The San Francisco call., 1901-10-04
ADAMS SAW FEW
SOBER MOMENTS
Daughter Testifes He
Was Continuously
Intoxicated.
Visiting Episcopal Clergy
men Offer Testimony in
His Behalf.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,

in the witness chair this morning in Judge
Melvin's court to describe the many
drunken escapades of her father prior TO
the shooting of DR.. John G. Jessup in
Berkeley. Miss Adams began at the point
where she left off when the court ad-
journed yesterday afternoon, after she
had related all that had occurred between
the time when her father first began to
drink in 1883 up to 1896, when the family
removed from Fremont, Ohio, to Cincin-
natl. Miss Adams testified to series of
events in the unfrocked Clergyman s
career which revealed that he saw, during
the past five or six years Of his life, very
few sober moments. He was almost con-
tinuously under the influence of liquor and
he was unable to retain rectorship for
any length of time because of his failing.
How did your father conduct himself
after your family went to Cincinnati in
1896, Miss Adams?" asked Attorney
Church.
Father drank worse than he ever had
after we went to Cincinnati, replied the
witness HE had an attack of delirium
tremens there He would imagine that
little devils were sitting upon the picture
frames in the rooms of our house and he
would scream frightfully at all hours of
the night
Did he manifest aversion for any par
ticular picture in the rooms?"
Aversion for Bishops Picture.
''Yes A portrait of Bishop Williams,
who was at time the presiding Bishop
of the Episcopal Church in the United
States, excited him very much and he used
to say that it was a picture of the devil
While you were In Cincinnati was your
father an inmate of any asylum"
Eyes. He was confined in a sanitarium
for some time to cure him Of an attack
of delirium tremens.
Did he have charge Of church at that
timer"
HE was the rector of a church in the
suburbs of the city,
I'VE came to California in 1898. Father
was offered and accepted the rectorshlp
of the parish at Hanford.
There was no Improvement in his
habits. His speech was moody and dis
connected He continued to drink heaV-
lily and would cry out in his sleep"
do you remember any particular act
of violence on his part while there?
"In December of 1898 he attacked With
out cause a negro who was chopping
wood. We heard the sound OF the chop
ping and father rushed out after the man
with a revolver in his hand, threatening
to shoot him at once. The colored man
became very angry but L finally pacited
him and he went away.
did he do anything else that would
show that he was not m his right mind.
Yes. On another occasion In Hanford
he ran out of the house after he had pre-
the air He said he was afraid of demons.
His eye was CLASSY and his hair stood on
end After he came into the house he
trembled like leaf"
Miss Adams said her father kept up his
drinking while at HanfOrd until he was
again on the verge of del1rlum tremens
His actions became scandalOus and I'm
ally he was sforced to leave the church.
Shortly after leaving the TectOrSh1D he
was unfrocked by the Bishop. The attor-
neys finished with Miss Adams just be-
fore the noon recess and she gave a sign
of relief as she left the witness chair
Clergymen Testify.
The afternoon furnished something of a
surprise when two Episcopal clergymen,
who are visiting the coast as delegates to
the Episcopal Convention, were announced
as witnesses for the defense. One was the
Rev. John NJ Hewitt, rector of Grace
Episcopal Church of Columbus, Ohio, and
Grace Episcopal Church of Cincinnati
Ohio, both former associates of Charles
G. Adams, the last named having attended
the Baxley Gambia Theological Seminary
The Rev. Mr.. Hewitt was the first wit
ness. He testified that he had met Adams
in 1871 while they were rectors of country
firm friends and frequently exchanged
pulpits
Hewitt what was his manner?'
HE was a very earnest man and great
ly interested in his work. He had phil
osophical mind and was considered a bril-
liant man. He preached over the heads
of his hearerS-what 1 mean is, that his
narish was not a particularly brilliant one
and they didn't understand his sermons"
What were his habits of dress when
you first saw him.
"Wen, when 1 first saw him he looked
as if he had come out of bandboX, but
I noticed in 1896, when l last saw him,
ance. But 1 didn't attribute this change
to drink. ! thought he had merely ac-
commodated himself to his environment.
what was his demeanor when you saw
him in 1896? Was his conduct peculiar?'
HE was considered eccentrlc then. For
instance, he used to wear a SILK hat and
Prince Albert coat while riding around
in a. sulky, which perhaps no farmer
would do"
that you recall?
Adams Was Eccentric.
"I remember on one occasion we waited
before saying prayers at the breakfast
table. and finally we had to say them
without him. After breakfast we heard
upon Investigation I found that he only
had a nightshirt on. That was while he
was staying at my house.
"Did YOU ever receive letters from him
indicating anything wrong in him?"
Eyes. I received letter from him of
many pages relating all his troubles, and
particularly referring to charges that had
been made against him for being intoxi-
Gated 1t was a very incoherent letter.
Did he appear to you to be be logical or
Illogical III HIS OHNcISdI1On-
"Well, we couldn't agree always. He
probably thought he was logical and L
thought I was logical"
t'Dfd you ever notice that he drank
1quor?"
''No. I never observed that he was in
toxicated, though, of course, L had heard
that he drank.
The Rev: Mr., Ely, who followed the
Rev. Mr.. Hewitt, testified that he attend
ed the same college with Adams, but that
he had not met him for twenty-five years
after they graduated until 1896. when Ad-
ans went to Cincinnati. He was instru-
mental in getting Adams the rectorship
of a church in the suburbs of the city.
Not long after Adams was given charge
of the church he began to drink again
and was attacked with delirium tremens
and was taken to a sanitarium for treat
ment.
did you see Adams at the SANTA
rium?"
yes. He was in bed. looking much the
worse for wear, but sober"
did you say anything to him?''
Eyes. 1 told him he couldn't stay at
the church any longer-that 1 was respon-
sibIe for him and that he would have to
90 He didn't combat the command
gave him, but, he seemed to think he
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