The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-12
DE LION TESTIFIES.
He Makes q Good Witness, Tell
ing a Rational Story.
WY he DOUBTED Ms WIFE.
A Ansnymeas Letter Aeeassd Her Of
Unehasssty--Physisssns Declare
The Cspsssn Sass.

The mysterious black tn box referred 70
YESTERDAY was produced and opened In TIE
sndxs's y,g.vass chamber this morning.
Cxut. De Lion examined The contents and
said that e bad been opened and two let
ters written By Mrs. De Lion TO BIN re-
gsrd.ns her morphine habit and an snony-
nous letter we're missing. The box bad
been IN the possession Of Mrs. De Lion
and her son-fn-iax for the last week,
and De lion said thst his wife had key
which woUid opsn tbs box The dsssnse
was ysry much disappointed In not being
ss3e "a ret The letters. which they said
wongd hare proved that DE Lions "hailn-
elaatfons vas not without eause. Do
I1onss attorneys say that one OF De Lions
1estera. whica sAs in the box, was pro-
auced by the prosecution. which proved
the box had been opened and some OF
the contents removed.
Dr J. L. House, one OF the ply sicians
who VISA subp1nasd by the prosecution
10 examine the mentality Of the &C
ensed. aad who declined 70 make a GER
tsf.cass that be Was insane. testified that
I1e Lion was OF extreme nervous tempera-
rnent and OF an egotsstical disposition.
Wines had not examined De Lion FOR IN
sanity. and merely testified from his close
personal observations Of the accused
J, NJ. LkYesIy. manager Of the nail
works. who I4as had considerable expert
snee with be Lion In business affairs, said
that hs wHs a good business man. se!f-re-
liant, Of nervous temperament. and that
he bad never detected any irrational or
strange actions.
Capt 4. W. De Lion. the accused, took
the stand IN the afternoon. He told
strai ght story. plain. concise. uIiyarnished
ard ia his accustomed manner. lie evineed
no nervousness. and made favorahle
Impression. lie said no was Us years old:
was married IN Caliao. Peru. III Sovem-
bsr. 1878. aud came % Puget sound seven
teen yeass ago. During his residence in
this state he was consular agent of Peru
four years and was consul Of Chile for the
last twelve years. receiving his appoint
nsent tl8e last time direct from President
Mont, OF Chise. He was mayor of Port
Townsend during 1888. and was a men,
her 81 the common council for two years
Up 10 last June he aad his wife
lived happily together. he considering her
an ideal mother and q faithful and affec-
tionafe wife. She had assisted him ma
trfially I'm all his business enterprises. and
wHs worthy of his utmost confidence, love
and affection. Last June the captain re-
ce.ved an anonymous typewritten letter
from an unknown Lerson who claimed to
have inst been liberated from q hos
rstAi, where no learned from an inmate
that his wife had been intimate with GER
tain sesfarinR man. This letter, he said,
was part OF the contents Of the tin box from
which he said IL had been surreptitiously
extracted. he said il was a part of a nine
page letter that he attempted 10 read TO
his wife, and part OF which letter was
introduced b. the prosecution. The
anonymous letter stated thar the writer
was q friend OF his aud that he had re-
Trained from telling the witness Of the
suspicion OF his wife's unchastity
until he had heard corroborating reports.
when she writer thought IL best that De
Lion should know the story and take il
for what ii was worth The awful accusa-
tions wrought the witness up TO the high
est tension OF excitement, during which
time he vas suffering severely from an ex-
crutiating injury in his side. lie had
nryeT doubted his wife's honor before. and
felt That 10 approach her on the subject
would be wanton insult to pure and
noble woman. This condition of affairs
distraction. he told his son-in-law. +. C.
Robertson. the only male member of his
fsm'iy EXCEPT a son years old, and was
unable 20 get any satisfaction or SYM
patty. The witness went 10 Seattle.
thought the matter over and con-
eiusei 10 drown the story In
the Oblivion OF his mind. In the mean
while Mrs. DE Lion had. frequently twii-
ted The Witness for the apparent reason of
hisflegieet Of her. lie said that he tried
70 treas her With his accustomed kind
nFss although the dreadful story was
coaslnuslly pFeying on his mind. After
much rers 'sience on the part Of Mrs. De
i.sen, witness told her of the contents of
the anonymous letter, and she declared in
tae presence Of God and swore that she
VAS good faithful and true wife and
mother.
No further trouble wss experienced un-
e 81 abeat September /. About midnight
one night the witness suddenly awoke and
saw his wife standing in front OF mirror
preparing 10 take = hypodermsc injection
OF MORPHINE, This was the first intima-
tIon 10 he Lion thar his wife was addicted
70 the morphine habit. lie said positively
that be had never given Mrs, lie Lion any
morphine lie had. however, given her
and The children injections Of digitalin a.
mid remedy Tor cold. Ga being cues.
toned Mrs, he Lion admitted that she vas
IN the habit ot taking three tablets
Of morphine each day. When witness
feaiiFed thai both himself and wife were
slavss ofthe drag he determined that they
must he cured. and sought treatment At
the keeleY cure &c Seattle for relief. De
Lion placed himself nnder the KeeIev
treatment and thought he was being
cured. lie sought 50 have his wife take
the same treatment. They we're stoppinr
az DR. Bamrh's house in Seattle. where
Mrs, De Lion positively refused % sur-
render the syringe or give up the habit.
The witness was about 90 take the inssru.
meat aud tablets from her by force when
she ierkea away, stumbled and fell over
cut and bruised her Ease. SHE screamed
and made such scvne that the police
were called. The neighhors broke ia the
door and Mrs. iNs lsoa aew cut in che
courtyard in her night dress. saying that
her husband had assaulted her. Before
ihls scene took place BE Lion pleaded with
bis wife 10 give up the dreadful haait. that
ihey might begin life and rear their fam
ily os SIX childrea as credit To 50.
esety. After tAis 10 lion len the
house and Mrs. De lion returned u Ia.
soma When De Lion sent up TO bis room
Tor MS baggage he Was informed that Mrs.
TIE Is0n haa taken everything, including
sspaal tia hax which contained the aaonv~
meas letter and letters from Mrs Re fson
acssoWledetar that she was : save to the
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