Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-11-19
ATTORNEYS FOR MAN ACCUSED
OF MURDER OF FATHER AT
RiNGsTED OUTLINE CASE.
TO CLAIM AGED MAN
WAS KILLED BY FALL
Son to Set Up Defense of insanity
to Account For His Running Away
and His Actions Foliowino-Attor-
neys Account For Fracture Of Skull
as Being Caused by Fall.

Baskerville, Nov. 19.-The theory of
the defense in the case Of the state OK
Iowa against Grant Giffin. % years
old, charged with murder, arson and
robbery, will be first. insanity. and
next fear on the part OF the son. who,
it is claimed, murdered the father,
Elliott Giffin, 90 years old, in his
lonely farm home near Ringsted
Tuesday, Oct. Is.
Contrary TO other printed reports,
the trial of Giffin will be held here
Jan. %, continuance being granted
attorneys for the defense here re-
Gently by Judge Lee.
Unusual Defense.
The theory OF the defense in that
while insanity will be admitted, 1t
will not be an admission of guilt. is
said to be an unusual as well as origi-
nal method OF defending an indicted
man in the state of Iowa. County At
torney Francis Kennedy will prose-
cute the case for the state. which
bids fair to be one OF the most sensa-
tional In criminal annals In this sec.
ton Of Iowa
Elliott Giffin, q recluse, was found
the morning Of Oct. II. lying in the
cellar Of his home near Ringsted.
Upstairs n rifle was found as was a
hammer. His skull was cracked. The
house was on fire at o'clock in the
morning. the time OF the discovery.
Foul play being suspected, the son
was arrested at Algona and indicted.
The Sons story.
Here ID the story OF tho son, made
public for the first time. He called at
his fathers home ton days before the
death, making the visit secretly. be-
cause he feared the serving Of papers
in connection with difficulties he was
having with his wife at Joliet. from
whom he had parted some time be-
fore. While there the father showed
him the rifle found later in Che en-
bers OF the home. The son told him
to try 1t out in the cellar, as shoot
ing 1t outside at the hands OF a no.
vice. might cause injury to somebody.
The son left the room for 4 short
time and returned to find the. trap
door above . steep flight Of steps
running eight feet to the cellar be-
low. open.j
He rushed below to find his faith
er had fallen down the steps and
that his head was bleeding. He
seized rug to stop the flow OF
blood. He lit several matches to
see what he was doing. Then fear
ing that he might be suspected OF
what he soon saw was fatal in
jury. he fled wildly from the home.
He rode q horse, followed by a colt.
TO Bancroft, sixteen miles east Of
Rtngsted. He spent the night in q
cornfield and the next morning, ar
irving at the Des Moines river, he
started the horse home and walked
to Bancroft at 8 o'clock, where he got
breakfast and later took a taxi to
Algona, where he bought hat and
grip. Putting his cap in the grip
he went to Eagle Grove. stayed two
days. when he returned to Algona,
where. fearing that he had made a
mistake In leaving his fathers dead
body as he had, he wrote q friend
inquirtng about the state OF affairs
at Ringsted. He was arrested at Al
gona, rs q consequence. When ask
ed about the fire he inquired: what
hre? evidence, his attorneys claim,