St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-07-24

to do it. Some one once advised him to
make some kind of a settlement, but he
replied that he couldn't settle; she would
come back for more; was trying to get
all he had and he would die in the poor
house. Said that she had started law.
suit that Jesus Christ would settle tor
her.
Circumstances show that Way knew
perfectly well what was going on in the
house for the few minutes before he COM
mitted the deed. When he entered the
house and noticed his wife about to
leave, he asked in an ordinary tone OF
voice if she was going for good. He
made no objection, for he then knew that
she would not go and why. He knew
where the club was and what it was
there for. He followed her out. The
woman in the carriage, noticing what
was going to take place, screamed Mrs.
Way turned, threw up her left hand and
said Don't, Marsh" Way said, 81
will. You shall never leave this house
alive" and then struck her three blows
with the club. Mr.. Taylor told what
followed, but the story is well known to
all and need not be repeated. except that
when DR.. Jones told Way TO keep still he
replied, ~ know my neck will stretch for
it," Mr.. Taylor closed his plea by say
ing that the life OF the respondent and
the welfare OF the community were at
stake; that the gentlemen of the jury
well knew their responsibility and would
weigh the facts OF the case carefully.
MR.. DuNNETT's PLEA.
I,,n j. g t,i, en-
two and one-halt hours, Lawyer Dunnett
touched upon the frightful feeling that
one has when in the presence OF one
whose mind is disordered. did not
feel that | wanted to be alone with him, y
young Mathewson testified. Mr.. Dun.
nett then took up Mrs. Orcutt's testi
mony; how the respondent had an
entirely pleasant manner" and then
within 10 minutes struck the fatal blow
WAS it not the pleasant thoughts and
pleasant attitude of a maniac ?" He then
took up the minister's testimony and
called the attention of the jury to the
fact that after Way had killed his wife he
turned to the parson and said, "Friend
give me knife" He addressed the min
ister as a perfect stranger, showing that
he did not recognize him. Mr.. Dunnett
then dwelt upon the fact that the
respondent had made no plans lol
eescape, something hitherto unknown in
the law of homicide II an insane i'm
pu Sc takes one forward to destroy
human lie this impulse to kill carries
HIM along and he has no thought OF any,
thing else. The prisoner made nc
attempt to escape. After the deed was
doue he sat on the platform as docilt
and ohsdent a person as you eouit
imagine. He was entirely in the contro
OF MS keepers.
One OF the strongest premonitions o
insanity is insomnia. The respondent
was unable to sleep. Mr.. Dunnett
elaborated on this point somewhat.
In all the II years have practiced
law in this county haven't heard OF a
murder, but there have been hundreds o
divorces granted in the meantime. Was
there sufficient cause for the murder
because he disagreed with his wife Both
Mr.. and Mrs. Way were advised by
Judge Gleason just before the homicide
that nothing had occurred within their
20 years OF married lie to warrant the
court to give either OF them a divorce
Judge Gleason further informed them
that no arrangement could be arranged
for dividing the money except by the
appointment OF trustee. What could
Mr.. Way do to avoid living with a
woman that could not live with him
In his cramped intellectual state, he
went out of the house and told the men
that were working on the road that his
wife had started a lawsuit that Jesus
Christ would have to settle. If he meant
anything sane by those words he meant
it to be only an expression of utter hope
lessness of the courts and lawyers OF this
world to settle the case. 1t was not a
threat against his wie's life, as the state
would have you believe
Now look at the visit OF DR.. Jones.
In the presence of death the respondent
asks the doctor for statement of his
account, saying he wants to pay his bill.
The states attorney claims that he was
cool and collected at this time. II he
had growing upon him the deluson that
he was growing poorer and poorer, you
have an explanation of this incident
which occurred in the presence OF death
and lin the face of impending punishment.
Mr.. Gray's testimony was next taken
up. Mr.. Gray said his eyes did not look
right; his motions were uneasy, and Mr..
Gray not only spoke of this to others,
but told Waytbat he would be sick if
he did not stop worrying about his
family troubles. His daughter testified
that her father had told them they would
all become paupers.
This jury knows enough to know that
an insane man knows the difference be-
tween good and bad treatment; that an
insane man shows joy and sorrow by
laughter and crying. They eat, they
drink, they work, they sleep. They do
what sane man does only they are de-
ranged. The insane man is out of range
he is out Of line. Every man has line
of action and line of thought. When
there is marked deviation from this
line the man is deranged. Then as soon
as this fact is well established he is taken
care of by the officers of the state.
The respondents S sister was introduced
to show you of the trouble that existed
in the family, The husband and wife had
q dispute. Evidence was then nintroduced
10 SHOW you, ScutlSmSili lhdI that inosl
fruitful cause of insanity, domestic infe.
licity, had existed in this family for years
In short time after this trouble that
the sister was an eye witness to, the re-
spondent was a babbling maniac and
his friends were afraid he would commit
suicide. He goes to Barton to visit hi:
brother and tells him how the troubles
have almost distracted him. The brother
feared the respondent would commit
suicide the NIGHT after he had told hin