The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-09-27
LIKE HER MOTHER.
Want to Prove Ada Wer-
ner Insane.
THE DISEASE INHERITED.
Mrs. Neil Was Twice Committed
to an Asylum.
TESTIMONY OF THE DEFENDANT.
tier Husband Was FaithIess and Ill
Treated Her-Where Her Memory
Was a Blank.
TESTIMONY OF THE DEFENDANT

on the night of April IL last.
When court adjourned on Monday even
ing the prosecution had closed its case and
matters looked very serious indeed for the
unhappy woman. The evidence was
straight and conclusive. to all appearances,
and it was difficult to see how the jury
could help bringing in verdict of murder
in the first degree. Yesterday, however,
the defense had its inning, and a whole
day was spent IN an attempt to establish
the hereditary insanity of the accused.
The principal witness called during the
mornings session was DR.. Gardner of the
Napa Insane Asylum. DR.. Gardner tssti-
fed that the defendants mother, Mrs.
Neil, had twice been under his care. II
traIsplred, however, that on each occasion
this dementia came on after childbirth.
She was once confined in the asylum for
six months. and seventeen months after
ward she was again taken to the asylum
Immediately after the birth of another
child. The defendant was ten years old
at this time.
A Juror asked what particular name was
given TO this peculiar form Of insanity:
81 should say that Mrs. Neil was suffer-
ing from puerperal insanity" was the re-
plv.
Drs. Washington Aver and D. d. Lustig
also gave testimony in favor of the theory
that Mrs. Werner had Inherited insanity
from her mother, and had killed ner hus-
band in one of her periods of mental aber-
ration.
10 the afternoon the defendant herself
took the stand. She left her seat and
walked to the witness-ehair with upright
carriage and perfect fearlessnesS OF de-
meanor. She certainly betrayed no out
ward signs of insanity. In answer to Mr..
CampbelPs questions she said sne had re-
sided in California since she was two years
Of age She had two sisters and a brother
living. They resided in Sonoma County
until she was 10 years OF age, when her
mother was taken to the asylum. The
defendant came to San Francisco then, and
had ever since earned her own living.
Mrs, Werner said she met e., rye Wer-
ner long time before she married him.
They were engaged for TWO years. He
was a butcher by trade.
'Had you any money saved up when
you cot married ?"
Eyes. / had $500"
''What did you do with it?"
Il gave 1t 20 my husband. He had $500,
so we had a little capital of 500 in ALL"
''Dd you often quarrel with your hus-
band p
mot at first"
well, on the night of the trouble you
had been married six months. Tell us at
what hour your husband came home and
what occurred"
INV husband came home that night at s
o'clock. l had not seen him that day al
all. He took his coat off and sat down
aud then told him that | had something
in view. l said L was going TO take a
place On Van Ness avenue al S25 month.
He said ! might lake my trunk and 60 to
-. He then put his clothes on and went
out"
The witness was then asked to identify
certain letters which she said she received
on the night of the trouble. She found
them in her husbands coat pocket Wer-
ner was in the kitchen at the time
His Honor-Did YOU read these letters
before the shooting?
Witness-I did. l read all them before
the shooting.
Before offering the letters in evidence
Mr.. Campbell handed them to Assistant
District Attorney Black for examination.
No objection, however, was made to their
Introduction and they were read to the
jury. One read as follows:
OAKLAND, Cal.
writing you few lines, hoping to find you in
good health.
George, viii you please send me ten dollars
$40. as L need 1t. Answer this as soon as
possible, as you are the only one l ask II Of
And oblige your dear friend, IDA
Another of the letters was couched in
the following terms:
SAN Francisco.
Dear Friend George: / suppose you were
disappointed Sunday evening because failed
To keep my word, but / was too sick l was
unable TO leave the house l drank too much
half and half Saturday night. l will meet you
at the boat tomorrow night, at the train that
leaves Oakland AT o'clock in the evening. Ii
gets over here quarter Of nine. so please try
and not disapDOint me.
George, l wish you would bring over some
nice steaks and nice piece OF bacon, and a
nice little sweet ham. / think you are good and
strong, so you can carry that much. / will pay
your travelling expenses, and give YOU one OF
my sweetest smiles and one OF my best kisses
if / get chance. So hoping TO see you with
out fail will close with best wishes to you.
am as ever, LIZZIE.
Witness said she knew her husband was
running around with other women. She
had seen a good many letters from them.
but these she destroyed before the trouble.
She was DESTROYS always of earning her
own living independent Of any assistance
from her husband. In fact, whenever she
worked in this way she was accustomed
to give part Of her earnings to her has
band.
Questioned regarding repeated troubles
with her husband. Mrs. Werner said thai
he was ALWAYS complaining of being short
of money. He wanted her to 60 out and
work. 1t was only two mon tbs after their
marriage that he suggested to her that
=
in setting up an immoral establishment
on Dupont streer. Witness, Of course, re-
pudiated the idea.
did he ever i'll treat you?"
yes. He use@a cden TO kick me. He
would bruise mybuElbs. He would catch
hold of me and say: why don't you go
and work? Yours no good, anyway
He abused me when L didn't do what be
wanted"
Respecting the fatal occurrence of April
II, Mrs. Warner professed to remember
nothing. Quesiionss Were asked ia vain
swer. So after a while Mr.. Black was per-
eIicited, however, was that Mrs. Werner
bands misconduct until she spoke to At
torney Campbell.
Mr.. Meyer, foreman of the Cable Pack
ing Company, was called to testify as to
the scheme that George Werner had for
robbiDg his wife of her earnings. He
was, however, not permitted to testify:
but as he left the stand juror rose.
STAY" he said ''we would Ike to know
something from you about Werner's char
acter."
You may not do that" interrupted
Judge Wallace. THAT has nothing TO do
wi h the ISSUE"
"Well-but. your Honor" pleaded the
Juror. "this is a case where we may have
to hang somebody. Are we not entitled,
where there is life at stake, to ask a
question relating to the character of this
man who was killed by his wife ?"
His Honor, however, was adamant and
ha ia ant of