The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-12-11

Other Members of the Family Tes-
tify Against the Brother.
The feature of the Hissom damage
suit trial yesterday In the circuit court,
Judge Hervey on the bench. was the
evidence given by James r. Hissom.
the defendant. and father of the plain
tiff. He was on during the afternoon
and went into an elaborate account OF
the troubles that led up to the arrest of
his son on the lunacy charge. The
cross examination had not been finished
when court adjourned for the day.
First on the stand Monday morning
was Witten Hissom, brother Of the
plaintiff. On cross examination he de-
MED that he had said that the doctor
was insane at the time of the lunacy
charge.
Miss Lucy Hissom said the doctor had
shown her his machine. saying 1t was
n bicycle motor and would make his
fortune. On cross examination she de-
MED that she had said she would not go
to the lunacy hearing and lie to please
her father
William Hubbard, son-in-law Of J. R.
Hissom. denied that he had advised the
doctor to have his father arrested. The
doctor had said in his presence that he
would kill his father.
At the afternoon session. the defend
ant, ]. r. Hissom, was on the stand
The witness told OF the events occurring
after the return of the doctor from
Germany. The young mans mother
had been informed that the doctor had
dreamed repeatedly that he was des-
tined to kill his father (the. witness).
The mother had demonstrated and the
doctor satd that. while he regretted It,
he was forced to commit this act Tell
ing Of the doctors ''invention"t that was
to make his fortune. the witness said
the doctor had written about ihis@ffom
Germany. but he (the witness) had no
faith In the invention. After the return
from Germany the doctor had said
nothing to the witness, but had talked
about 1t to the other members of the
family. The witness said the doctor
had no practice after the all night Incl
dent at the office already told Of in this
trial. In fact the furniture and instru-
ments were moved from the office, and
no effort 10 continue practice was made.
When the doctors insanity first appear
cd and he had been arrested the witness
suggested that he go to private san,-
tarlum. He also suggested the selec-
tion Of three physicians by the doctor to
examine the doctor rs to his sanity.
This at first appealed to the doctor fav-
orably. but Attorney Smith appeared at
this juncture and the doctor decided to
fight the case. .E a.
Asked as to the matter Of Edith Ma
ser's testimony at the hearing, the Wit
ness denied he had asked her to testify
at the hearing against the plaintirf In
this case. The several conversations
along this line alleged by Miss Maser
were denied by the witness.
The cross examination by Mr.. Schuck
was long and severe. The question
are you an oil magna;e now" was
ruled out. and rcbuke to the ATTORNEYS
administered by Judge Hcrvey. The
witness did not remember that the
office OF the doctor was closed by pre-
arrangement for the doctor to 60 to
Germany. He saw many girls on ter
the Doctors office on the Island. The
witness had been ordered out of tho
office when a certain young woman was
there with the doctor. He never Sc
cured an entrance TO the Office by use Of
key kept at the Hissom home that he
remembered. He did not remember
that the doctor asked for n loan OF
$4,000 for the Sandrocks.
Witness said 1t was not the intention
at the first for Mrs. Hissom to swear
out the insanity warrant in her own
name. He thought Mr.. Ewing would
get the warrant, and did not have any
well defined idea just how the warran.
was sworn out. The arrest was the re-
suit Of five months of queer actions He
first became alarmed over the condition
OF his son when he saw him aliGht from
the train on the return from Germany.
ife could not fix the exact timr whnu
he first believed his son Insane, He
could pick out days when this belief
came out strongly, but then again the
boy would brighten up and the Witness
would hope his fears were unfoundca
He spoke OF two abusive letters RECEIVED
from Sam while In Germany. but hr
could not produce them. and believed
they had been put away In II TN bo,
which had been stolen from the His
som home on the Island. Thcar lrt,crs
were received In July OF 1895, ana show
cd sam laborcd updcr II strange drlu.
sion.
When Sam arrived home from Cor.
many there was II strange look in tho
eyes, said the witness.
"Did he look M hr looks nnw?"
mo. hc looks greatly improved now.
There was Il wild look In his eyes thru
he looked as though he didn't know
where lie was; he wandered |, sclt
shocked when ] saw him ,hpn. und
thought OF tho illness he had suffered
from In Germany, and fcared His mind
was affected" ~