The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-14
IS A PECULIAR CASE
Charles Marion Is Convicted
Of Grand Larceny
MAKES PLEA OF INSANITY
Tells of Spirits of Dead
Wife and Father.

Chas. Marion, who has been confined in
the county jail for several months, was
tried yesterday in the district court on
tilo charge of grand larceny and found
guilty He will receive his sentence some
time in the near future
The case of Chas. Marion is a very pc
cuHar one, owing to the fact that when
ne was put on the witness stand he en-
tered the plea of insanity. From the re-
marks made by him when addressing the
attorneys it was evident that he was
laboring under some Authorization.
Marion told Of the death of his wife and
father and said that since that time the
spirits of his departed relatives had con-
stantly been with him in all Of his
troubles He stated that the spirits were
with him IN the Jail, and in fact helped
him In everything that he did. All of the
time he sat watching the proceedings of
the court and to the casual observer
seemed to have a strange appearance, as
If thinking Of things not concerned with
the affairs Of the day.
Marion protested against his arrest and
confinement and said that he did not
know that he was doing wrong in taking
the horse and leaving it in the livery
stable. He claims that he wrote to the
livery stable man that he could find his
horse at such a place and that he was
anxious to see his sister in Colorado be-
fore she left for Paris.
Marion had hired a rig from a Mr..
Crosby. who runs a livery barn in
Cheney, for the purpose, as he stated, of
taking a trip into the country to sell
spectacles. He said at the time that he
would return in few hours.
This occurred on the morning of May
q, and nothing was thought of his not
returning until late in the evening, when
Mr. Crosby became somewhat worried.
However, he did nothing about 1t until
the morning Of the following day, when
he telegraphed to the surrounding sta
tons and drove out in pursuit. He hunt
ed all day ard not until the morning of
the Ard DID he get trance of Marion, who
was then in Stafford. He left the rig at
q live ry stable at that place and moved
on we stward. On the afternoon of Nav
% he wrote a letter to his sister in Colo
RADIO Il ,at he was sick and out of money
and thu It he was trying to get to her.
w. W. Marion, a brother, was present
and cts tilted that ten years ago Charles
Marion had lost his wife. she having
jumped a'rom moving train near Hutch
:nson an killing her almost instantly.
The broth Ter stated that the awful affair
had cause Marion to become demented.
and appar emily has never been right
since, but has had sufficient intelligence
to support himself. At the time of his
arrest he " as travelling through the coun-
try selling spectacles. He claimed to be
an optician and carried a glass with him
for testing peoples eyes IA this bust
ness he would some times make hardly
anything and at no time made very
much. He was almost poverty stricken,
which seemed almost positive evidence
for his not returning the horse, since he
had only Sl.0 on his person when ar
rested.
The prosecution of the case was carried
on by County Attorney Amidon for the
state Mr.. Au,.don in meeting the plea
OF the man, that of insanity. told that the
plea was an old one and often worked in
court. He proce eded with the arguments
and gave a history Of the case from the
hiring Of the rig at Cheney and his final
arrest
John w. Adams Of Adams e Adams
was The attorney for Marion, and in his
arguments TO the jury conveyed the idea
that Marion was Gemented and really did
not know that he was committing wrong
In taking the horse to western Kansas
and then notifying the owner where if
was He said further that the relatives
Of Marion had said that the man was not
sound in mind and that the story told by
Marion Of the spirits was enough to con-
vince persons Of that fact
After the case was submitted TO the
jury the men were out for some time be-
lore q verdict was rendered After the
criminal cases are disposed Of the men
convicted will be sentenced.
The ladies