Thomas C. Robinson Trial 1903

ROBINSON, DREAS

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 6/1/2014 at 15:16:52

Cresco Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Nov. 3, 1903

Thomas C. Robinson Found Guilty of Murder.

The case of the State of Iowa vs. Thomas C. Robinson indicted for the murder last spring of the twin babies of Hannah Dreas, born out of wedlock and be their acknowledged father, and which he was alleged to have poisoned by administering strychnine, came to a close Friday evening of last week. The jury, after deliberating about four hours, brought in a verdict of murder in the first degree and fixed the punishment of imprisonment for life.

Robinson was convicted on his own testimony. He went on the stand against the advice of his attorney, and the fire of cross-examination to which he was subjected brought out the missing links in the chain of circumstantial evidence that fastened the crime upon him.

After the verdict was given and the bailiffs started to handcuff him to take him back to jail he fainted and fell forward from his chair and did not regain consciousness for several hours.

Howard County Times: Thursday Nov. 5, 1903

District Court.

Court was resumed Wednesday.

Friday evening about ten o'clock the jury in the Thomas C. Robinson trial, after several hours of deliberating brought in a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree and recommended imprisonment for life. The case is too revolting to particularize, his own testimony, given under the searching questioning of prosecuting attorneys for the state, C. C. Upton and A. J. Barker, furnished incrimmating{sp} evidence enough to satisfy the jury of his guilt.

He came into the court room the last time with buoyant steps and smiling nods to his acquaintances; his faith in his acquital was evidently accured.(?)

When the jury came in with their startling verdict his face lost its smile but remained composed and his manner unchanged, but as the hand cuffs touches his wrists his head dropped forward in spasmodic jerks until it struck the table in front of him with a thud and he was found to be in a dead faint from which he could not be resuscitated for hours. The next night, however, he broke from the jail, tho his collapse on Saturday night probably weakened his nerve and prevented his ultimate escape.

P. F. McHugh was attorney for defendant.