The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-11-22

LINING ~ w As n u N oDA
self wife, young girl. 1t seems she
was of sweet disposition. 1t seems
that she was of an intelligent and
affectionate nature, and especially of a
nature that might have easily been
moulded into beautiful womanhood
If this defendant, after he had taken
this young wife to his home had con-
cluded that whatever he had done in
the past, that now was the time to
make change in his life, and had taken
that young undeveloped womanhood
and moulded it into what he might have
nature-if he had done this he might
have had as happy home as there is
in Decatur county. But, instead of
the first this defendant bullied his wife;
I'll at he abused her, and humiliated her
time and again in public. One thing
a cowardly and disgraceful thing to
strike her. The day has gone by
hundreds of years ago for that; that
belongs to the American Indian age; it
belongs to the cave man. And yet the
evidence here shows that time and time
again this defendant knocked this
young wife down on the streets of the
town, abused her in public, cursed her
in the presence of her associates, and
upon one occasion, upon public road
of this county horse whipped her.
Any man who would do that has no
conception whatever of the rights of
womanhood. 1t is bad enough to strike
Il man, but to strike woman, and
especially ones wife, whom he had
sworn to love and cherish until death
did them part, what cruel and wicked
thing it isl What cowardly thing it
is to do! And want you, Mr.. Over
holtzer, to think about these things,
and to remember as long as you live
that it was your own cruel acts that
brought your young wife to her death.
The punishment that this court can
intlict upon you is very small. If the
court should send you to the gallows,
even that would be small punishment.
If the court should send you to the
penitentiary for life, or for a term of
years, that would be very inadequate
punishment for such a crime. The
punishment that you have already
suffered and that you ought to suffer as
long as you live is the remembrance
| of what you have done. That will re-
main with you always, the most terrible
punishment that can be inflicted. That
| is not human punishment. That is
divine punishment; and it is inevitable!
Now there are two things that want
to call attention to, not for the purpose
particularly of being any benefit to you,
l Mn nunrhO1tDnu lr% ko
that they are object lessons that ought
to go to every young man in this
county.
1t seems that the defendant, almost
from the beginning of his early man.
hood, has been addicted to the use OF
Intoxicating liquors. He has been in
every time he would become intoxicat-
ed he would get ugly and wicked. 1t
seemdd to inllame his passions to such
an extent that he was eager and
anxious to hurt somebody. Now it is
a fact that ought to be recognized by
every man who uses intoxicating
liquors to excess that it is the most
dangerous thing in the world for him
to do, when man has so inflamed his
passions by the use of Intoxicating
liquors, that they are beyond his con-
troll, he does not know what he may do
once beyond his control, with the re.
straints of reason taken away, there is
nothing left OF him but that which be-
longs to the animal, the low and the
bestial.
AS have said, the evidence in this
case shows that this defendant was in
the habit Of becoming intoxicated, and
when he was in that condition he be.
came ugly. What did that mean? II
meant that restraint was taken away
that the thought of his father ano
mother, and his sisters, and perhaps the
thought Of his young wife the thought
that they would be disgraced by his
acts were all taken away. | wish thai
could impress that thought upor
every young man, that as soon as
Intoxicating liquors take away con
troll and restraint and Judgment, that
there is nothing left but the animal and
testiai, and when this restraint il
withdrawn he is liable to do anything.
Now, the law does not regard that al
an excuse for crime, because when
man voluntarily places himself in tha
position, the law says he must take tn,
consequences of his acts. Not taking
in consideration any other view of thu
case than this, how dare any man to pu
himself in this position, that he ii
liable to go out and take the life of hi
fellow man, Or the life of his own wife
Another thing: 1t seems that tn,
defendant from the time almost that h,
could do anything, has been in thu
habit OF handling pistols and revolvers
1t seems that he almost had mania fol
carrying them. Why should this youn;
man upon this Sunday evening hav,
had this revolver in his possession
Why does any man in this communit,
want d revolver? There is nothin,
that discredits man more than carry
ing a revolver. think men are entire
ly too careless and Indifferent abou
that. 1t ought to be the duty of ever,
father to see that his child has nothin.
! of the kind about the place. AS soon al