The herald., 1897-05-16

"and for the last two years met Crew.
almost daily. When sober regarded
him as sane. but when drinking he wal
crazy. I don't regard him as bright ri
all. and when he takes whisky he goes r.
pieces At the time he tried to commit
suicide he wouldn't give up his pistol and
knife to anyone but me, and was sent
for. went down and got his pistol away
from him and after questioning him II
appeared to be case OF too mucn
mother-in-law. He said she was living
with them and she and his wife wanted
their way In everything and he wanted
his way. l told him IL he wouldn't go
home quietly I'd lock him up; that he
wasn't going to commit suicide IL knew
1t. l asked him IL he would go home If
went down and saw his wife and she
promised that in future he should be
boss. At that he seemed to regain his
mind, and said that was all right. I
went and saw his wife and she made the
promise required, and there was no morn
trouble until the fire at the hotel Crews
has been drawing a good salary and 1t
might naturally be supposed man was
wrong in his head when he burned up his
position. Crews was not dissipated
man, but occasionally went on sprees;
away from liquor he was all right"
The wife of the defendant tearfully
stated on the witness stand that she had
been married and had two little girls by
the defendant. She said that she knew
that when her husband was drinking he
didn't know what he was doing, al
though when sober he was all right. He
never had objected to the presence Of
her mother save once, and that was be-
fore ever she came to live with them.
They had to have some help in the hotel,
and It was upon his suggestion that wit
ness had her mother to come and stop
with her. When he is drunk" said wit
ness, "he takes things to heart and gets
cranky notions and wanders off any
Several of the prisoners in the county
Jail testified to the silent moroseness of
Crews; but perhaps the most interesting
witness was John Wasson, one of the
and editor of the Pomona
Times, and secretary of the Palomares
Hotel company. He stated that he had
known defendant intimately in busi-
ness way for four years. and while re-
garding him as a peculiar man in some
ways, very often having to repeat
question before getting direct answer
he had never ascribed it to insanity.
How would you say, now. Mr. Was
son." inquired Judge Smith, "is he, i'll
your opinion, sane or insane?"
Il would say" replied the witness,
that before the fire he was entirely
sane; l have only seen him once since
then and he answered as intelligently as
before. l then asked him if he had set
fire to the place, and he just said I did
it' When l asked him why he had start
ed the fire he was thoughtful for time
and then answered.: Well, 1 did it, that's
ALL A little later, when he and 1 were
alone and the constables were
behind, said to him, Ben. when did You
set fire in the hallway He hesitated
little as usual and then said: "A little be-
'ore the other fire.
'The directors of the hotel company"
continued Mr. Wasson. regarded the
defendant as man of firmness and that
vas considered one of his main qualfi- |
'ations. There was no reason whatever
Why he should have committed the act"
In his last sentence the witness epit
,mized the whole of his testimony in in
1icating total absence of motive on the
part of Crews for his freakish act in set
ting fire to the hotel intwo places.
A. W. Marsh, deputy sheriff in charge
Of department one, testified that the de-
PENDANT was brought into court at his
own request he desiring. so he said, to
plead guilty to the charge. When called
lpon to enter his plea he hesitated and
ooked vacant and then pleaded not
,uilty. The witness conceded, however.
hat such mode of action was not alto
'ether exceptional, as prisoners some
ines went back on their word when
'rought into court
The testimony having closed the jury
etired without having any arguments |
Inflicted upon them. In about fifteen
minutes they returned into court with q !
rerdict that declared Crews to be of sane
mind.
What constitutes insanity in the eye
If the law and in the opinion of the med
cal expert, is by no means one and the
anne thing. If defendant can distin-
,uish between right and wrong, then in
he eyes of the law, the defendant Is
ane; and in this regard the jury had
ourd that Crews is capable of beins
,rOught to trial