The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1919-06-13
MRS. KISER GOES FREE.
FOUND NOT GUILTY OF THE MURDER OF
HER HUSBAND BY THE jUHY---MRS.
KlSER UNAFFECTED BY THE VERDICT.

1t took two hours for a jury to
reach the conclusion Friday after
noon that Mrs. Alice R. Kiser, the 64-
year-old country woman, was not
guilty of the murder of her husband,
J. Frank Kiser, by reason of her de-
ranged condition at that time, and
that she is now sane.
The case, which attracted Uon-
siderable attention during the short
leriod it lasted, was given to the jury
at 11.55 in the morning. The general
opinion in the courtroom among
lawyers and followers Of the case
vas that the verdict would be re el3h
ed within Is minutes. State At
torney William l.. Seabr'ck made no
vigorous effort to nave He jury bring
in anything but q varotct O. man-
slaughter, and in his argument he
conceded that the '.etelse lHl pinred
that the woman's state IF mind was
not normal He contended, how
ever, that the burden of proving in
sanity rested heavily upon the de-
fense, and warned the jury not to be
misled entirely by the testimony Of
the defense's expert alienists, DIR.
Adolf Nicer, DR.. John Oliver and
other wellTknown mental specialists.
They had testified that the woman
was suffering from "cerebro arterio
chloritic deterioration" which, in
bthe layman's language, means that
hardening of the arteries and other
organic troubles, all of which was
brought to a crisis by her husbands S
alleged attentions to Mrs. Ida Reeves,
the woman in the case" There
fore, when the jurors remained out
until O'Clock speculation ran rife
as to what was holding them, for
there was no denying the fact that
the defense, represented by Attorneys
Edward D. Weant, and +. Neal Parke,
had made out strong case.
Mrs. Kiser remained in the court
room by the side of her soldier son
Este Kiser, all during the long wait
SHE ate no lunch. Then, when the
jury finally returned, she showed nc
visible emotion. In fact, she didn't
even look up at the members when
they took their place in the box
When ordered to stand up, she did
so with hesitation, raising her hanG
as the custom requires, but dropping
it languidly when Chief Judge
Thomas, who, with Judge Moss, sal
through the case, asked the jury If j
had reached a verdict. The jury an
nounced it's verdict, that the little olt
woman, so plainly dressed and whose
pinched and sombre face might have
placed her in the front pew of some
country church instead of the prison
er's dock, was mot guilty of murder
and was sane at the present time.
IF the words stung her to the realiza-
ton that she had escaped from what
might have been a serious penalty;
if she fully realized that she was free
that the jury had decided that she
didn't know right from wrong" in
her mental condition at the time OF
the killing, she failed to show 1T
She merely sat down, just as if the
preacher in the country church had
finished the last note of the hymn
and was preparing for the sermon
After a few minutes she put her
handkerchief to her eyes.
There was an unusual touch OF
pathos to the last scene of the short
but sensational case. The soldier
son showed his relief visibly. But
there were no friends in the court
room who went over to congratulate
the little old woman. The soldier
son, who had stuck by her side from
the beginning of the trial to the end,
gently helped her to her feet. They
went out of the courtroom with
Sheriff Mellor. The soldier dolned
his overseas cap when he had PASSED
through the courtroom door. Everv-
body i'm the courtroom seemed pleased
with the verdict, but there was no
demonstration. In the rotunda Oh the
old courthouse the Sheriff shook
hands with the soldier and the &C
quilted mother They thanked him
for his kindness, and then the pair
strolled out the back door, the .:Jl-
der holding his mothers arm firmly
They got into a buggy, and soon q
cloud of Carroll county SIst was
following them toward their nIle
home in Harney.
Mrs Reever, the other woman in
the case, was not in court. She was
there all day Thursday, and, though
she was not witness, displayed an
unusual interest in the proceedings.
According to the witness for the de-
fense it was this woman who had
aroused Mrs. Kiser's jealousy to
such pitch that her depleted mental
and physical condition rendered her
unable ITO distinguish right from
wrong Mrs. Reever is four years
younger than Mrs. Kiser, much more
robust and far more youthful in an
pearance.
The case presented an unusual
study. Both DIR. Mayer
and Dr. Oliver found it extremely in
teresting. The woman's physical
condition is such it was testified, that
she cannot live much loHger. she
fred Az her husband in the dark, not
showing even where he was star Ing.
The load even went through tie door.
md struck him She showed cCol-
ness and unconcernedness after the
shooting on February ~ that per-
,lexed the neighbors when they came
u to help her battle his wound. She
vent about helping them with
,ut any signs Of concern. She
wen washed up the blood stains on
he floor. The next morning, while
Ter husband was dying in the hosDi-
AL. she went about her housew0rk
W usual. She took her arrest the
anne way, And from all appearances
he took her acquitted with the sa-ic
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