Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-03-29
.D.H.LONG'S DOMESTIC WOE
The Simple Child Widow Tes-
tifies in Her Fathers Trial
for His Life
Long Tells How Belief of His
Wife's Guilt Drove Him
to Desperation
The Entire Day Occupied With
the Examination of Two
Witnesses

The taking of testimony in behalf ot
the defendant was commenced in the
superior court yesterday in the trial OF
ID. II. Long for the murder of his wife.
But two witnesses were called, Ida
Humes, the weak-minded child-widow
the daughter Of Long, and the de-
fendant.
The daughter was called to the stand
Immediately after court opened. As
she entered and took her place on the
stand her father hid his face behind the
back Of Attorney Newman and cried
bitterly. The daughter is smaller than
the average girl Of sixteen. Her face is
blank and eXpressionless. She has
small features, a small round face.
black hair and eyes and squirrel teeth,
which are always exposed She is far
below the average child Of her years in
intelligence. The examination was
conducted with difficulty, it being
necessary to suggest as much as pessi-
bic Of the answer in the question.
She testified in substance as follows:
| am Is years old. ! have lived i'm
Whatcom four years | first met Nor
man Humes at the Salvation Army
lie sat behind US. When we walked
nome he walked with me. He came
70 our house frequently. He often
went out with my mother and me.
When ! first met him his name he said
was Griffin. He went away To Blaine
ana wrote me a letter Ii was signed
Humes. He came to see me when he
came back. He acted nice to me. The
next day ! met him on Thirteenth
street He came up 10 me and talked. !
Two or three days later / saw him AT .
the salvation Army. He came to our
house frequently after that. Mother Z
Wouid put out "a white rag out Of the /
window when father was away. and |
Norman would come. He came when /
ever papa was away. At first / thought /
he was coming to see me, but | found /
out he was not. Ny father did not
want him to come tD see me. He saId
! was too young. The witness WAS
then questioned regarding the poison
ing Of Long. The first time he was
poisoned was by the coffee. He drank
IT and II made him sick. The other
Jlue he was poisoned / cut some bread
and put It on the plate. Papa eat some
OF II and 1t made him sick. cave
some to the dog and he acted like he
was dying. PaDa gave the dog some
lard and he did not die / saw grain
OF powder shaken out Of the bread.
DO you remember an occasion about
coming home TO the house when your
iather went out to look for you and
your mother?
Yes. ! and mother went to church
that night We came home and found
The door locked. We then went to
Norman Humes' boarding house. The
landlady came to the door, and mother
-old her that she wanted Norman TO
90 to the drug store with her. They
hen took me to Mrs. Byerly's and
ma and Norman went Off together. |
,taid at Mrs. Byerly's that night.
The next morning / went home. |
rather was there, but mother was not.
rather went out after her. He then /
anne back and went after her again !
Vlth Humes. ] next saw mamma at !
Mrs. Byerly's. Father came and cried :
ma begged Of mother to come home. !
tried to get her to come home. but
ne wouldn't. Then Humes went 10
ier and asked her to come home and =
he came. ! was i'm bed. Mother said
o me that | was going to be married y
ne next day. i did not know any .
hing about il. [
lIhe witness next related a com !,
fOmlslng circumstance i'm which she u
aw her mother and Humes AT Mrs a
lorris' house. d
We were married by justice of the G
eace at our house. We lived at NV v
tther's house i'm Keeslingville for n II
,hile. We afterward moved 10 Sc ,
ONE Father then lived all alone at i
is house. / threatened TO tell father '
ow mother acted with Humes, and i
ne whipped me wiCh "a switch and beat y
ny head on the floor. x
On the evening mother was shot. -
mamma and Norman were sitting ?
)gether. lie had his arm around her. y,
-, trled TO take his arm away from her. ~
hey We're trying to make me consent =
sleep with them i'm the large bed. "a
)ld Jhem that was not the way to do. '
was crying. Mother said she would u
hip me. ] got up and went out the D
oor onto the porch. ! found papa u
1ere. He looked i'm and said, "Is u
his the way you do?" Both Of them e,
.arted for him. ! was out on the porcb u
hen the shooting was done. l.
lhe cross-eXamination Of this VIII u
esss occup ed about three hours. II @
'as conducted by Attorney Faircbild. u
{ was evidently directed not with a D
lew to muddling the witness, but for II
ne purpose of impeaching the tesu- y
i0ny in the rebuttal. le
Mr.. Fairchild read from voluminous P'
'pe-written notes, evidently the re- y
llt of pre-examinatiOn of the states ~
illnesses, propounding to the witness u
ypothetical questions as follows: ~
You say you did not see your father %
loot. III people say that you said YOU AZ
ID they say what is not true, do they .,
Ut?