The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-11-21
FIRST LONG
SENTENCE.

In Superior and General Sessions
Court this morning John King was
found guilty Of an assault with in.
tent to commit murder upon the
person OF his wife and received the
first long sentence to the work.
house. The sentence was a severe
one in view Of the prisoners age,
but as his crime was such an afro.
cious one. it was not greater than
was deserved,
Attorney General Ward address.
ed the jury aud impressed upon it.
that there had been no testimony
10 the case TO prove King insane.
He might have had delusious. but
they were produced by rum not
insanity. He never had any delu.
sons abont his wife but about John
WEIGH. who wanted to shoot him.
Why then did he kill his wife,
unless ne had premcditated it.
After King had assaulted his
wife and she had run into the yard
OF next door neighbor, he pursued
her and said, let me get at her so |
can finish her.
He had power OF choice as he
said he had thought it over the
night before and decided to Kill his
vile. showing afor thought.
Nicter Wooley, the prisoners at.
torney showed the jury that King
was subject to temporary insanity
and was therefore not responsible
for his actions. He cited several
cases where persons Of great men.
tai capacity. were insane upon
some subjects. and although hun.
dreds OF persons would be called
upon TO testify as tothe persona be-
ing in their normal minds. they
were insane upon a single subject.
King thought that Welsh wanted
his vile and had 10 his own mind
accused her Of being unfaithful.
Chief Justice Lore charged the
jury and it filed out to its room.
The jury remained about Is
minutes aud returned a verdict OF
guilty as in manner and form in:
d!cted.
The sentence Of the court was
81, 900 fine, one hour in the pillory
aud five years imprisonment in the
workhouse,
A jury was drawn 70 try Eliza.
beth Gibbs. co!ored, indicted for
the larceny OF a pair Of shoes, the
property Of Elizabeth Scott. Mrs.
Scott testified that she missed the
shoes and the next time che saw
them they were on the feet OF Eliza.
beth Gibbs. She demanded her
property and when Elizabeth re.
fused 10 give them up she called an
officer and had her arrested. Mrs.
Scott said she knew her shoes be-
cause they had spring heels and
fancy toes. In, answer to Howell
S England. counsel for the prisoner.
as to what kindol shoes they were.
Mrs. Scott said she could not de.
scribe them bat she had them on
now, and so saying she drew up
her skirt and displayed tn. shoes to
the court and jury. Aunie Scott
testified that she was with her
mother when the shoes were found
and she knew that they we're her
because she had worn
them herself. Norman Scott stated
that he had also worn the shoes
and knew tina they belonged to
Mrs. Scott. 1t seems that the
whole family wore the shoes. and
this fact caused general litter in
the court room. The defense set
up the plea that the case was a
putup job Elizabeth Gibbs testi.
fed that the shoes that had been
taken from her had been purchased
in Newark before she came here to
work.
Many witnesses were heard and
several testified they would not
believe the prosecuting witness on
her oath. The jury will give their
verdict this afternoon. Court ad.
iourucd until 2 80 o clock.
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