The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-01-28

FL
this afternoon, when IT was announced
that all the evidence was in, and IA de-
fense moved that Prosecutor Starr be re-
quested TO clos the argument, but the
court oyerruled the motion. EX-PrOseru-
tor Jackson, who has assisted Starr in this
case, is an exceptionally good talker and
the defense would have gained a good
point had its motion been Sustained.
Prosecutor Starr opened the argument
and spoke during the remainder OF the
afternoon. He will conclude in the
morning and be followed, most probably,
by Mr.. Robbins for the defense. 1t is ex-
pected that the case will be given TO the
jury sometime Friday afternoon. On
cross-examination, today, Wood testified
as follows:
had not up TO this time heard of any
other attendant having had any struggle
with Blount. He was alarger man than I.
| weighed one hundred and fortv-seven to
one hundred and fifty aud he about one
hundred and seventy He was taller than
J. / had to be very active. I warded off
l do not know how many blows before he
struck me; he kept striking. / am abOu
five feet. nine inches tall. After he
grabbed me by the neck and shoulders [
grabbed him. He hal not struck me mp
TO this tine 10 hurt me. He hit me in the
stomach and rather knocked the wind out
of me: it did not hurt so much, but
doubled ME up. ! was. | guess, as cool as
a man could b. under the circumstances
| was not scared, but was trying TO keep
him from going out of the room or hurting
me and to 90 TO bed. l had had no rug
gle with other patients this was the first
serious trouble had with any patient il
the hospital. / presume l was somewhat
excited.
When he grabbed me by the neck and
shoulders ] was considerably bent over.
He seized me with both hands. In rails
ing to extricate myself from this position
he fell over backward and on top OF him,
81 the floor; was still struggling to got
away from him as We fell and he still had
hold of me. Could not say whether his
head struck the floor or not. Presume We
both struck pretty hard, but 1 do not
know how hard. He pulled me with him
as we fell; | went diving down, head
first, he pulling me down right on top of
him. l suppose / had hold of him, but
do not know just LOW.
After getting on the floor l Immediately
raised up and got my knees on his chest.
Whenever We went down he was under,
both times, on the floor and on the bed.
He was doing all be could. ! put my
knees on bis chest to hold him down [
had to put them where | could. / do not
say that TO account for the bruises on his
chest. NV knees were there only a very
short time. ! do not remember Just what
/ did; | was irving to keep him from get
ting out OF there, and 1t was al done
quick V. He started for the door as soon
as we got up; did not have time TO notice
anything just then las to Blount's looks
differing az this juncture from when
Wood first wen; in and | was behind him
as he started for the door. He strugg ed
to throw me off of him when my
knees were on him; do not know
Just how L had hold OF HIM with my
hands then. He was stronger than am
and raised up with me. first turning over
! and rolling me off, his back toward me.
He had got pretty nearly to the door
when L grabbed him. had command of
my muscles and perceptions then; was,
perhaps, not perfectly cool; mad no liquor
in me. He did not turn TO attack me; he
was trying 10 get out. l grabbed around
him with my arms and pulled, or jerked,
him back, and he went over the foot Of
the bed with me. My arms may have
been wrapped around both his arms and
body. | fell on him when he went onto
the bed. lie was not easily managed; Il
was hard work, commanding all OF my at
tention.
did not hear him say: "For Gods
sake, don't kill me-" Go not think he
said that at any time. / did not get on
the bed in the fall; his body was between
me and the bed; do not know how hard a
fall it was. | swung him 10 the left to-
ward the bed from the door and L do not
know whether his headstruck anything or
not. He rails right up when he struck
the bed and l think let 90 OF him. He
began striking at me, backing toward the
door, as | guarded off his blows, but not
striking at him. When we clinched we
fell to the floor, on top OF him, and then
Mr.. Peterson came, or / then saw him the
first time, and we put Blount on
the bed; Peterson may have spoken be-
fore we fell, but / do not recall what he
said. do net say this because Peterson
te> titled that he saw us clinched, etc.
Mr.. Blount struggled just as violently
as he could on the bed, but did not
get away any more. II was because of
that | could not have gotten on the
bed il | had led. l knew it was my
duty to treat patients kindly. and with
as little force as p"ssble, but knew of
no rule for attendants not TO 90 into
a room by Themselves There were nc
rules of the institution then, but it was
the rule TO call assistance when necessary.
ANY intelligent man who saw what Temp
kins saw would know that Blount had
been violent. Did not think it my duty
TO report the facts IN detail.
The first time l ever told the story az
I remember it was to the jury yesterday
afternoon.
RICHMOND, Special. The jury
in the case OF James A. Wood, charged
with the murder of Thomas j. Blount at
the Eastern Indiana insane asylum, re-
turned verdict at s o'clock tonight find.
ing the defendant gui ty OF voluntary
mansIaughter and fixing his penalty al
imprisonment in the penItentiary foI
twenty-one years
The jury had been out just three hours,
Judge Comstock having concluded his
charge at 5 O'Clock. The defendant heard
the verdict without changing countenance,
but, as the bailiff led him from the court
room, il was evident to all observers that
il was with the greatest effort that he bore
UP under the burden of his emotions. Dur
ing the entire day the court room and
all halls leading thereto were packed
as they have never bern before in the
history OF the county, and hundreds who
desired TO hear the closing arguments
were compelled TO turn away, be-
ing unable TO gain admitiancs
10 even the building. Many la
dies were in the courtroom. OF