The trial was commenced in Hillsboro Fri-…
source date: 1891
availability: public-domain

The trial was commenced in Hillsboro Fri- day last, about one-half of Kingston being in attendance. The defendant being without means the court appointed Judge Alexander to defend him. Some friend of Hiler’s then employed Judge Idus L. Fielder, of this city, to assist in the defense. The Odd Fellows of Kingston em- ployed G. D. Bantz, also of this city, to assist Prosecuting Attorney Ancheta. Several wit- nesses for the defense were put on the stand Friday afternoon, all of whom, on cross exami- nation testified as to the good character of Mrs. Hiler. Saturday morning the two little sons of Mr. and Mrs. Hiler, aged respectively seven and five years, were brought into the court room by their mother to testify in their father’s defense. As the only evidence which they could give on behalf of their father must necessarily smirch the reputation of their mother, the subdued, intense excitement of the spectators can be imagined. The testimony of the children was given between sobs and in a manner which would have melted the heart of a bronze statue. The testimony of the oldest boy was that he saw Dr. Mason and his mother on the bed to- gether. The prosecution mollified this by bring- ing out the fact that Dr. Mason was lying across the head of the bed rocking the sick baby, which he had called to see, while Mrs. Hiler was lying on the foot of the bed.

that he saw Dr. Mason and his mother on the bed to- gether. The prosecution mollified this by bring- ing out the fact that Dr. Mason was lying across the head of the bed rocking the sick baby, which he had called to see, while Mrs. Hiler was lying on the foot of the bed. The three children were playing in the same and adjoining room, with the door open between the two. The second boy, aged five, was so completely overcome with emotion as to be un- able to answer intelligently at all, and his plain- tive sobbing found an echo in various places in the court room.