Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 October 1883 — The murderer Nelling Laying the Foundation for an Insanity Defense. [ARTICLE]

The murderer Nelling Laying the Foundation for an Insanity Defense.

» . #• 1,-><ay<Tte Loh.': r. , Ntliicg's scheme is to create the ini--piession that he id or was insane al the time .of tjie murder, but it won’t work. No sane person takes any stock in it. His ill-concealed anxiety to convince those .who talk with 4dm that he is insane, is of itself a sufficient contradiction. No insane person was ever known to admit that be was insane. He may fancy everyone else crazy, but himself never. Nelling is not crazy nor will he ever succeed far convincing the community that he is. The community is crazy, however—crazy to see him hung, and “there v; ill ! be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth” should ho evade justice, which is barely possible. His safest course is to stick to bis. plea of guilty and abide the consequence. Should ne escape on the plea of insanity or a technicality, the mob would tear hint to_ pieces. *♦ * Joe Atkinson, uncle of the murdered girl, says that during all the thirty years that he has known him ho Could never grow familial’ with him. There was something so dark and forbidding about the man that he could not help but fear and dread him, end. where it was possible, ho always made it a point to avoid him. The poor mother, half crazed with gn<f at the dreadful death of her murdered child, with her keen woman's instinct, which is far better than any man's judgment, at once settled in her own mind who was the real murderer of her pet, and, despite the many ingenious and plausible theories and the crdckodllo tears and snHjky sympathy of Nelling, loathed the very sight of him, and could not , bear to have him about the .premises.

It was only by the greatest effort of the will that she could remain a moment in his presence or dwell-at home while he was there. Dissimulation Imd to be met with dissimulation, however, and cunning w ith cunning, and the -do—tective, Harris, ordered that nothing should be done that might put the man on his guard. He was tricked into his confession, but for which an innocent man might have paid the penalty of his crime. lie sees tis error now, when it is almost too late, and he is determined to make no more foolish and fatal mistakes. Heretofore he has been talkative; he has no a’ changed his base and become uncommunieati vc. He sees a chance to cheat the gallows of its deserts-it is but a slender chance, it is tills, but strll it Is a chance, and Jacob Nelling' is not the man to despair. His active mind is busy formulating a pain for his future actions. All else has failed him; the insanity dodge is old and worn and thread-bare, and the people are heartily sick of it, but there are yet some overscrupulous cranks who may be played upon by a skillfully-acted part, and Nelling is a born actor and a man ofstropg individuality and strong mesmeric force. He feels his power, is no coward, and is even fascinated at the great game of life and death before him w.ich he must play with such fearful odds against him. He is not dismayed or disheartened, but nerved to meet the issue, and will no doubt abide the consequence with the stolid indiHerence of an Indian brave, who, cruel and relentless himself, expects nothing but a cruel death. AN INTERVIEW WITH TIIK PtHSOXEK, To the reporter's inquires he Returned the evasive answer: “I have al -ready-stated everything.’'’ '

t ■•Hfivrryou,-njjr ret’Ottieelrons os Wt’fe" last words of Ada “No, 1 have not. It was all like a dream to me. All tba’ I recall was what I have ahead}" stated.” “Did she not plead with you for her life—did she struggle much?” “I tell you I don't know. I have no recollection of anything that happened, other than 1 have stated." “When did you first feel the mania to kill her, was it just after you eh cred the house?” “No, I tirst felt the inspiration to kill some one out in the yard whore I was chopping wood, and than I knew who it was I had to kill.” “Did you slip into the house?” “No; I walked in and up stalls as I usually did.” • “Was Ada frightened when yon first entered? • Not at all; it was only alter I told her tvhat I was going to do.” He would go no further in this direction, and the reporter tried another tack, hoping to worm something further from him later on. ••Were you much frightened at Fow,er when the mob was howling about the jail?"' “I can’t say that I was; I wh as easily hurt as any man and as ersiiy killed, bit they alWaya sari I hadn’t sense'nough to get sheered,"' and a sly expression stole over -iliaman’s face as he gave a keen look kt his interrogate r. “Are you subject to hallucinations?” { “Well, I h* v ® strange things

| severai times in my life/’ 1 “No doubt, but did you ever Jeei an ' inspiration toj'.iij anyone before th;s:"’ ■'•No, 1 never did: 1 have always been a lit tie queer, but never tbovglff of ki ling anybody.” “Can't you .now recall aqy further particulars of the murder?"' “No. I can’t, and I don’t > want td»be questioned any further about it. I have been annoyed until I am worn out. It is done, apd can’t be undone, and to talk about it will do no good. If there's any other subject you wish to talk to me about, lam willing, but I don't want to talk about this any more.” • , “Perhaps not, but we are more Interested in this subject than any other/’ “Yes, that’s true, but lam tiredof talking about it.” “Did you sleep well last night?'’ “Yes; and had a good breakfast.’’ ‘ ‘Have you a layer, or are you going To employ one?” ~ J*"" (With a decided jerk of his head) “Yes, I'll have a lawyer, and a good one when he is wanted.” “Have you any friends?” “Yes, I have plenty of them,”“Will they stand by. ybju, now that .you haye wade your confession?' ’ (Emphatically) “Yes, they’ll have to stand by me—they'll stand by me to the very last. ’ “Do you expect to get out of this -scrape?” “No, of course not. 1 did the deed and I expect to suffer for ip'. Ild would not be interviewed farther, and after walking back and fourth across the corridor for a turn or two, sidled away from the grating and disappeared in.his ce l. In conversation with Prosecutor Davidson, yesterday aftevnoon, he told that gentleman that he Ay as “n. little off.”