The San Francisco call., 1901-10-05
TELLS Of ADAMS
DRINKING SPELLS
Daughter Says Prisoner
Was Insane at Time
Of Shooting.
Attempt to Prove Defendant
Irresponsible for Killing
of Jessup.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,

Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
Ills Broadway, Oct. 4.
After respite extending from noon yes
terday Miss Agnes S. Adams was called
to the witness chair again to-day in Judge
Melvin's court to take up the thread of
her fathers life story and bring 1t down
to the night Of the shooting of DR.. John
G. Jessup in Berkeley. Miss Adams be-
gar her narration where she left off yes
ter6ay, when she recounted In detail her
fathers inebriate actions in Hanford, Cal.
She traced his career from Hanford,
which place he left three years ago, to
the very day and hour of the homicide,
giving detailed account Of all his move
ments and the series Of debauches which
finally led him to the killing. Finally At
torney Church, for the defense, asked the
witness If she considered her father sane
or insane at the time he fired the fatal
shot, and she answered that there could
be no other conclusion, in her opinion,
than that he was insane and totally ire
sponSible.
Charles G. Adams, the defendant ap-
peared In court this morning in q state
of partial paralysis. His right shoulder
most rigid. He moved about With diff
Guilty and depended on the court bailiff to
assist him to and from the County Jail,
where he Is confined. Adams said he had
he had been a victim of several such at
tacks and would recover. Miss Adams
showed her anxiety over her fathers con-
dition and gave him assistance.
Miss Adams on the Stand.
In reply to the questions of Attorney
| Church, Miss Adams said that after leav-
ing Hanford she went with her father to
San Francisco, where they stayed several
months. Then they came to Berkeley and
church for a short time. He continued
his drinking bouts almost without cessa-
! ton until the early part of the present
year. when he remained sober for a pc
Did your father begin drinking again
in March?" was asked of Miss. Adams.
Yes; he drank very much
| From the expiration of that period of
did he drink to excess?"
Yes; he was continuously under the in
fuence Of LIQUOR. 1 don't think he saw
| two sober days.
During that period did he have any
more attacks of delirium tremens?''
Yes; on two occasions. One Of these
was three weeks before the shooting; the
other was the Saturday before the shoot
ing. On each occasion DR.. Roweu was
called in to treat him
/ state what occurred on the Saturday
night before the shooting"
Father complained that had not given
him anything to eat and he was so dis
He was delirfous then. He followed me
and l watched him from a distance. He
got down on his hands and knees and
| crawled along the fence. striking matches
as he went. I thought he would set fire
to the house He rolled himself under the
fence, then back again, then crawled into
the house. l saw him taking drinks from
a demijohn while he was in his room.
1.-The next morning 1 went to father S
room and found him asleep. There was
revolver on the table, which 1 intended
to put away, but my attention was called
to something else and l didn't do 1t. He
came down to breakfast in his night
clothes. 1 stayed in the house until 3
o'clock, when 1 went out. That was the
last I saw of him before the shooting"
From your observation of your father,
state whether or not you think that at
the time of this shooting he was insane"
'I think he was insane. I think man
in his condition could not have been re-
sponsible for his acts
After Miss Adams had testified that her
fathers uncle had been inmate of an
asylum in South Carolina and had an
swered Juror White that DR.. Jessup thre W
off his coat after he had been warned by
Adams, Miss Adams was turned over to
the prosecution for cross-examination
District Attorney Allen did not secure
any new facts. The day ended with the
announcement Of Judge Melvin that the
case would be continued until Monday,
| when Miss Adams will be further exam
| ined.
The defense will put on as witnesses
next week DR.. H. n. Rowell Of Berkeley,
who attended Adams, and DR.. C. A.
! Hatch, president Of the State Board of
| Luracy Commissioners.