Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-12-15
arguments Being MADE.
THE LAST TESTIMONY IN THE HIS
SOM CASE WAS TAKEN
YESTERDAY.
TWO SPEECHES WERE MADE.
tiff, and Another by Mr.. Handlan
for the Dcfendant-The Case Will
Go to the Jury Monday, Until
Which Time Court Adjourned.

Several comparatively unimportant
witnesses testified in the Hissom dam
age suit yesterday morning, after which
the arguments lere commenced. Mr.
w. P. Robinson made an excellent
speech for the plaintiff, and was fol-
lowed by Mr. j. B. Handlan, who made
an exceptionally strong address on be-
half of the defendant. At the conclu-
sion of Mr.. Handlans speech, the case
was adjourned until Monday. Mr..
Schuck and Mr.. Howard will address the
jury Monday, after which the case will
be given to the jurors. The arguments
have been limited by Judge Hervey to
FIVE hours on each side.
Yesterday morning the defense put
several character witnesses on the
stand. w. F. Stewart, formerly
physician, now in the oil business, said
he knew Hissom and always believed
him to be truthful.
John Mcknight. of the Island. knew
defendant forty years, and never knew
anything against him. Joseph Written,
of Monroe county, and Jeff Frame, of
the wharfboat both testified. K. Hoge
concluded he did not know Hissom we'll
enough to testify as caracter witness.
This concluded the testimony.
Mr.. w. P. Robinson made the opening
address to the jury He thanked the
jurors for their attention, and said
| they had been called to serve because
crime had been committed. A citizen
had been unjustly deprived of his lib
erty. DR.. Hissom was arrested at the
instance of his father, handcuffed, TAX
en- through crowded thoroughfares to
Jail, where he was confined for 45 days,
and subsequently incarcerated in the
insane asylum at Spencer. He was re-
leased by order of Judge Reese Blizzard.
He asserted that the witnesses on the
other side had admitted lying in some
particular, from which he inferred that
they could not l>e credited
Mr. Robinson said the trouble dated
from Mrs. Hissoms opening a letter
written to J. r. Hissom by r. T. Nc
| Nichol, about the divorce proceedings.
She told McNichol, that if her son was
home he would die before he would see
| her abused Then she wrote to him
about it, and he came home to protect
her Mr.. Robinson referred to the
Eskey matter, and the elder Hissom's
| suspicious, declaring that if S. K. His
som had one suspicion his father had
dozen.
4 Taking UP the incident at the Hubbard
house, he argued the improbability of
J. r. Hissom awaiting his sons coming
when he feared that he was going to
kill him. He accused the entire Hissom
family of conspiring against the doctor.
He referred to numerous important let
ters which had been destroyed. Since
the last trial J. R. Hissom clothed and
treated members of his family as he
had never done before. 1t was his
scheme to place his son in an asylum,
where he would have no power to inter
fere to protect is mother. He hoped
that this living death might drive his
son INSANE.
Mr.. Robinson discussed the expert
testimony concerning insanity, and
said there was nothing in the case to
indicate that DR.. Hissom was a mono
maniac. He declared that j. R. His
som never thought that his son was
insane. The speaker defended Robert
! McNichol, who was the most import
ant witness for the plaintiff. Referring
to Dr. Hissom's machine, he said it
was a practicable continuance, and it's
utility had been demonstrated to the
jury The defense relied upon this
machine to prove DR.. Hissom to be in
sane, and failed.
Mr.. Robinson discussed the prepon-
dcrance of evidence, and argued that
preponderance of witnesses does not
always constitute preponderance Of
evidence One mans evidence may
outweigh that of a dozen others.
When J. R. Hissom had nothing to
fear, he told several persons he was
worth $3.50 900. On the stand he swore
that his wealth was $4,000. Witten
| Hissoms testimony was contradicted.
If he lied in one thing, it is fair to as
sumo that he lied in others. Mr. Rob-
inson summed up his argument and
concluded about noon.
In the afternoon Mr.. J. B. Handlan
addressed the jury on behalf of the de-
PENDANT His argument was confined
largely to, deductions from the letters
and papers in the case, which were
very ingeniously drawn. In his open
ing remarks. he briefly reviewed the
evidence in the case.
When DR.. Hissom testified that he
received a letter in August, from
home. he is contradicted by his own
letter. written to his mother in Sep
TENDER. He says he came home to
protect his mother On September 9th,
1898. after he claims to have received
the letter from his mother, he writes
letter to J. r. Hissom, addressing
him as dear father" and telling him
he was 80 sick he could not get out
of bed" The doctor also writes that