The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-07-28
ooAD ACQUITTED.
Ma Charged With the Murder Of y
Cass County Patient Goes Free.

r. '-HE F SVAO 11I~xEOs IL. .a ea.u 81
Ma Charged With the Murder Of y
Cass County Patient Goes Free.
JIG. Coad, who has been on trial at
Jamestown for several days, on the
charge Of numbering Mike Gleason, a
patient at the state insane asylum, has
been acquitted of the charge. C0ad
was an attendant there, and was
charged by a fellow employee with
beating Gleason prior to the insane
mans death.
The defense closed the testimony Sat
urday afternoon. Coad1was a witness
in his own behalf. He testified as to
his employment as attendant in Ward
4 in the asylum, and said that he was
but slightly acquainted with Attendant
Gentemann. The ward he had charge
of had something like thirty patients
confined in it. 1t was known as the
disturbed" ward, because of the state
of mind of the patients. These pa
tients were usually unquiet in mind,
and would quarrel and fight with other
patients if the attendants did not
watch them closely. Gleason was an
occupant Of the ward. eli, the wit
ness stated, was a quiet person, and
usually had his head bent forward, talk
ing little notice Of anything that nigh,
be going on around him. He was in a
stupid condition. In walking. he tot.
tered along, and was in poor shape
generally.
In Ward 4, Joe Monray, an Italian.
was also confined, the witness contins
ued. Monray was a brutal and vicious
patient at times, and required a great
deal Of attention. He would strike b
patient whenever the attendant vas
not watching or lear. About June %,
the patients of Ward 4 were being con-
Quoted from their rooms to the dining
room, in the lower portion Of the build
Ing. AS they were being conducted
down the stairway Monray pushed
Gleason, and the latter fell headlong
down to the next landing. COad set
Gleason on his feet as quickly as pos
sible. Gleason said he was not hurt.
He was out o. breath, and witness
held him up, assisted by an attendant
named Harris, for a few minutes. He
did not notice anything unusual about
Gleason. The next Monday Supt.
Moore sent for COad and discharged
him. He was arrested on the follow
ing Thursday.
Coad contradicted the testimony of
Gentleman regarding the alleged con-
versation in the bath room at the asy-
lum. Gentemann's story as to his tell
ing him Of having kicked Gleason, the
witness said was untrue. Gentleman
had also testified that he gave Glea-
o a bath without using a brush or
soap, and this the witness also pre-
nounced false. Gentleman was q new
man and did not know much about the
work, so the witness let him look on
while he attended to the bathing Of
Gleason. COad gave his testimony In
an easy manner, and, on crOss-examin-
alton, did not get at all mixed.
Attendant Harris corroborated the
testimony of the defendant. He said
some of the patients in Ward 4 were
vicious at times, striking one another
so as to bring the blood. He knew
Monray to be brutal, vicious and anx-
ious to take advantage Of the absence
Of an attendant, to do some injury to
some fellow patient. The witness told
of having heard Gleason fall down
stairs and Of assisting Coad to pick him
up. He had noticed discolorations on
the body of Gleason shortly after
ward.
Attendant Davis testified that he
had seen Gleason fall down one of the
stairways Of the asylum. Attendant
Osborne also testified to having wit
messed Gleason fall down a stairway,
In answer to a question of States At
torney Baldwin, he admitted that he,
as we'll as all the attendants of the in
stitution, had contributed to a fund for
the defense of their fellow attendant,
Coad, showing the way they felt about
the matter. u
DR.. Depuy, Assistant Superintendent
Baldwin,, of the asylum, and Coroner
Baldwin were witnesses. DIR. Depuy1
insisted that the broken ribs of Gleaj
sol We're the result of violence, aud
brought on pneumonia, which caused
the patients death. Upon the conclu1
sion of Coroner Baldwin's testimony,
the state and defense announced that
the testimony was all in.
Attorney ThOrp announced that he
had a motion to make, and the jury
was excluded from the room while he
was making it. Mr.. Thorp asked that
Judge Glaspell direct the jury to rel
turn a verdict or acqu1ttal IN the case.
On the ground that there was no proof
Of, any criminal offense having been
committed; that there was no proof
that Mike Gleason received any injur4
les at the hands of any one; that there
was no evidence in the case pointing
to Coad having any testimony of Gent
temann, and this testimony was ,un1
confirmed. Judge Glaspell denied the
motion of. MI. Thorp.