Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-11-16
DEFENSE IS INSANITY
States Case Closed In the Sec
ond Trial of Hortman at
Cherokee For Murder
DRAMATIC SCENE IN COURT
Testimony of the Murdered Girls
Father Causes Tears In court-Dy-
lnu Girls Statement Submitted
Father of Defendant Testifies-Hort-
man Often Crazed by Drink
I;pecial to Times Republican.

l;pecial to Times Republican
Cherokee, Nov. 16.-The defense II
the trial of Harry HOFFMAN Is taking
evidence today, the state having clos
cd yesterday. Insanity is the princi
pal defense made and much evidence
will be offered along this line.
Dispositions were read from Jacob
Hortman, j. x. Scott and John Ward
all Of New Jersey. testifying that In
sanity had existed in the Hortmar
family for years.
The strong card. that HOFFMAN wa.
under the influence of liquor at the
time, was played today. A. G. Ferris
Il. o. Howard, William Smith and M
H. Jones testified that they had drank
with the defendant for three days pre-
yious to the murder and that he was
drunk at the time.
Mrs. Rachael Hortman, an aunt OF
the defendant, was put on the stand
for the defense. Her evidence was the
dying statement of Florence Porter.
She detailed it much the same as the
others, but added that Florence had
said:
Il forgive Harry. He would never
have done 1t If he had not been drunk.
He was always so kind to me-"
n. s. HOFFMAN, father Of the defend
ant, testified as to the ugly spirit of
his son when under the influence OF
liquor. He said that Harry had been
b hard drinker ever since he was fifteen
years old. He said that he was stupid
when he was drinking, and was never
responsible for what he did. He cited
various instances of carousals. At one
time he kicked the windows out of the
hacl, he was driving. He testified that
Harry was drunk the three days pre-
ceeding the crime.
The defense fails to make much of
an impression on the crowd, and the
general opinion is that HOFFMAN will
not 20 free. Physicians from the
state insane asylum will testify as to
the mental condition OF the defendant.
Close Of States Evidence.
SUbbing piteously at the recollection
Of the brutal crime that struck down
the daughter Of her heart, Mrs. Mar
tina Porter mother Of Florence Porter,
who, was shot to death three years
ago, by Harry HOFFMAN, told with great
effort what she knew OF the murder
yesterday. She took the stand to testi-
" Tor the state.
At the table sat her aged husband,
whose frame shook with emotion. Op-
posite him sat Harry HOFFMAN. ac-
cused Of the murder Of the girl who
was, his sweetheart, and who, on, her
deathbed told her aunt:
HARRY would never have done it if
he hadn't been drunk. He was al
ways so kind to me before"
The scene when Louis Porter, father
Of The girl told OF her dying state
ments. was dramatic in the extreme.
He said that he arrived at the death
bed Of his daughter at 8 O'Clock in the
evening. He said she knew that she
would die. He said that she told him
tina. Harry had asked her II she still
meant to forsake him. She had replied
that she did.
's,Eor your sake and the sake of your
family, you had better change your
mirld' Hortman said, according to the
girls story to her father. Then fol-
lowed the story Of the shooting as told
the father by the daughter on the
deathbed. He told Of his daughter de-
scsAding the stairs while HOFFMAN
etot,d at the top and shot her twice.
Where the gun came from was told
by Martin Keister a barber. He said
that: Hortman came into his shop and
asked for revolver and got it. 9th
ers who were present when the defen-
dant was turned over to the officers,
testified. Maud Angehr told Of the dy-
Ing statement Of Florence Porter,
agr<.eing with the account of the father.
Or. Biller told of the nature OF the
wounds. The ono which entered the
right side, under the shoulder blade,
and penetrated the lung, was the one
which caused death. he said.