Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-10-15
A RESUME OF THE CASE.

family connection CnaC luHaUlGS ono
county, and to family that has never had
a faint of insane blood in 1t. But his father,
Michael Coyner, married a lady who. with
her sist er, afterwards developed insanity.
What was eccentricity in the son Harvey
developed into insanity in the grandson,
Stuart. and In two of Stuart's sisters. The
will of Harvey Coyner so clearly showed
that the testator was not of healthy mind.
that it was determined by the other chill
dren to contest it, but the matter was COM
promised by concessions without legal pro-
ceedings. Stuart Coyner. however, still
retained the bulk of the large fortune. He
was an eccentric but bright boy, and
proved afterwards to be a young man OF
brilliant intellect. After marked success
at the Augusta Male Academy, he made
another success at the University of Vir-
ginia, and then went to Washington &
Lee University. While there in brief but
bot dispute over game of croquet he
struck fellow student over the head with
mallet. The boy seemed slightly injured
at the time, and went about as usual, but
died suddenly that night or the next day.
II was found on examination that his
skull had been fractured by the blow. At
ter this, young Coyner left Washington q
Lee and returned to the Augusta Male
Academy. When he left there he under
took the management of his fine farm
The development of his insanity, which
was doubtless fastened by the unfortu-
nate occurrence at Lexington was rapid.
In 1888, he became possessed with a de-
sire to leave the State, and went West
where he staid for two years. When he
returned to Virginia, and his farm, his
conduct was such that he was spoken of
as an insane man. He imagined people
intended to injure him, and among those
his imagination 6xed on, was worthy and
industrious young farmer named Monte
yuma Brown, who lived next to him.
Coyner had crazy habit of going to his Or
chard and imagining he saw people stealing
apples, or there to inju him, would fire
Unfortunately in different directions.
The orchard was near Browns. Unfortu-
nately young Brown thought to brighten
Coyner away from the practice by firing
his gun too. On the night before his
death be went into his own yard and fired
his gun twice. AS it resulted, his effort
to brighten away the lunatic only hasten
ed his own death. Coyner the next
morning was in paroxism of mingled
fear and revenge and on his way to the city
to visit the Fair intimated that he would
kill Brown, for whom he had long been
carrying pistol. He went to the Fair
and seeing Brown in the RotuEda shot
him while standing at his wife's side.-
Coyner was arrested and on account of
the intense excitement among the people
at the killing, was sent off to the Richmond
jail, where he staid several months before
they brought him back.
AN EXPENSIVE TRIAL.
There have been about eighty witnesses
summoned by the defence and prosecution
in this trial. The expense of the witness
es who have been in attendance is $50 a
day; the jury $21 so a day, and in addition
to that are extra expenses.
We give below running sketch of the
evidence given on and since Friday last.
On that morning the fourteenth witness
for the defence was put on the stand:
Chas. D.Myers.-C Cited cases of Insane
action while he was working for Coyner
two years ago. Worked two months for
him. G. made him dig deep hole with
no purpose. c. mother told bin to stop
digging that her son was crazy. One night
G. went up in his orchard and talked
about people he imagined were there and
shot at them. Shot until all This loads
gave out. G. was crying the day before
the killing and said Montezuma Brown
was going to shoot him and he would have
him arrested. Prisoner one day made
witness trample down some apples he was
packing. Sometimes Coyner would pay
him one price, sometimes another, didn't
seem to care much what. All this vas
after G. came back from the West.
james a. Landrum.-W for pris.
oner. One night prisoner had him dig
ging hole In tie ground by lamplight.
Coyner would go up in the orchard at
night and point to place and say. 'sNow
it that was man" and shoot at it. Left
the farm because he was afraid of prison.
er who he believed to be insane and dang
erous. Slept with Coyner while he
lived there. One night Coyner thought
he heard some one at the window and
fred out of the window. his pistol being
SO near witness face that the powder
burnt it. Coyner walked the floor the rest
Of the night. BE often sent him to Fish
ersville and other places instead of going
himself, saying he didn't want to 60 him.
self because the people there knew he was
crazy. Prisoner was in the habit of pref
ty much having pistol with him. Wit
ness often persuaded him to lay it aside.