Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-09-18
FIEND OR IMBECILE.
The Question as to ALI Evans
Nature.
Progress of the Trial in the Circuit
Court ON the Charge or ArsOn...The
Testimony Thus Far.

ing the prosecution had just begun to in.
trodnce their evidence in the Evans arson
case. The defendant maintains substan-
TALLY the same condition before mentioned
in these columns, has wild. disheveled
appearance. his eyes dilated and stare
which meets with no response or recogni-
ton from gaze of anyone. These condi,
tons betoken either an unbalanced mind
or a piece of consummate acting, as to
which the jury will judge. But what,
ever the verdict neither the defendant nor
his friends can complain of the conduct
of his attorneys. who in spite Of the neces-
sarily adverse circumstances are making
vigorous defense and are leaving no stone
unturned to save their client.
The peoples evidence consisted of a re-
cital by Minnie Evans. the wife of the de.
PENDANT. of minor acts of violence and
threats made by HIM to her on
August and last. and of the
final assault made on August II
On this day. her father being absent from
the house, Evans Loaded up the gun and
wanted witness to go out to the barn; che
declined to go. fearing he meant to shoot
her. He then assaulted her in the house
and she escaped from him and ran out;
he ran after her with the gun, which he
fired at her. He then caught her and
carried her back to the house. sat her in
chair and took razor with which he
said he was going to kill her, but the edge
being dull, he went into another room to
sharpen it and she took advantage Of his
absence to run out of the room. He ran
after her and was gaining ON her, when
some seeing neighbors coming along the
road he took fright and ran back into the
house.
August Mare and his wife, who were
the neighbors to whom Mrs. Evans ap-
piled for protection, testified that they
saw her running and him after her; that as
soon as he saw them he turned and went
back into the house; that he had some
thing in his hand. but they could not dis
tipguish what it was.
Charles Cushman. Mrs. Evans adopted
father, and 4. G. Stevens, a neighbor.
testified to minor details in confederation
of the other witnesses.
This morning Mrs. Cush man was called
and told substantially the same story as
Mrs. Evans. and with this evidence the
people closed its case
The defense is based solely on the
ground of the insanity of the defendant
at the time the assault was made, and
also at the present time. They expect to
show that he is insane by his acts and
conduct and also that there is insanity in
his family on his mothers side, and has
been for several generations. Mary j.
j Jackson, of Moline, was the first called
by the defense, who testified that she
knew the defendant and had known him
from childhood. that he was insane from
birth, that he had fits or spells of insanity
some of which assumed the form of mel>
ancholia and others displayed anger and
excitement; that when in such spells he
did not know what he was doing and
when informed afterwards would feel
sorry for his conduct and cry about it.
She sand that his ancestors on his
mothers side were insane and de-
tailed various acts or freaks in the
past of such ancestors from which her
opinion was formed. She testified that at
least four of the aunts and uncles of the
defendant were violently insane and sew
eral were confined in ssylums; that his
mother was insane and that in a fit of in
sanity she had left her husband and a.
nursing babe and gone no one knew
where. and nothing has since been heard
of her
This afternoons testimony is being de-
voted to the question of insanity.