Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1903-06-19
WILL HANG CRIPPLE
Jury Finds w. P. Peacock Guilty of
Murder in First Degree.

"Guilty Of murder in the first de-
gree" was the verdict of the jury in
the case of State Of Oregon VS. w. P.
Peacock, tried in Judge Burnett's de-
partment of Circuit Court this week.
Peacock was charged with the murder
of Alex S. Kerr, at Parker Station,
Monday, May IS. To those who at
tended the trial of this poor, deformed,
half-crazed specimen Of humanity,
the verdict came as great surprise,
as it was not generally believed that a
stronger punishment than life sent
ence in the penitentiary would be meted
out to him. A large crowd of people
was present at each session Of the
trial, which lasted nearly two days.
The prisoner attracted considerable
attention when brought into the court
room by Sheriff Ford, Monday after
noon. He displayed no interest in his
surroundings, but took his seat and
gazed blankly out of one Of the court
room windows. AT no time during the
trial did he remove his gaze from this
window, but sat staring fixedly into
space, apparently Indifferent as to his
surroundings. He manifested no
interest whatever in the proceedings
of the court, even when the testimony
was most damaging against him, nor
did he betray the slightest agitation
when the verdict of the jury was
announced.
Peacock's physical condition is such
as to excite pity. He is sadly crippled
by curvature Of the spine, and is
otherwise badly deformed. Although
a man in years, he is scarcely taller
than the average boy of 70. Owing to
a hereditary taint of blood, he has
been afflicted from childhood with a
constant discharge from his right ear,
and from this ear his hearing is en-
tirely gone.
The facts as to the killing Of Kerr,
as brought out in the trial, do not
differ materially from the published
account in the OBSERVER at the time of
the tragedy, and consequently would
be of no interest to our readers at this
time. AS far as the evidence adduced
at the trial is concerned, there was no
motive or provocation for the murder.
The general impression is that Pea
cock allowed his Imaginative powers
to lead him to believe that he was be-
ing prosecuted, and that his life was
in danger. While he had never been
threatened or harmed by any person,
so far as known, he seemed to believe
that the entire community was against
him, and that Kerr was his chief per-
secutor and the cause Of his troubles.
OF morbidly sensitive nature, he
brooded continually over his fancied
grievances, and, conceiving himself
to be the victim of grievous wrongs,
he slew Kerr, apparently feeling that
he was entirely justified in doing SO.
The sole defense interposed was in
sanity of the defendant. DR.. w. T.
Williamson, head physician at the
Oregon Insane Asylum, and one Of
the ablest experts on the diseases of
the brain in the United States, was the
principal witness for the defense. In
his opinion, Peacock at the time of the
trial was, and for many years past
had been, afflicted with the type of in
sanity known as "paranoia;" that,
because of this mental disorder, he
was unable to control his impulses,
and that his disease led him to COM
nit the rash act. DR.. e. j. Howard,
of Dallas, for many years a member
of the Insane Commission for the
State of Iowa, and DR.. B. H. Mccall
Ion, of Dallas, also gave testimony to
the same effect.
The case was ably prosecuted by
District Attorney J. N. Hart, assisted
by deputy John H. McNary, of Marion
county. The jurymen, G. P. Locke,
@. M. Lewis, w. R. Howe, J. K.
Guttry, Cyrus Blair, I. A. Allen, S. H.
Barker, J. W. DeLap, L. S. Perkins,
r. F. Barnes, M. D. Coulter and w. H.
Boals, were two hours and 15 minutes
in reaching verdict.