Great Falls weekly tribune., 1896-04-03
SEBASTIAN MURDER TRIAL
Manv Witnesses Testify to the In.
sanity of Acknowledgements
Of Evidence.
An Exciting Scene in the Court Room
The Defendant Has One OF
His "Spells."

Friday the deposition OF Jonn II.
McGee, superintendent of the Water
Power & Electric Light company of
Marshall, Mimi, was read. Deponent
was employed as engineer by W. q.
Stanton, whose deposition was read
Thursday, and defendant fired for him
for two years. He described defendants
peculiarities about as Stanton did.
Every few weeks defendant would be-
come SO wild that he would have to be
taken home; continually complained of
pains in his head and suffered terribly |
from them; would forget what he said or
did; was twice discharged by deponent,
because of his wild actions; when he re-
covered, would ask why he had been
discharged, and seemed to not remem-
ber what he had done; deponent consid-
cred him mentally irresponsible and was
convinced that he was insane; defend
ant did not use intoxicants; would fire.
uuently repeat false assertions; his con-
dtion during "spell' was that OF
maniac. Was an atfectionate husband.
MRS. ANNIE SEBASTIAN.
defendants mother, aged Sc years, was
then sworn She is very deaf; was ner
yous for few minutes after taking the
stand. When defendant was about 10
years old, he fell out of a wagon, loaded
with rails, and the wheel crushed his
head. Thereafter he could not learn
and his teacher said that he could not
study; 30 witness removed him from
school after few months; could not re-
member; frequently contradicted his
own previous statemente; seemed differ
ent than before the accident; always re-
lated occurrences just contrary to how
they happened. One night, after his
marriage, in 1882 his wife came to wit
ness and told her John was crazy; wit
ness tried to quiet him; he looked
strange, wild in his eyes. Again, de-
fendant told witness he would teach her
to play cards if 81 would join in a game;
che began to play, made mistake in the
play, and defendant wildly arose and re-
preached her. He WAS always cross or
wild-hke under excitement or contra
dcion. He and wife got along well.
Defendant lived with witness at Bel
ton from May to October, 1895; there he
was great deal worse than wituesa had
ever seen him before; never talked; sat
as if in trouble; was in trouble be-
cause his wife had deserted him;
sometimes he would sit silent,
tidgety, pulling his clothes; witness
would tell him to cheer up; he would re-
ply. "Mother, do try, but cannot help
IT." was afraid Of everybody, everything;
never spoke of his wife by name; epuke
Of ner as What you-m cal, her;" ii
he saw any Of her trinkets lying around
would say, "They belo1g to 'What-y you
may call-her,' | do not want them
aroupd once witness threw two Old
baking powder cans out of the house
defendant found them, brought them in
and said, Mother, who threw those
out?"; witness told him, and he said
"Why, my God, those belong to What
you-may call her." (Witness then re-
lated the facts about defendants lying
several hours IN the hot sun about as de
fendants brother related them) Wit
ness told defendant to quit smoking
perhaps that made him despondent; ht
laid the pipe away and never smoked
again; he used to get up in the night
4 kept witness frightened all the time
slept on a single blanket on the floor
clothed, with his head in the door, eeem
ing to be watching for somebody; KEEP
worthless scraps Of iron in his tool box
and placed his tools about the house
when told to throw the iron away said
"Oh, those are my trinkets and | am go
ing to keep them;" Mrs. Collins, "th
cattle queen," once asked witness If sht
could buy side saddle that was in tn
house; when told of it, defendant wa
very angry, said "No money can buy il
it belongs to What you: may call! her
and she may want it again." (Witnes
here repeated keith's story about de
fendsnt going to Havre). When in
formed that his sister was dying in 81
Paul, defendant said he wished he coul
change places with her, "my life
worth nothing any more" Defendan
could obtain no work and witness &C
vised him to go to Great Falls; he rt
piled, II do not want to go to Gres
Falls, because What you may call he
is there"
Witness grandmother's sister went ir
sane through religion; witness grand
mother was insane for years; witness
uncle was monomaniac, ipsanely lea
GUS of his wife; witness father was ir
sane, believing his wife was slowl
poisoning him to get his life insurance
when, in fact, he was not insured. Wi
ness eldest daughter is very peculiar
tells of visiting persons and place
which she has never seen. In witness
opinion, defendant was insane while ;
Bolton. Witness daughter who died
infancy was not right. The birth Of d.
fendant was premature.
Then was read the deposition of
MRS. HELEN l.. HUNT
Of oil st. Peter street, ST. Paul, sist'
of defendant. She ewore to the insanit
in the family, as her mother ewore, an