The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-22
INSANITY PLEA
WAS GROUyDLESs
Walter Roy Woodbury. Found to be Of
sound Mind At Hearing Of Com
missioners Of insanity
Yesterday.
FINDING rs ANTICIPATED
Testimony Of Expert Witnesses in the
Persons Of Number Of Leading
Doctors Was Conclusive
Enough.

On
noLnced to be of sound mind by the
Lee county commissioners to the in
sane after the lengthy hearing yester
day afternoon in the district court
room. This intimation was made by
The Gate City, for the testimony OF
number Of Keokuk's leading physi-
clans who had examined the patient,
was anticipated. Members of the fam
ily failed to introduce such testimony
as would show otherwise. for his de-
meanor about the house, what his faith
er, mother and wife spoke Of was not
singularly different from that OF per-
son of sound mind. TIE hearing also
had the effect of showing that young
Woodbury. preferred a life of twenty
years behind the prison bars at Fort
Madison to a short period of possibly
several years at Mt. Pleasant, should
The be found insane. He stolidly re-
fused to resign himself as an insane
patient and during the hearing a
wordy conflict arose between the pa
tient and several witnesses. The hear
ing was largely attended and was
conducted by Commissioners Sabret
Marshall, DR.. n. A. Kinnaman and Ed.
8. Lotion. County Attorney Theodore
Il Craig and Assistant McManus were
present, but there was no attorney in
evidence for the Woodbury. family
! TIE testimony:
The first witness to take the stand
was James H. Woodbury.. father OF
w. Roy Woodbury., the defendant.
He said: Il think he has been of
unsound mind for a good many years,
even from childhood. He has threat
ened to burn down the house, and at
times has thrown knives and forks a,
members of the family. Two or three
days ago he talked irrationally and
threatened to throw everybody out OF
the house. = s So 81
What If anything caused these out
bursts?" was asked by Commissioner
Marshall.
AS far as know. they were with
out cause was the witness answer.
What did he say at last outburst?''
inquired Commissioner Marshall.
Answer. Il could not say
did you ever have physician ex-
anime him 2" was Commissioner Mar
shal's next inquiry.
Witness: "Of late years have new.
er had him examined by physician
He does not sleep we'll. Sometimes he
has had a tendency to be up all night
He was not dissipated in any way, but
had tendency to go down town al
night and often did not return home
until 3 or o'clock in the morning
He, was not addicted to drink, but took
few drinks now and then. He never
had epilepsy nor was he ever injured
about the head"
In answer to questions of Count,
Attorney Theodore Craig, Mr.. Wood
bury stated that it was possibly 81,
months or year ago, when he threat
ened to burn the barn.
We never fled information agains
him following these soutbursts, be
cause he would get over them in
few days.
He was nice boy around tn
house, and, well--you know how 70
love boy of your own.
Changing from day to night worl
as he did while working at the ceres
works would cause him to feel irreg,
larity due to his sleeping hours"
AT this period court attaches an
spectators in the court room wer
electrified by the actions OF Waite
Roy Woodbury., who had listened I
this testimony before the commission
Rising from his seat, he hurled tn
following questions at his father 0
the stand:
When did you ever see ME thro
knives at members of the family?'
I can say that never struck m
mother with case knife, and tn;
is what you did. glancing accusingl
at his parent on the stand.
Let him push the case and wi
show him that my mind is as good an
sound as his is"
Mother Next Testifies.
Mrs James H. Woodbury. was til