Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-10-08
LOCAL.
STUART COYNBR.
A JURY TRYING THE QUESTION
OF HIS SANITY.

4 JURY TRYING THE QUESTION
OF HIS SANITY.
The Courtroom was crowded on We'd
.. nesday morning last, till it looked as IT it
would be impossible to get another man
In. The occasion was the examination
into the sanity of Thomas Jefferson
Stuart Coyner, who killed Montezuma
Brown in the rotunda of the Fair Grounds,
on the 18th of last October. Judge J. w.
Stout presided, Meade F. White, the
Commonwealth Attorney, represented
the State; and Geo. M. Cochran and A. G.
Braxton, represented the accused.
THE JURY.
After nearly exhausting the new venire
that had been summoned. jury was Sc
cured composed of the following gentle
men: Andrew F. Young. John A. Hup-
man, Silas L. Huff, James M. Sellers.
Geo. L. Clemmer, r. M. J. Silllng, Geo.
E. sherman, Jno. W. Hopewell, Jas. T..
Kerr, Geo. w. Lackey, John r. Hidy, and
Peter H.See.
The Court overruled the motion of the
Commemorative Attorney, to arraign the
prisoner eg Nero 7notu. The trial was en-
tered on by reversing the usual order;
that is. the witnesses for the defense were
examined first with the privilege to the
prisoners counsel to open and close the
argument.
THE ISSUE BEING TRIED.
The following oath administers to the
jurors, by County Clerk Burnett, gives the
issue now being tried:
s'You shall swear that you will we'll and
truly try and enquire, frst--to find
whether or not the prisoner is sane 1oao.
If you find him sane now, you will say 30
and no more. If you find him insane now,
you shall further inquire whether or no he
was insane at the time of the alleged Of
fence, on the 18th day Of October, 1885,
and true verdict give according to the
evidence, 80 help you God"
EVIDENCE FOR THE DEFENCE.
The first witness introduced for the pris-
oner was Mr.. Chas. E. Kemper. His evil
dence showed that he was at school with
prisoner at the Augusta Male Academy.
Regarded him then as brilliant but un-
balanced young man. Coyner had kept
up the acquaintance since school days but
not intimately. When he was going West,
in 1888, he called on witness and said he
was going to leave home, everybody SEEM
ed to be down on him. His conversation
showed to witness mind clearly that he
was deranged. Though young man of
wealth, he said he was going to Ohio to
haul hay. So impressed was witness with
his insanity that he applied to his brother,
Neal Coyner. to look into it and have
Stuart put in an Asylum. Neal took no
action and witness brought the case to the
notice of Mr.. G. S. Roller, prisoners for
mer teacher. Saw prisoner in Jail the
night of the day he Killed Brown, and was
satisfied he was a lunatic. Also saw him
the next day before he was sent to Rich
mond. Prisoner was willing and DESTROYS
to be sent to Richmond for safety Pris-
oner engaged him and other lawyers as
counsel, bat witness regarded him as in an
irresponsible condition and paid no atten-
tion to the engagement.
W. d. Hanger, sworn.-Resided on the
next farm to prisoners had known him
from boy. In 1881, did not regard his as
a well-balanced mind. After prisoner
came back from the West saw him in his
field and talked with him. Still thought
him unbalanced. Later. saw him in his
orchard. He talked wildly. On the Sat-
urdaY before the killing, rode some dis
lance with him; he seemed quiet. On the
day before the killing saw him at his
mothers house and walked to orchard
with him. There he talked incoherently
on religious matters. Abruptly ended it
by saying "excuse me-" and struck out
straight for his home. Regarded him as
badly insane man. He talked of buying
tanks and pipes and building big cider
mill. Witness went home and told his
wife Coyner was insane.
Samuel Lifc.-Just before Coyner went
West, wanted to borrow money from him.
Saw from his conversation and look and
incoherency that his mind was disordered.
and did not lend it to him. That night
witness told his family that he had met
Stuart Coyner and that he was deranged.
Witness regarded prisoners father as in
sane on some subjects. Prisoners uncle,
Samuel, is now In the Insane Asylum.
Another uncle, VIM. Coyner, is now per-
fectly insane and has been IN the Asylum.
Prisoners grandfather was deranged for
md 10 W. II
sound on some subjects
Yesterdays PROCEEDINGS.
Judge ". A. Hudson, sworn.-Had
known the prisoner pretty nearly all his
life and thought him peculiar as boy.
Thought him a dangerous lunatic for
many years. Had told MonteZuma Brown
of his opinion. PRISONER had lived with
Mrs. Coyner, his mother, on her part of
the farm. He has sister in the Asylum.
Primus Boaules (cozored) Had worked
on prisoners mothers farm. Thought
he was often "far out of his course" He
talked at random ''about.girls and such
as that.' Sent men to dig for water where
no man would think water was, and where
water would do no good. When prisoner
returned from the West he was worse
than ever, The general opinion in pris-
oner's neighborhood was that he was
crazy man. On one occasion after he got
back from the West he suddenly broke up
a pleasant conversation by jumping up,
putting his hand on his pocket and say
ing, 'If I had apistol I'd blow your brains
out. What would you do about it Pr
Witness considered him dangerous man.
Charles s. Roller, Principal of Augusta
Male Academy .-P,is went to school