The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-09-05
Clara Aiken Faced
Charges OF Insanity
From Thursdays Daily.

From Thursdays Daily.
Mrs. Clara Athens hearing on
the charge of disturbing the peace
and quiet of the city on Tuesday
evening by making loud and unusual
noises on the street, developed pc
culiar incidents that rarely occur in
so eminently dignified an environ
ment. The result was that che court
found her guilty of the charge al
legged in the complaint by Desk
Sergeant T. H. Foley, but no SEN
tence was passed Judge Comstock
said that the evidence provided
grounds for a doubt as to whether
the defendant was mentally re-
sponsible for her actions, and noises,
and on this account he refused to
pass sentence in the case until her
mentak condition had been investi-
gated by the proper authorities. The
Judge intimated that her punish
ment would be severe if she was
found fully mentally competent, but
If not, the case passed from his
| jurisdiction.
Number of Witnesses.
A number of witnesses including
Chief of Police Eli Klugherz, Ser
geant T. H. Foley, Mrs. w. G. P.
Smith, James Swan, bookkeeper
for the Consumers Power company,
James r. Mahopey, DR.. c. j. Joslyn
and Frank Franciscus, testified con-
corning Mrs. Athens "oration" on
| the corner of Front and Walnut
streets Tuesday evening. 1 All the
witnesses agreed that. Mrs. Athens
voice could be heard for several
blocks, that it was high-pitched, and
had tendency to disturb the peace.
| tinued from half an hour to an
hour, and that her talking and sing
| ing was loud and boisterous. Mrs.
Smith said that she had. been dis
turbed while trying to study in her
rooms across the street. Mr. Swan
said that he had been disturbed in
his work at the office of the Con,
sumers' Power company. The others
had heard the speaking on the
street and agreed that Mrs: Athens
exhortations were of anything but
a. soothing nature. Mr.. Franciscus
said that she had rallied against sa-
loonkeepers and even against those
who allowed their buildings to be
let for purposes of selling liquor
Would Not Make Plea.
When asked to make a plea, Mrs
Aitken refused to- do so after being
asked by the court three times. A
plea of not guilty was entered. She
was told that she had the right to
procure legal counsel, but she said
that God Almighty was her only
lawyer and her judge. Before the
testimony was introduced she knelt
in the court room and offered a fer
vent prayer to God, asking Him to
! help her in this case, and calling up
on Him to bless her eenemies. The
invocation lasted about>fiye minutes,
and then she called upon her mother,
Mrs. Denney, an aged lady, to
pray also. Mrs. Denney responded
Nequally as fervidly as her daughter,
and her prayer was punctuated by
many expressions from Mrs. Aitken,
such as Praise the Lord,' "Amen,'
GLORY to God" and quotations from
the Bible. She kept the Holy Book
open before her until the court or.
dered her to close it and pay atten-
j ton to the proceedings of the trial
She closed it very reluctantly. She
asked the witnesses several CUES.
tons, but did not get much satisfac.
5, ton. She tried to argue with them
until the court ordered her to cease
She misunderstood Mr. Swan when
he said that he had been in the Of
, fee two hours. and accused him. OF
saying that she had been on the
street two hours She told Mr.
Swan to remember that the devil is
the father of all liars, and to be
ware, of what he was saying under
oath.
Reprimanded BY the Judge.
Judge Comstock reprimanded hel
for the accusation. and advised, hel
to listen more closely to the testi
mony Her constant. interruptions
of the testimony and attempts to
read the Bible or quote from il
caused the court to say that she
must learn to control herself il
{ she had to be locked up, until she
: chose to behave properly.
Chief Klugherz testified that OF
one occasion he had told her tt
) stay at least one hundred feet ava!
/ from Front street when holding he
! services, and this order was no
) complied, with. She attempted tt
{ induce the chief into saying that hi
had placed the figure at seventy-fivt
, feet, but was wholly unsuccessful
, and provoked further reprimand.
, from the court.
!, The dignity of thes court room
came very nearly being plunged of
its perch into a hopeless ohasm o
, destruction when Mr. Mahoney testi
/ fed that the judge and also Office
] Frank Bienapff had spoken to he
!. during her services on the street
, and warned her to be less bolster
] Gus, but Mrs. Aitken only raised he
) voice the more loudly. At first SHE
said that she had mot seen the
, judge, but changed this to, Eyes
, saw him coming across the street