The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-12-11
In Closing Arguments Before
Jury, Attorneys for State
And Defense Freely Made
Charges-Both Bitter.
CREATED A SENSATION.
FROM START TO FINISH CASE
WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST
FOUGHT AND MOST STARTLING
EVER CONDUCTED IN COURT.

After deliberating on the merits OF
the William Henry case, since five
o'clock Tuesday afternoon, the jury
about noon today returned and the
foreman informed the court that it
had agreed to disagree on the merits
of the case in question. 1t is under
stood that ten of the jurors wished to
convict Henry on the charge of which
he was accused, assault and battery
with intent to commit felony. Two
held out for acquittal. it was reported
about the court house this afternoon.
II will mean another trial.
Attorney John F. Robbins. for the
defense. in arguing the case pictured To
the jurymen Henry in the light of a
hen-pecked husband Mr.. Robbins de-
scribed Mrs. Henry as an honest, vir-
tuous woman, but shrew. Day after
day throughout their married life. he
said, Henry had TO submit to frequent
and violent tongue elashings. To the
amusement of the jury. the attorney
sketched Mrs. Henry as a victim OF
green-eyed jealousy. suffering from the
disease without cause. In the course
of this statement Mrs. Henry half
turned her bach on Mr.. Robbins.
Henry couldn't put on his Sunday
shoes or clothes. without his wife ac-
cusing him of going out TO sport with
other women said Mr. Robbins
IF Henry wanted To find happiness
he had to leave home" continued Mr..
Robbins. He was II victim of strong
drink He admitted this fact on the
witness stand, but many man has
taken to strong drink on less provo
cation than Henry had"
Mr.. Robbins held that on the even
ing of September ~. Henry did not
shoot at his wife and his son Clinton
with intefit to commit murder. Mr..
Robbins said that Phoebe Horner, Hen
rvs niece. had perjured herself on the
witness stand. Mr.. Robbins stated
that Phoebe had testified that when
Henry shot at his wife she was only
fifteen or twenty steps from him. Mr..
Robbins then cited the fact that Joe
and Clinton Henry and Mrs. Henry
had each testified that Mrs. Henry was
at least sixty yards away when the
first shot was fired
Prosecutor Jessup made strong
argument against Henry. II was as
strong as the case he had built around
the accused. He cited the fact that
for years Henry had been unfaithful
to his wife. keeping company with the
worst kind of women and that he had
admitted this to his wife. He also
pictured Henry as a man who had
brutalized himself by excessive use OF
intoxicants. The prosecutor then
sketched the actions of the defendant
on the evening of September "a. relat-
ing how the man had flown into an
ungovernable rage on finding that his
wife had learned from his own lips
that he had been in the company of I
notorious woman in Milton on that
day. The prosecutor said that when
Henry ran out Of the house with a
shotgun he had murder in his heart
and he intended Mrs. Henry and Clin-
ton to be the victims.
Tuesday afternoon, before the arsu-
ments began. Mrs. Henry was placed
on the witness stand and she told
most damaging story against her hus-
band. The accused was also placed
on the stand. He accused his wife OF
being shrew and stated that he did
not deserve the abuse she was con-
stantly according him. He maintain
ed that when he fired at his wife and
his son Clinton, he only intended 10
frighten them. Henry also said, that
his violent actions were greatly respon-
sible for the severe beating his son had
given him with a hammer and sugar
bowl. On cross-examination Henry
refused to admit that few days prior
20 the shooting he had threatened to
kill all his family with gun, and then
turned the gun on himself. He said
that he had frequently said TO his wife
and children that he intended to take
his own life.
f c. Dickinson the local gunsmith,
testified that a gun loaded with
charge like was in Henry's single bar.