Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-12-09
A RIP Van N|NKL['
Isenhart's Defense In Bigamy
Case Was Unique But
Very Weak
STORY a RIDICULOUS ONE
story A RIDICULOUS ONE
Defendant Claims Tha. He Took a
Drink and From That Time On, for
Two Weeks. He Remembered Moth
inquiry Was Out Little Over a
Half Hour-sympathy for Wife.


was defendant. tried in the Hamilton
county court at Webster City Tuesday,
when the jury convicted him. after be-
ing out little more than half hour.
1senhart made ridiculous spectacle of
himself on the witness stand. when he
told his story, and the members of the
jury were almost compelled to laugh
at him, so flimsy were his statements.
Isenhart tried to show that his mind
was a total blank for two weeks. or
from the time when he took drink In
this city. before leaving for Clemens.
to marry Emma Mitchell, until he
"awoke'' in Nebraska, finding himself
with another wife.
evening, in speaking of the case. says:
The case did not last long as the
testimony was brief and to the point.
For the state there was Rev. Burns.
of Chicago, and Rev. Z. f. Nell, of
Dies Moines. the ministers who per-
formed the two ceremonies, Mrs. Ly-
da Oman, sister OF Miss Emma Nit
chell. the second wife. Q. N. Ross, the
deputy clerk, b. II. Sutton and A. w.
Little, deputy sheriffs. The defense
introduced but Isenhart himself, Mrs.
Isenhart and his mother.
The defense. as expected, was in.
sanity, ana they attempted to show
that Isenhart was temporarily derang-
ed, and did not know what he was
doing when he went thru the marriage
ceremony with Miss Mitchell In this
city. Mrs. Isenhart put up a good fight
for her husband and made more show
Ing with the jury than anyone else.
If anything could have saved Isenhart
from conviction. 1t would have been
sympathy for his wife. Isenhart's
mother told of noticing difference in
her son beginning some time In Febru-
airy; of his seeming to lose his mem
DRY and doing acts which Indicated
that he was not in his right mind. Mrs.
Isenhart corroborated this testimony.
'Isenhart made a mistake when he
took the stand. for he put up such a
ridiculous story that it almost made the
jury laugh. According to his own story
he took regular Rip Van Wrinkle
sleep for some weeks and couldn't rec
ollect thing that occurred during tee
time he was In this trance. He said
that he was about to take the train
for Colorado and went to the North
western depot at Marshalltown where
he met "A man whom he had previously
seen at St. Anthony. This man took
him out behind box car and gave
him drink of something. After tax
ing this drink 1t was all off with Albert.
He remembered taking the train for
some where but that was all.
When he woke up. some two weeks
later, he found himself in Nebraska
in company with two women. The
keeping with this. and 1t did not
make very strong impression on the
Jury.
MRS. .Isenhart stuck by her husband
as she has been doing all thru the
trial. The jury filed into the court
room and pronounced the defendant
guilty. There was not the slightest
noticeable change in either Isenhart or
his wife. They had evidently expected
a conviction and were not in the least
They left the court room
after hearing the verdict"
Another Account.
Another account Of the hearing, pub
ished in the Webster City Freeman
Tribune Tuesday evening. is as fol-
ows:
THE defense put up by Isenhart was
i very peculiar one. He swore that
rom the time he left Marshalltown
Until the day before the officers arrest
ID him in Nebraska his mind was a
blank. The time elapsing between
senhart said that the day he left Mar
;halltown he went behind box car
with a man from ST. Anthony and
frank some liquor. From this time
Until came to myself on a hay rack
n Nebraska" said Isenhart on the
Witness stand. Il knew nothing.
He swore that he had never seen Rev.
Burns, who married him and Miss
emma Mitchell in this city, and had
ieyer talked to him SO far as he knew.
1e had $40 when he left Marshalltown
md did not know who had betrayed
,is expenses during the time he was
way from there. He admitted having
made four visits to the home of Miss
emma Mitchell in Clemens Grove.
Did you visit her as sutton, asked
County Attorney Blake.
".Well / don't know as you would
all it that replied Isenhart.
You became engaged to herr
AZ do not know exactly as to that.
".She afterward became your wife?
.'I do not remember
"'You asked her fathers consent 20
he marriageT
L do not know.
Ills answers to all other questions
cere just as vague as indicated in the
bove replies given. Turnout the trial
lis first Wife. who believes in him
nd wants to take him back to live
With her, with their little brown eyed I
ably, scarcely year old, sat beside
er husband, heard the accusing and |
onvincing evidence against her hus-
and, yet believed 1t not. She cared
OF but wanted her husband back.
he baby cooed and laughed most o.
he time. attracting much attention.
{ aught could save the accused 1t WAS
he sight of this little child whose
ather was being. tried for a grave
ffense and will soon don the prison
arb
Judge Whitaker will pass sentence
pom Isenhart at l o'clock Friday at
ernoon. Isenhart and his wife and
aother returned TO the city Tuesday
light .s>r.su,s., -.