The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-05-16
Clay on Bound Over
Tor Trial in the Cir
cult Court.
Testimony Taken Yesterday.
What the Defendant Hind 20 snv Re.
garding the Child ana the Cause
Of Its Death-Other News.

The examine ion of John w. Clay ton.
on the charge OF the murder of S-yea ,-old
DAISY Clayton, was concluied yeste day
afternoon and the defendant was bound
over Tor trial to the next term of the cir
cult court.
In the morning Eusebe Croze, NJ. NJ.
Foley, John Strobe, Mrs. Jane Holtz-
man, Leo Hobba, and Mrs. j. b. Pfsffer
testified TO various occurrences coming
under their notice during the esidence of
the Clayton's in Houghton. Mont of
them tended to show that the child was
treated with cruelty by the defendant.
Young Hobba testified that at one time
he witnessed Clayton strike boththe child
and his wife, knocking tooth out OF the
latter.
After consultation with his attorney,
clayton was put on the stand and told
the story OF the last year OF the life OF
Daisy. He made out very good story
Tor himself, and ascribod the emaciatei
condition OF the child to her own actions.
Il was married to the present Mrs.
Clayton" said the witness, "in January,
1894. Daisy, previous to that time, had
been in Henry, III. l was then with d.
Appleton X Co., selling medical books d.
rectly to physicians. The child was then
in good health. At Duluth, where we
lived during the summer of 1894, began
to notice falling off in her eating. She
showed little desire to cat, and would
even vomit at the table.
1--WE lived at Ashland two months,
then went to Even, and finally came to
Houghton, June | |, 1895. At that time
Daisy's health was so bad that she pre-
ferred not going to the table. She did
not seem to wish TO make acquaintances
and would not play with other children.
At the Buttertiel1 House l took Daisy
away from the table one day, as Mrs.
| Butterfield testified because feared she
was going to be sick. After the child
broke her leg, she was more delicate, and
during our residence in the Sheldon build
ing she ate little besides fruit. Late in
January, after she had been eating better
for time, as l supposed she had, one
day found hid large quantity Of food
and then was explained why, when she
was apparently eating, she all the time
had been growing thinner. She had done
the same thing at Duluth one time.
at this time began to treat her with
invalid food and she got along little
better up TO day or so before her
DEATH" Here the witness described in
detail the last day or two of the chIld's
life. He told OF waking at night and
finding her in n fainnng condition on the
floor, che having fallen out of bed. TO
this and similar falls Clayton ascribed
the bruises, which so Mortified witnesses
after the child's decease. He thought
that the larger bruise on the back was
caused by severe fall on the sidewalk
about ten days previous to her death.
| The defendant distinctly denies the
truth Of Leo Hobba's testimony regard
ing his striking Daisy, and said he had
not whipped her more than dozen times
in his life. He said that the reason he
did not call a physician was because the
child refused to eat If be did SO, and he
thought eating more important then
than medicine. The scratches on the
neck, he said, must have occurred during
the struggles in trying to make Daisy
take medicine. He always had scufile
to administer medicine. Referring to the
morning OF her death, Clayton said: 81
did not think she was as badly off as she
was, for | washed her and she struggled
quite hard"
Clayton told the story 10 an easy man.
ner, and it was either the truth, which is
most improbable when the bruises are in
question, or the man is an arch hypo-
critic. He told il in the manner any ia
ther, the most solicitous might have
done. He wound up with the statement
that her condition was her own fault"
DIR. Jones, who attended Daisy for six
weeks during August and September OF
1895, corroborated Clayton's story as to
the physical condition Of the child. He
said his suggestions as to food and medi-
cine were carried out by the parents.
DR.. Wheeler, recalled by the people,
gave testimony which makes strong
point against the accused. He said that
child OF that age with food attractively
offered would not refuse it, that it would
not have determination or will power
enough. He did not think person could
voluntarily starve themselves to death.
He admitted on cross-examinatloD,
however. that a person deprived almost
entirely of food, but still consuming a
little. would present the same appearance
az did the child after death.
This concluded the testimony. The
prosecuting attorney asked the court to
hold the prisoner for trial, and Attorney
Hanchette addressed the court, moving
the defendants discharge on the ground
of insufficient evidence.
A stra wberry festival will be given at
| al obvrob ., N ri Org hy flp