks
| let him out in daylight but he
slept there at night. The beds were straw
mattresses and pillows, and two or more
blankets, according to the weather. The
building WAS heated by steam and was
nicely ventilated.
During his confinement defendant was
led to believe his urinary organs were ont
n nrfa / OF
He behaved badly. On the Sabbath morn
ing Of Christmas week | went over as
usual and went back to the dry goods
store where we keep circulating library,
got him and the others there book and
a piece of tobacco for Zimmerman. As
lentered the hallway Hans was talking
to another inmate in an excited manner.
asked johnson what was the matter.
johnson suffered and | could scarcely
understand him. Hans muttered, and
told him to take Il walk around the hall
and cool off. He did So and AS turned
to go out saw Hans coming toward me
with shoe in his hand. lie said, if YOU
come near me III knock you down |
did not think him in earnest, and as
stepped towards him he threw it in my
face, making scar on my cheek which
bled. ! said what do you meant He
said, you told that man to call me a
Dutch s-of-aNb-." slapped him with
my open hand, and made his nose bleed.
Then | took him to the washtuh and as
my face was bleeding too, we both
washed. then put him in his cell and
locked him IN. gave him his meals that
night as usual. Next morning let him