The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-10-24
.C0FFEEN MUST GO
TO STATE PRISON .
Supreme Court Affirms
Conviction for Man
slaughter

Nv the Associated Press state Wirs
PAUL, VALLEY. oct 23-Oue
or the most dtamatlc trials lu The
history uf GHryin county ia being tc-
counted here ~ u result of tho decl-
sion OF the criminal court of appeals
lac oklahoma city which affirmed n
threc-ycar sentence Imposed on
Jason Coffcon for tho killing Of hle
wife. ioffcen was convicted ON -
charge " mnuslaughtcr.
4 triangle case involving tho
death Of the wife, tho wouuding ~
hcr alleged lover ana tho Imprisou-
mont OF the husband. th, hearing at
tractcd Wide attention when 10 was
held hero before Judge Frank
Matthews tn district court in April
1890. tutlcCu. Wua more than 90
Years old, lived at Sratford. near
here.
In reviewing the case Judge u. s..
Beescy OF the appellate court said:
Facts Would Make Novel.
'lr all tho incts Of this case I'm de-
tail were arranged and related by q
slNllful writer this would mako an
interesting novcl--but that ls foreign
To the legitimate function ot a
judicial opinion"
Two years before tho killing, Mrs.
Mary Cuffcen took the G-dav-old
son OF Rowland TO rear after his
wifo died. It was brought out IN tcs-
tmOny at tho trial OF Cuffccn lt
was related that Rowland made fre-
puent visits at the Coffecn home TO
see the boy,
Coffeen became suspicious ~ tho
frequency Of ltuwl1nds visits at his
home, and. returning late one night
.N. 4.
went around TO the rear Of the house
Just In timo to find Rowland emerg-
lng with his shoes ana most or his
clothing I'm his arms" according to
the reviewer. Coffeen then forced
Rowland TO return 10 tho house and.
In n dramatic interview at which
two roomcrs were present, accused
his wife Of intimacy with Rowland
and she admitted tho charge. accord
Ing To tho appellate court review OF
testimony.
Then followed a period of eara ng-
ment between COffcon and hia wife
Witnesses at the trial testified that
Coffeen wandered tho atreets OF
stratford, his homo town. at all
times OF the day and night, telling
acquaintances and strangers alike OF
the trouble that had como 10 his
home.
Later n reconciliation was affect.
Cd, II was related by the reviewer,
but this again was followed by Cof-
Teens alleged discovery that his wife
had met Rowland at Chickasha. Cof-
feen again took TO roaming the
streets Mt night and telling his story
10 all he met. the reviewer stated
witnesses testified.
one morning Coffcon was sitting
on his porch when Rowland rode
toward the house on "A horse. Cof-
feen drew n pistol and shot Row
land In tho hip. witnesses said, and
rowland whirled his horse ana rode
swiftly down the street.
Shot Fnithlcss wife Twice.
Startled by the pistol shot. Mrs.
Cotfaen ran TO tho door. The
smoking pistol was in her husbands .
hand and she attempted 20 retreat.
But her husband spranR toward her,
according to the reviewer, and fol-
lowed her into the house As she
started TO ascend the stairs, while
their l2-yehr-old son stood by. Cof-
feen shot her twice. She died al
most Instantly. tho reviewer sald.
Coffeen's plea at the trial was
temporary insanity. His attorneys
drew n dramatic picture OF their
client roaming the streets Rt uight
and telling his story 10 friend and
stranger alike. Many witnesses wore
quoted by the reviewer as hnving
testified that Coffccn appeared
mentally deranged.
The state introduced testimony
10 show, according TO the re NnYcr.
that Cotfecn was not man uf high
moral character. ha had been tcstl-
fled by defense witnesses and that
hence his wife's alleged infidolity
would not be sufflcirt to unbalance
hts mind as Il might that Of a man
OF higher Ideals.
Here tho appellate court laid
down n new theory of law. accord
Ing to Judge Bossoy In commenting
on the opinion.
n held that tho testimony the
state introduced. which has hero.O-
fore been hold inadm,ssable oy many
courts. was admissible ns rebuital
evidence because II tended 90 show
tn estate OF the defendants mind
and had a bearing on th question Il
his sanity at tho time OF the Ehou,-
ing.
with apparatus invented by a
swedish sclentist a persons Will
mower nuuarentlV pgu ba fDaasuTpd