Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-11-12
SAYS HE'S A THIEF
Downfall Of Prominent Physician
III Wisconsin.
DR.. c. N. Palmer. of Raymond,
Pleads Guilty to the Charge of
Burglary = Cpium's Victim.
A p0croR's CRIME.

hoCIok ) CRIME
RACINE. Wis, Nov. III am gull
ty. your honor said DR.. Charles n.
Palmer, when arraigned before Judge
Fish on Monday on the charge of rob-
hing the store Of Postmaster Chris
Hanson, of Raymond The wretched
prisonet then burst into tears and sat
down, covering his face with his hands.
The afternoon Of sunday, August 8,
this city was electrified by the an
nouneement that Dir. Palmer, one of
the best known and influential men in
southern Wisconsin had been arrested
on charge of burglary. The friends of
the doctor could not believe that there
could be any foundation for the
serious charge. or that man of his
standing could be guilty of such
crime The doctor lived in the viii
lage of, Raymond, and the man
who brought this charge against him
was Postmaster Christensen of the
same place. For several months
the postmaster had been missing
goods from his store, which he conducts
in connection with the post Office. He
tried every means to catch the thief
without avail. Finally he decided to
watch in the store. and in company
with a mau. named Frederickson kept
nightly vigil. Two weeks went by and
no one came near the place.
They had about decided to give up
when on the night of August s, little
after midnight as they were sitting be-
hind desk in the store, they heard
key CRATE in the lock of the door and a
moment later were astonishei to see
DIR. Palmer enter and flash dark lam
tern about the place. In their excite
ment at this discovery they attempted
to leave and call other witnesses, but
in the effort made noise and the doc
tor took fight. The postmaster at cnce
came to this city and swore out a war
rant charging the doctor with entering
his store with burglarious intent.
a Mental Wreck.
The doctor protested his innocence,
and his friends were indignant at what
they considered a scheme to ruin the
doctors reputation. However, the dark
lantern was found near the doctors
yard, as well as the false key
with which he had gained entrance
to the store. Both the men who
were in the store swore positively that
they saw the doctor plainly and had
not made a mistake In spite of the
fact that the evidence was over
whelmingly against the doctor
his friends were slow to be-
lieve that he was guilty, but as
the conviction gradually forced itself
upon them that there was no escape
they had the court appoint physicians
to inquire into his mental condition.
and, while they pronounced him sane,
testified that the man was continually
under the influence of opiates and APP
parently physical and mental wreck
The penalty for the crime is from one
to five years in the penitentiary.
Given "A Year at Hard Labor.
When court opened for the morning
session Dir. Palmer was brought before
Judge Fish to receive his sentence His
wife was at his side and she told
addicted to the opium habit and
that at his own request she had
administered him morphine and
choral in quantities that would kill an
ordinary man. Two physicians also
testified that they had given him heavy
doses of opiates without effect and
that he was a physical and mental
wreck from the use OF opium.
Judge Fish com anded the guilty
man to arise, and in pronouncing SEN
tence said it was the saddest case
that he had ever known. A man
whose reputation had hitherto been
untarnished, he thought, could not
have been himself when he stopped to
such a low CRIME. He hoped that
with the minimum penalty imposed the
doctor might be restored to his former
self, and that, he thought would in part
compensate for the stigma of incarcer-
alton. He then sentenced him to one
year in the penitentiary at hard labor.
On receiving the sentence the prisoner
said: Il thank your honor for the
leniency," and then bowed his head on
his wife's shoulder aud both wept Bit
terly. He was taken to the penitentiary
at once.
The life Of DIR. Palmer up to the
time he committed the crime was an
honorable one. He was prominent
politician; he was an eector on the
republican presidential ticket in 1888,
member Of the medical board Of PEN
sion examiners and central figure
at all conventions He is al
graduate of Rush medical college,
and enjoyed a lucrative practice at the
west end Of the county He is a son Of
y. II. Palmer, a Waterford merchant.
who was for twelve years the warden
Of the penitentiary at Waupun, where
ais son will undoubtedly put on the
prison garb within short time
Victims of Escaping Gas.