Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1889-04-08
king MURDER CASE.
Defense Rests Its Case OH the Prose
cution's Evidence,
ON BOTH SIDES
Attorney Edgerton Opens for Prosecution
and spends His Speech In Combating
the Insanity and self-Defense Theory.
Judge Baldwin for the Prisoner.

"" vi sh' " nv
OMAHA, April c. -Long before9 o'clock
every seat in the auditorium was taken
and an eager pushing crowd jammed
the corridors and eagerly besieged the
sheriff for reserved seat tickets, which
a local paper had published would be
furnished to early applicants. 1t was a
fake, and with many "Oh mys!" and
|"Oh dearsy' the disappointed throng
loontented themselves with a lively
scrambling to gain the nearest point to
the door. At $3.50 the prisoner was
brought into the court room by Sheriff
ICoburn, looking quite cheerful. Court
was called to order at $3.50 a, m. by the
reading of the journal, Gen, Gown
then addressed the court and. in sub
stance, said that the defense would of
fer no testimony, but after a question or
two rest their case. Attorney Baldwin
then read two letters to the jury, one TO
the deceased, the other to Henry Wool
worth King, the coal merchant, in
which the defendant spoke in words of
endearment of the deceased and showed
how miserable, indeed, was the WON
ans lot as young Kings wife.
j.. s.. Miller, jailer of Douglas county,
was called for the defense. lie said that
Mrs. Kings hand on arrival at the Jail
was burned.
Defense rests.
Judge Croft announced that he would
allow two counsel on EACH side to argue
the case. Deputy County Attorney
Edgerton then proceeded to make the
opening argument for the prosecution.
Among other things, he said that he
would use the text of the defendants
plea, self defanse aid insanity, as an
argument. lie said that the idea was
preposterous AMI homogeneous; self des
Tense was a result OF good reason, judg-
ment and a sense of danger, whereby
the assailed party uses his Judgment and
reasontto defend himself. He also stated
he would refer to the phraseology of
Gen. Gown that the defendant was not
without sim when she first met King.
He then went into their married rela-
tionsa nd subsequent events since their
residence at Quincy, Ills. Mrs. King
became fearful during this part of'the
argument, and with difficulty her
counsel soothed her, and soon smiles
again came to her face, but another
spasm of tears came on and she had to
be taken to the ante-room to recover
her composure. A short Interruption
in the argument of Attorney Edgerton
was thus accustomed The defense asked
that their client be allowed to sit by an
open door in one of the private cham
bers, but on objection by the prosecu-
ton the court ordered that she should oc-
cupy the customary seat, facing the Jury.
Attorney Edgerton then resumed his
argument, reading the contract signed
by the defendant to release King from
all claims, and proceeded to comment
upon it. He said that when the de-
PENDANT had signed the release she either
INTENDED To release King or had known
that she possessed a certain power over
him by which she could bring him un.
der her. The defendants letter to the
deadm werethen read and commented
upon by Mr.. Edgerton. In substance
he sand; That the dead man was sus.
ceptible to the woman's charms; that il
was she who brought on the second
criminal relations existing between
them. lie further said that from the
common custom where a man lives
with a woman that the woman should
be true to him, she knew that
she possessed power to shake
the friend, II. Woolworth King;
that she MOULD do SO provided Harry
would be true to her. He then took VI
Kings character, and said that Harry
had ~endeavored to reform and lead /
new life, but that the defendant would
not allow him to do So; that as a pre-
liniinary step he was compelled to settl,
with the woman in order to lead a e
life. He did settle with her ant
came to Omaha, married and attempted
to lead a straight, honorable and uprigh
life. She sent a message to keep out o
her way or she might do him harm
This agreement was made on Nov. 8
on the Eth the tragedy occurred. Whel
sheheard that King had married and wa
trying TO lead anew life she thought she
would expose him to his friends il
Omaha unless a further monetary con
alteration wa Forthcoming. He thel
graphically described the actions an,
movements of the defendant after he
arrival at the hotel in this city. He sal,
King refused to enter into anothe
agreement; that it had been said tina
King had taken her by the throat. If h
had it implied that threats had beef
made to him. A picture of the scene
that quickly followed We're then por
trayed by MI. Eagerton. five coul
. call the dead back King the
could tell what had occurred; tina
his testimony would undouhtadl
show that threats had been used to dc
: stfoy his new-found happiness, to brea.
up his home. AsE. Edgerton then too
up the plea of self-defense set up by til
: defense, and said that if q person i
great bodily danger killed another
was justified before the law. The eN
preston u would not have shot hin
had he not taken me by the throat,
made by the defendant, was considered
and he said that if Che woman had She
him. when he grasped Her by the throa
it would not have been in the bacl
The speaker then took up the plea of il
! sanity and argued that there was no ev
: dence to that effect before the jur,
Take every great murder case in tt
courts. Nearly all the pleas We're il
sanity. In late years insanity had bee
considered an excuse for murder, but
had been carried to an extreme. TIL;
there was not q case ON record where
man had been acquitted on the insanit
. dodge, and was locked up as "A lunati
On the other hand they were only il
sane when the crime wis COMMITTEES
they were not dangerous to be at lars
after their acquittal. He mentioned IL
words of a judge who said; In mo-
] cases the insanity was in the jury bo
not in the criminals box" II
speaker then gave a description
a man who is supposed to
insane and that because he had peculi,
traits a doubt would be raised in
jury's mind and therefore a verdict
acquittal. A fit of passion, of anger.