Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-27
DEFENDANT ON Tue STAND
IN THE CASE OF HISsOM VS.. HIS
SOM. IN THE CIRCUIT COURT.
YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
HIS EXAMINATION BY HOWARD
HE TOLD THE STORY OF THE AC-
TIONS OF HIS SON.
The CrOss-ExnminatiOn of Mrs. His
som Was Continued During the
Early Portion of the Day-Mr.
Hissom VIII Probably be ON the
stand During the Whole of To-
Day.

The taking of evidence in the one
hundred thousand dollar damage suit
of DR.. S. K. Hissom v. j. R. Hissom
was resumed yesterday morning, Mrs.
Hissom, wife of the defendant, being
on the stand. She was later succeed
ed by her husband.
The cross-examination of Mrs. His
som was conducted by Mr.. Schuck.
The opening questions related to two
letters witness said had been written
under threats by her son, but which
she had afterwards destroyed. They
were addressed to her husband, and
one of them, written by witness, sug-
gested a separation. The other was
written by Lucy Hissom, daughter OF
witness.
Q.-You never said anything about
destroying the letters to Carrie Mas-
err? A.-No.
Odd you not have a converse
ton with Carrie Maser in the Jail,
while the Doctors trial was going on?
Al did not.
Q.-And did you not tell her, at that
time, you had taken the letters out or
the trunk and destroyed them? A
No.
The witness said she had told her
husband about taking the letters OUT
of the microscope box, but she did
not remember when. She had de-
stroyed the letters, and if she had
found any more of the same KIND sne
would also have destroyed them.
Proceeding she said: IF you had had
the trouble we had with our poor
crazy boy" she went on tearfully,
.evou would have burnt them. too.
He never would have given us all this
trouble had he been in his right
mind"
She said she had burnt all letters
she found which were against the
family and would do so again. The
Doctor had made her daughter write
letters and she was determined that
they should be destroyed. She exam
ined the trunk carefully She mad
never opened and examined the vallse
which the doctor had. She had no
idea where the valise was now.
This cross-examination ran along
for some hours about letters, incidents,
conversations, etc. Late in the MORN
ing this question was asked:
Q.-Who sent to Mr.. Ewing in the lu-
macy proceedings? A.-Dr. Myers said
there was no doubt that my son was
crazy and something ought to be DONE
= I knew Mr.. Ewing. He had transact
ed some business for my husband
Q.-When did you make up your
mind to see after your son. A.-The
night he came from Sistersville. He
carried on so that night that | made
up my mind it shouldn't go on any
longer. l felt that some Of us would
be killed. We didn't want to do IL
but thought it had to be done. 1t was
death to do it, but there was nothing
else.
The witness was still on the stand
at the noon recess.
Early in the afternoon the defen-
dant, J. R. Hissom, was called to the
stand in his own behalf, and told his
story in response to questions by Mr..
Howard. The witness generally spoke
very rapidly, and nearly always faced
the jury squarely. He said his age
was forty-nine years, and said he was
the father of ten children, two being
dead The Doctor was the Oldest and
was twenty eight years of age. He
said he had spent about $4,000 on his
sons education and then set him up
in practice on the Island, giving the
story in great detail. He said his son at
first appeared to get along very well.
The first intimation witness had of
anything wrong was his discovery that
women were going to his sons office.
He advised his son against this, but it.
did no good.
Mr.. Howard then led the witness
I1%z -
family troubles, up to and including
the Doctors threat against witness
and his wife.
A little later in reply to question,
the witness said that when he asked
the Doctor why he wanted to destroy
his life, "He never answered me, but
went to his room"
Q.-How long did you keep this to
yourself? A.-Until the trouble at
Hubbard's and at home. I then told