Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-11
VICTIM Of MOB
PROVED INSANE
Autopsy on Charles Cullen at
Charles City Shows Man Was
Mentally irresponsible
LAW WOULDN'T HAVE PUNISHED
Condition Of tn. Brain Prove. Cullen
to Have Been a Maniac. and Leg al
Execution Would Have Been Impes-
.ibIe-Mob Had Strong Leader =
story Of an Eye Witness.
Special ts rlmes-Rerubl.can.

Special ts Times s-Republ.cah.
Charles City, Jan. 11.-An autoT sy
held on the body Of Charles Cullen
who was hanged by mob "Wednesday
night because he murdered his wife and
stepson, reveals the fact that Gil
len was mentally deranged, an exam
ination Of the brain showing evidene es
OF insanity. Being mentally irrespon-
sible for his actions. the man could
/ not have been sent to the gallows for
his crime, but would probably have
spent his remaining days in sn insane
hospital, as McWilliams. of Independ-
ence, is now doing. In these develop
lnents those who sy1npathize with the
work Of the mob profess to find some
justification for the methods adopted
to wreak vengeance on the murder er.
The coroner's Jury which has bee
investigating the case has referred I he
whole matter to the grand jury, VIII ch
up the case with the determination to
seek out the leaders of the mob and
mark them for punishment. There
was one conspicuous leader who was
the controlling spirit Of all the mob's
movements and as this man shed tears
during the time he was directing the
work, 1t is claimed that he was rela-
tive Of the murdered woman, Mrs.
Cullen.
Mayor Baldwin says the statement
that infuriated the people more than
anything else was: Cullen will be de-.
sciared fnsane ard In less than tn, ee'
years win walk the streets here free
man. -
Ensign Roper Of the Salvation Army
claimed that twice the mob appeared
on the verge Of acceding to his pleas
to return Cullen to Jail and disperse,
but each time the masked leaders re-
newed their determination with ap-
peals. It Is claimed that the last time
Roper made his plea the burly leader
turned on him with the declaration:
II guess if he killed your mother,
you would hang him"
Mrs. Cullen's two sons by her first
husband Edward e. Eastman, of New
Hampton, and William Eastman, of
Stacy, Mimi, and her two daughters,
Mrs. Maud Elliott of Howard, s. D.,
and Mrs. Emma B. Bishop Of Fred
ericksburg, Iowa, and brother, r.
Brown Of New Hampton, arrived yes
terday to attend the funeral. The Rev.
Mr.. Hess says he can account for the
whereabouts of all of them during the
lynching. Mrs. Cullen's children ex-
press no remorse at the mob aveng-
ing the murder, but they dislike the
chance of their names being coupled
with the mobbing. It is said by the
Rev. Mr.. Hess that when the mob was
forming the sons knew of it and were
tempted to join. but that the leaders
of the mob gave them to understand
that their services were no. needed.
Sheriff Schermerhorn, Marshal Brandt
and others claimed that many MEM
bers of the mob appeared to have come
from the vicinity of Mrs Cullen's
county line They claimed that the iron
brought from Nashua.
County Attorney L. o. Rue declared
that every effort would be made to
bring the ring leaders to justice, but
1t was feared. he said, that not enough
evidence could be secured to convict.
It now develops that before the
lynching Sheriff W. w. Schemerhorn
was warned to take his family from
the Jail. He then removed them to the
house of a neighbor. On his return
he was suddenly stopped before
reaching the Jail by four men who
made him go into the sheriff's office at
the point of revolvers. The city mar
ehal also says the same experience
happened to him on the other side OF
the building.
Story of Eye Witness.
James Stalker. a resident Of Floyd
county, who lives about five miles
south of Charles City, spent the eve
ming in that city waiting for a train
to take him to Mason City, where he
was bound on business. Mr.. Stalker
finding his train was over two hours
late had ample opportunity to see the
movements of the mob that brought
to his end, Cullen, the murderer of
his wife and stepson. On first reach
ing Charles City Mr.. Stalker says there
was an undue amount of excitement,
that people were collected aere and
there about the streets in knots dis
cussing the awful crime and the past
history of the criminal. He says he
saw no one making any objections to
the strong sentiments expressed by
those present. All seemed to be of
one accord and the crowd made up
of all classes Of citizens. A certain
restaurant fronting Main street and
near the court house seemed the place
for the meeting of the leaders of the
mob. Mr.. Stalker says that as he was
coming from the depot after visiting
there to see when his train would be
In. he noticed crowd rush from that
placs towards TIE Jail yard. Knowing