Murder at Lexington

Thanks to Mike Phillips for the following articles. See the Mike Phillips Site.

The Scott County Journal
Scottsburg, Indiana
March 29, 1916

DELIBERATE MURDER AT LEXINGTON
Hardy Robison Kills Ancil Phillips
With Four Shots From Automatic Revolver

THE MURDERER PLACED IN JAIL

The people in Lexington were horrified late Sunday evening, over one of the most apparent cold blooded murders ever committed in the county. Hardy Robison, the murderer, is in jail, having been arrested and brought to Scottsburg at 9 o’clock Sunday night.

The awful deed took place at the Huffman home in Lexington, in the presence of Miss Myrtle Huffman, probably the innocent cause of the tragedy.

From the best information obtainable young Phillips was to call on Miss Huffman Sunday evening. Robison had asked to call on her, but was notified not to come, as she would have other company. Despite this notice from Miss Myrtle, Hardy Robison called, and was in the hall with Miss Myrtle, when Ancil Phillips called. In response to the invitation to come in, he opened the door. Hardy was standing in such a manner, that as the door swung back, he could not be seen by young Phillips. As soon as he was fairly in the room, and as he started to close the door Robison shot him four times with an automatic revolver. He sank unconscious to the floor, and lived until about 4 a. m. Monday.

Sheriff Clark was notified of the tragedy, and he and Marshal Walker hurried to the scene in an automobile. In some unaccountable manner, Robison shot himself , (whether purposely or accidentally no one seems to know) one shot in the side and another grazed his body. He made no attempt to get away after the shooting, and willingly submitted to arrest. When questioned by Sheriff Clark he remarked: "I thought he was armed, and I shot first, but I guess I was too hasty, as he had nothing on him." He also expressed regret for being so hasty.

There had been some hard feelings between the young men because both were in love with Miss Myrtle Huffman, and Robison remarked to Sheriff Clark, that they had had some words over the attentions they were paying Miss Huffman. She is heartbroken over the terrible tragedy, of which she was entirely innocent, and could not have in any manner avoided.

The deceased was the son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Bailey Phillips, and was one of the most highly respected and popular men in that community. He was at Scottsburg Saturday and took the examination for teachers license. He was devoted to his studies and was an ideal young man in every respect, and naturally his parents were proud of him.

Hardy Robison had always been regarded as a young man of good character, all his friend and acquaintances attributed his crime to insane jealousy. He resided with his mother, brother and sister on the home farm in the neighborhood of the residence of his victim. Robison seemed cool and collected when placed in jail, and had but little to say.

The dead boy was 19 years of age and Robison was 22. A brother of Robison, Roland Robison, was in the parlor talking to Miss Grace Huffman at the time of the tragedy, and Miss Myrtle and Hardy Robison had stepped out in the hall, as he had requested a private interview with her, and it was at that time that the tragedy occurred. The young man died at the Huffman home.

Robison’s mother and brother, Roland, called at the jail to see him Monday. He asked, "Well, how is everything in Lexington?’ His brother evaded the question, as the mother at that time did not know of young Phillip’s death, and Roland did not want to hear it there. After they left Sheriff Clark told Robison his victim was dead, but the news did not seem to disturb his cool demeanor. The people of Lexington are terribly wrought up over the tragedy, because of the popularity of the victim, and the cold blooded manner of his untimely death.

Judge Creigmile, in his instructions to the grand jury on Monday afternoon…as soon as possible.

The Scott County Journal
Scottsburg, Indiana
March 29, 1916

MURDER AT LEXINGTON
Ancil Phillips, 17, Shot and Killed by Hardy Robinson, 22, at home of young Lady.

Lexington was the scene of a fatal shooting Sunday night.

Ancil Phillips, aged 17 years, was shot four times by Hardy Robinson, aged about 22 years. Phillips died about 5 o'clock Monday morning at the home of Luther Huffman, at whose home the tragedy occurred.

For some months Robinson had been calling on Miss Myrtle, the 17-year old daughter of Mr. Huffman, but recently, it is said, they had a lovers quarrel and young Phillips began calling upon the young lady. This is believed to have created a jealousy on the part of Robinson and that this led to the crime.

Sunday Robinson sent word to Miss Huffman that he would call on her in the evening and she returned word that she had other company for the evening. True to his word Robinson called on the young lady and was admitted to the house and was talking with her when there was a knock on the door. Miss Huffman opened the door and young Phillips stepped in. As soon as Phillips had entered the house Robinson pulled an automatic revolver from his pocket and began firing. It is said the first shot missed, and it is believed it was intended for the young woman. The next four shots hit Phillips and he fell to the floor. The shots were fired rapidly into Phillips body, two struck below and to the left of the left nipple, one struck about six inches behind and slightly below the left nipple and the other entered the right knee, ranged upward and came out about six inches above.

After Phillips fell to the floor Robinson turned the revolver upon himself and fired two shots which only made slight flesh wounds.

After the shooting Robinson walked out on the street apparently unconscious of the crime that he had committed.

Sheriff J. Alvin Clark was telephoned for and he, accompanied by Town Marshal George W. Walker, went to Lexington. Robinson made no attempt to escape after the shooting and when arrested by Sheriff Clark was apparently anxious to get away from Lexington.

The tragedy created some commotion in Lexington and it is hinted that the officers’ quick response to the summons may have saved a greater sensation.

Young Phillips was the son of Bailey Phillips, a farmer residing about two mile northwest of Lexington. He was a student in the Lexington High School and was held in high esteem by all who knew him. His remains were interred at the Lexington cemetery yesterday.

Robinson is a son of James Robinson and made his home with his mother on a farm about three miles northwest of Lexington. His father is said to have gone away a few years ago and that his whereabouts is not now generally known.

Robinson was brought here Sunday night and locked up in the county jail. The March term of grand jury met Monday afternoon and at once began to investigate the tragedy. It is supposed the grand jury will soon return and indictment for murder and that there will be no delay in giving Robinson a trial.

The Scott County Journal
Scottsburg, Indiana
April 5, 1916

A LEXINGTON TRAGEDY OF HALF A CENTURY AGO

The death of Ancil Phillips by the hand of Harry Robinson has recalled vividly to mind the death of an uncle of Ancil Phillips half a century ago.

Frank Johnson, a son of the late Ruben Johnson, who was a brother of Mrs. Bailey Phillips, was stabbed to death by James Gray. The two young men quarreled over the affections of a young lady of the neighborhood, which resulted in combat between them, when Gray stabbed Johnson, who died in a few minutes. This tragedy took place near the Johnson home, where Ancil Phillips was removed after his death. Gray was never apprehended as he fled and went West. He was alive only a few years ago.

FIRST DEGREE IS INDICTMENT
Hardy Robison Indicted for Murder in the First Degree for Death of Ancil Phillips.
THE DEFENSE IS TO BE INSANITY

The Scott County Grand Jury returned into court on Wednesday of last week an indictment charging Hardy Robison with first degree murder in killing Ancil Phillips at Lexington on Sunday, March 26, as detailed in last weeks JOURNAL.

The defendant was brought into court on Thursday for arraignment, but the Judge, on being informed by L. N. Mace, defendant’s attorney, that there would be a special plea of insanity, did not require Robison to plead in the indictment. Judge John M. Lewis will prepare the plea which must be in writing, admitting the homicide, but declaring that at the time of its commission the defendant was insane.

Judge Creigmile set the case down for trial on Monday, April 17, at one o’clock p. m. The defendant’s attorney asked for a special venire of jurymen and the Judge made an order for the jury commissioner to draw twenty-five extra names from the jury box from which to select a jury.

Owing to the prominence of the families of both the murdered boy and the defendant, this promises to be a hard-fought case, the parents of the dead boy making a special effort to secure the highest penalty and the defendant’s family to secure the minimum. The fact will be brought out, as one of the proofs of Hardy Robison’s insanity that his father, James Robison, was at one time confined in an insane asylum. But the state will insist that he was not insane, and on the contrary that he went to the Huffman home with the deliberate purpose of willful murder.

Because of the fear of mob violence Sheriff Clark filed a written request with Judge Creigmile, asking that he be authorized to remove Robison to some other prison for safe keeping. The judge made an order that he be removed to the Indiana Reformatory at Jeffersonville, and Sheriff Clark took him there Thursday afternoon, where he will remain until the time set for trial. The Sheriff had had guards at the jail since Monday night, as he did not care to take any chance with a mob.

From the latest advices the people of Lexington are reconciled to let the law have its course, although greatly wrought up over the homicide. The dead boy was one of the most popular students at the Lexington high school, and everybody liked him.

The funeral of the victim was held Tuesday afternoon, and was the largest ever seen in Lexington. Ancil Phillips was not 19, as stated last week, but was only 17 last October.

It is a small circumstance that sometimes turns the whole tide of life, and that is true in this case. Robison, it is said, was haunted with a belief that he would, like his father, become insane, or was already going insane, and had decided to go west and join the army, in the hope that new scenes would prevent what he felt was coming.

He flagged a train on Saturday night, a week before the tragedy, and Mr. Huffman, who is the section boss at Lexington, was at the station, and prevailed on Robison not to go. Mr. Huffman did not know why Robison desired to leave, if he had known, Ancil Phillips would now be alive, and Robison somewhere wearing the uniform of a U. S. soldier.

The Chronicle
Scottsburg, Indiana
Wednesday, April 5, 1916

TAKEN TO PRISON FOR SAFE KEEPING
Hardy Robison Will Be Tried on Monday, April 17, for the Murder of Ancil Phillips.
INSANITY TO BE PLEA OF DEFENSE

Hardy Robinson, the young man being held awaiting trial for the murder of Ancil Phillips at Lexington a week ago last Sunday, was taken to the Reformatory at Jeffersonville on Thursday afternoon of last week for safekeeping until the date of the trial which has been set for Monday, April 17.

Feeling is said to have ran high in and around Lexington following the killing of young Phillips and fears were expressed that rash friends of the murdered boy might attempt to take the law into their own hands. Sheriff Clark took the precaution to guard the jail against surprise attack while Robinson was in custody and Thursday secured an order from judge Creigmile for removing Robinson to the Reformatory for safe-keeping until the date of the trial.

The grand jury returned an indictment last Wednesday against Robinson charging him with first degree murder. He was arraigned in Circuit Court, Thursday, but did not enter a plea, his attorneys announcing that they would enter a special plea of insanity. The defense asked for special venire of jurymen and the jury commissioners were ordered by Judge Creigmile to draw a special venire of twenty-five names. The date of the trial was set for Monday, April 17, at 1:00 p. m.

The murdered boy and his slayer both come of prominent families in Lexington township and it is expected that the case will be a hard fought one. The defense has employed Lewis & Mace and it is said that the prosecution will be assisted by attorneys employed by the family and friends of Phillips.

Since the shooting of Phillips by Robinson many stories have gained circulation as to queer actions on the part of the latter on various occasions, all tending to show an unbalanced mind, and these will doubtless be brought out in evidence to support the defense’s plea of insanity. It will also be shown that the defendants father was at one time an inmate of an insane asylum.

It is understood the prosecution will insist that Robinson was not insane at the time of the killing, that the deed was a premeditated one, arising from his intense jealously over Miss Myrtle Huffman, the young lady at whose home the tragedy occurred. It is said the state will ask the extreme penalty.

Before being taken to Jeffersonville, Robinson expressed regret over his act, saying he had been too hasty. He is said to have stated that he thought Phillips intended to shoot him.

When informed of the rumors of the possibility of friends of Phillips attempting to mete out summary justice, Robinson did not seem much concerned, remarking that he would prefer to meet death at the hands of a mob or in the electric chair to going to prison or an insane asylum for life. He denied that any of the shots at the time of the tragedy had been intended for Miss Huffman, saying that he thought too much of the girl to wish her least harm.

The Chronicle
Scott County, Indiana
April 19, 1916

Murder Trial Begins.

The trial of Hardy Robinson for the murder of Ancil Phillips was called in the Scott Circuit Court Monday afternoon. Prosecuting Attorney Joseph W. Verbarg, assisted by his deputy, George V. Cain, of Scottsburg, and William Fitzgerald, of North Vernon, represented the state. John M. Lewis, of Seymour, Lawson N. Mace and Samuel B. Wells, of Scottsburg, represented the defendant. Judge Robert Creigmile is on the bench.

When the case was called the defendant’s attorneys filed a motion to quash the indictment, which motion was overruled by the court. The defendant was arraigned in open court and stood mute, and the court entered a plea of not guilty to the indictment, which read as follows:

State of Indiana vs. Hardy Robinson - Indictment for Murder.

The Grand Jurors of Scott County, in the State of Indiana, good lawful men, duly and ;legally impaneled, charged and sworn to inquire into felonies, and certain misdemeanors in and for the body of said County of Scott in the name and by the authority of the State of Indiana, on their oaths present that one Hardy Robinson, late of said County and State aforesaid, did then and there unlawfully, purposely, feloniously and with premeditated malice, kill and murder one Ancil Phillips, by then, and there unlawfully, purposely, feloniously and with premeditated malice, shooting at and against, and thereby mortally wounding the said Ancil Phillips with a certain deadly weapon, called a pistol, then and there loaded with gunpowder and metal balls, which said pistol, he, the said Hardy Robinson, then and there had and held in his hands of which said mortal wounding, the said Ancil Phillips then and there sickened and languished, and, on the 27^th day of March 1916, there died, contrary to the form of the statue in such cases made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Indiana.

After arraignment the attorneys for the defendant filed a special plea of insanity and the prosecutor filed a reply in general denial.

The work of selecting a jury was then begun and the regular panel and a special venire of twenty-five were exhausted with only eleven jurors accepted. A second venire of twenty-five were drawn and the first person of the second venire was accepted and the jury completed. The jury is as follows:

John D. Wilson, Ed A. Smith, Albert Mount, J. Willis Craig, E. C. Hunley, Charles Cravens, B. A. Rice, W. T. Gardner, Joseph Mitchell, S. D. Williams, Cecil Gardner, and Ed Rawlings

As completed the jury is composed of five members of the regular panel, six from the first venire and one from the second venire. Those who were excused from service on the jury were mostly on account that they had formed an opinion that would require testimony to change. It was near four o’clock when the jury was completed and after swearing the jury to try the case court adjourned until Tuesday morning.

The jury was put in charge of Bailiff A. L. Blackall, who was instructed to keep the jury together and to keep a vigilant watch over them at all times until the case had been tried and verdict rendered.

Promptly at 9 o’clock Tuesday morning Judge Creigmile convened court. Prosecutor Verbarg made his opening statement to the jury, in which he said in substance that the evidence to be introduced would prove the charge made in the indictment. Defendant’s attorney, John M. Lewis, mad his statement on the line of the special pleading of insanity. Each took about thirty minutes to make their statements.

At ten o’clock the first witness was called to the stand. There are 59 witnesses and the trial is expected to last about four days.

The court room was filled to overflowing when court convened. All seats were filled and almost all available room was taken, but when the taking of testimony began most of the people rose to their feet in order to get a better view.

The Scott County Journal
Scottsburg, Indiana
April 19, 1916

JURY IMPANELED TO TRY ROBISON
Regular Panel, and all Special Venire Exhausted Before Jury was Finally accepted.
JURY TO BE KEPT TOGETHER

One of the largest crowds ever seen in the Scottsburg Court House was present when court was convened by Judge Creigmile, Monday afternoon, to begin the trial of Hardy Robison, for the murder of Ancil Phillips, on Sunday, March 22, at Lexington.

Standing room was even at a premium. There was no demonstration when the defendant, Hardy Robison, was brought in by Sheriff Clark. He sat perfectly quiet, until Judge Creigmile ordered him to stand, while the indictment was being read. After the reading, clerk Howell asked "guilty or not guilty." He mad no answer, and sat down, but the twitching of his face, and the movement of his hands and feet showed great nervousness.

After he sat down, refusing to plead, Judge John M. Lewis, one of his attorneys, filed a special plea of insanity, stating that "Before, at the time of the murder, and now, the defendant was insane."

The selection of the jury was then begun, and was not completed until after four o’clock. After the exhausting of the regular panel, the names of the special jury were called as drawn from the box. The special jury was composed of the following: Cecil R. Gardner, W. T. Lynch, W. H. Nay, B. F. Whitson, Frank Trotter, Guy Campbell, Charles Cravens, B. A. Rice, W. T. Gardner, Squire J. Corwin, Charles A. Toombs, George Pfaffenberger, John J. Skeels, Lee Ray, A. A. Hinds, Joseph A. Mitchell, Sidney Kimberlin, S. D. Williams, Lewis Jones, John R. Rickard, L. E. Andis, Milt Robbins, John A. Doogs, J. P. Williams, and John W. Cooperider.

George Pfaffenberger and Milt Robbins were not present because of sickness, and John R. Rickard, W. T. Lynch, W. H. Nay, and J. J. Skeels were excused by reason of illness or illness in the family.

A. M. Cravens, L. E. Andis, Lewis Jones, J. P. Williams, Lee Ray, Frank Trotter, Squire Corwin, J. W. Cooperider, C. A. Toombs, and Sid Kimberlin were excused because of opinions formed.

Benny Whitson was a relative and Guy Campbell was a witness. The state excused by peremptory challenge S. B. Shearer, A. A. hinds, Calvin Hutson, W. H. McNeeley and D. O. McNeeley.

The defense excused E. T. Vest peremptorily. After the special venire of 25 had been exhausted, another 25 were drawn by Clerk Howell, and Jury Commissioner John Hooker. It looked as if the trial would have to be postponed until Tuesday, but three men living in Scottsburg, Ed Rawlings, Melvin Hubbard and P. O. McClellan were in the list and Mr. Rawlings was the first, and last, as he was accepted and the jury sworn.

The list of jurors who will try the case are as follows: Ed Rawlings, S. D. Williams, Joseph A. Mitchell, John Wilson, Edward Smith, J. Willis Craig, Cecil Gardner, Willis T. Gardner, Charles Cravens, C. E. Dunlap, B. A. Rice and Albert Mount.

After being sworn, the Judge announced that the jury would be kept together during the trial, and then court adjourned until Tuesday morning.

The state is represented by Joseph W. Verbarg, Pros. Atty., George V. Cain, deputy, and William Fitzgerald, of North Vernon, a noted criminal lawyer.

The defendant is represented by Judge John M. Lewis, of Seymour, and Lawson N. Mace and S. B. Wells of Scottsburg.

On the opening of court Tuesday the court room was crowded to its full capacity, and it looked like that not another person could get in.

The opening statements of the Prosecutor, and Judge Lewis, for the defense, each occupied a half hour.

Naturally, the defendant was the center of attraction. He showed no emotions and looked the jury square in the face while Prosecutor Verbarg detailed all the harrowing scenes of the shooting and death of young Phillips. But when Judge Lewis spoke of the killing …

… Myrtle Huffman telling her of his fear of insanity, he lay his head upon the table and sobbed convulsively.

Grace Huffman was the first witness. She detailed the evidence as heretofore published, except as to the coolness of Robison after being taken upstairs after the shooting.

Miss Myrtle Huffman was the second witness. She had know Hardy for six years, and he had been calling on her since December 1913. Hardy left in October 1915, when he went to Montana, then to Iowa, then back to Lexington in December. As lovers, they quit when he went west. Ancil Phillips began calling on her in November. They met at school, he being in the High School, and she was taking Post Graduate work. She identified letters written to him and told of her telling Robison not to come see her on Sunday, but that he could come on Monday "to say his farewell" before going West.

Her father, L. A. Huffman, described the shooting. Five shots were fired before he entered the room, and described Robison’s attempt at suicide after he had grabbed him. The revolver and a murderous looking knife were identified by him, as belonging to Robison. Miss Myrtle also identified them. P. F. Smith identified the knife, shells, bullets and a part of a ring he found in the hall, soon after the shooting. One shot had cut off a finger of the dead boy, and the pieces of ring were his.

The trial will probably last until Thursday, as there are yet (Tuesday noon) more than forty witnesses.

The Scott County Journal
Scottsburg, Indiana
April 26, 1916

LIFE SENTENCE FOR ROBISON
Jury Deliberated for One Hour and Forty-five Minutes.
ONE JURYMAN FOR DEATH PENALTY

One of the most intensely dramatic and hard fought trial in the county since the county seat has been in Scottsburg, to save the life of a man charged with murder in the first degree, came to a close at 10:15 a. m. Friday morning, when the jury trying Hardy Robinson, came into court with a verdict.

The verdict read: "We the jury, find the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree, and fix his punishment at life imprisonment." Edward Rawlings, Foreman.

Although the court room was crowded, awaiting the verdict, there was a death like stillness when Clerk Howard received the verdict and began reading.

The coolest and apparently the most unconcerned person in the court room was Hardy Robinson, the defendant. He never changed color nor even seemed the least bit nervous. When Judge Creigmile asked him if he had anything to say as to why his sentence should not be pronounced on him, he shook his head. The Judge ordered him to stand and receive sentence and he did so without a tremor. He never even took any notice of his mother, who sobbed convulsively, or his brothers and sisters.

The evidence closed at noon Thursday, and the argument of counsel was begun at one o’clock and continued until six. The instructions to the jury were read Friday morning, and were finished at 8:30. At 10:15 the rap on the door of the jury room announced that the jury had reached a verdict.

On the question of the defendant’s insanity, there were four ballots taken. The first three ballots resulted in 11 to 1 in favor of his sanity, and on the fourth ballot there were twelve votes that he was not insane.

When the jury came to consider his punishment, eleven jurors voted for life imprisonment, and one for the death penalty.

On the sixth and last ballot taken in the deliberations the vote was unanimous for life imprisonment.

The verdict was a very great surprise to most people who had heard the trial through. Many expressed the opinion that there would be a hung jury, because of the question of his sanity, most people believing that he had made a good case to raise a doubt in the minds of the jury, as to his mind.

The letter on which the defendant’s attorneys based their hopes, insisting that that letter alone was proof of Hardy Robinson’s insanity, reads as follows:

Lexington, Ind.,
Oct. 18, 1915

Miss Myrtle Huffman
Lexington, Ind.

Dearest Little Girl:

Please burn this letter as soon as you read it and use your own judgment only dealing with its bitter contents. If I thought you would ever show the letter to any one or tell any one about it I would not write to you confessing the sorrowful truth which I cannot tell you to your presence.

Ever since I can remember I have feared at times the thing that I have never mentioned to any one. But I feel it my duty to tell you, dear. I feel that I must tell you what I fear now as never before although it will kill me to give you up. I would have told you before now, but I couldn’t bear the thought of giving you up and I always tried to throw off the fear that possessed me. I have tried to believe that it is only my foolish imagination, but ever since that Sunday night, a week ago from last night I have been almost assured that sometime sooner or later I will lose my mind.

Darling, I am so sick and nervous this morning I can hardly write. I am expecting a letter and as soon as it comes I will leave so that if what I so fear comes to pass no one around here will ever know and my friends and relatives will be spared the seemingly disgrace. You know about my father. I have always been afraid that I would inherit the disease. I have tried to shake off those fears and I don’t know why I should be afraid unless there is reason to be.

It is weakness to extreme for me to cry like a baby before you but when I think of having to lose you, I cannot help it. I would have left you without telling you but I didn’t want you to have the least doubt that I love you better than language can tell and I felt as if I must tell you.

Please, for my sake, don’t go with anyone else until after I leave and my last request of the sweet little girl who is so dear to me that you seem to be my very life and soul is, burn this letter and keep your secret forever. This is my confession so help me God.

Myrtle, most precious, try and forget me. I am so sorry that I had, come into your life causing you so many heartaches and sorrow. My great love for you won’t let me stay and cause you more trouble.

Please burn this, darling and never tell any one.

Just a dream.

HARDY

How can I send you this horrible letter, yet I must if you are to be saved from a life of probable misery and misfortune. Good bye dearest.

HARDY

Six doctors, Dr. W. E. Green of Hanover, …… of Lexington, were asked a hypothetical question , embracing all of the evidences of insanity on which the defense based its hope, and all of these physicians said that Robinson was insane.

The hypothetical question offered by the defense as embracing their evidence of the case, some of which is disputed by the State is as follows:

"Doctor, suppose that a child was born some fourteen months after his father had returned from several years’ incarceration in an insane asylum, where he had been confined as insane, and that his insanity had been of the violent type, and suppose that the mother of the said boy had a brother who went insane and tried to kill himself by jumping in a well, and afterward did commit suicide by hanging; that said boy grew to manhood without any evidence of insanity until about twenty-one years of age, when he, having heretofore been of an unusually jolly temperament, became morose, at times sat with his face buried in his hands; that he was uncommunicative; that about this time he visited his father, who now resides in Montana, and where he remained several months, then returned to the home of his mother and brother; that he had a horse to which he was very much attached, and that the horse received a fractured leg and the young man had a veterinary surgeon swing the horse up and render the horse medical attention until the leg began to knit, when without any intimation to his mother or brother he would deliberately shoot the horse, then give it tender burial, and then go to bed and take to bed with him a revolver with which he had killed his favorite horse, also a pair of wire plyers and lay abed for three days with said revolver and plyers in his bed, all the time groaning and talking to himself; that after the third day he got up when the girl with whom he had been keeping company for some time came to call on him, and during the two days she remained at the home he made several trips each day to the place where the horse was buried, all the time talking about how dearly he loved the horse; that he seemed to have loss of memory at times, doing things directly in opposition to what he was directed to do; that for several days before the homicide he was morose, dejected, sat for hours holding his head in his hands, and that before the homicide he wrote this young lady a letter in which he told her that he was fearful that he was going insane as his father had done, that this thought of insanity was constantly on his mind, but asking her not to tell anyone about the letter or his mental condition, frequently in the letter expressing the deepest love for the young lady and saying he did not want to wreck her life with his insanity and pleading with her not to have any other company while he was still in the community, saying he was going to try to wear off this dread of insanity that was upon him, and after he wrote this letter he was found in the yard of her home lying face downward with his face in his hands; that on the night of the homicide he went to the home of this young lady and asked her to talk with him, and while so talking a young man came to the home of the young lady, a young man he knew well and also knew was intending to call on this young lady on that evening, spoke to the young man in the usual friendly manner, and while the young man was hanging up his overcoat, that without a word this person shot the young man four times in the back and then shot himself in the side, then coolly sat down in the door, making no attempt to get away, coolly lighting a cigar and waited until the Sheriff came and arrested him; what would you say doctor, about the mental condition of this man at this time; was he sane or insane?

Drs. Levi and W. L. McClain of Scottsburg, Dr. C. B. Matthews of Lexington, and Dr. J. H. Walker, Assistant Superintendent of the Indiana Reformatory, who testified for the State, contradicted the six doctors for the defense, and said he was sane. But a grueling cross examination by Judge Lewis for the defense, made them admit that Robinson had a bad history as to insanity, but still the "hoss was 17 feet high".

A motion for a new trial will be prepared and filed within the time allowed by law, and if the new trial is denied the case will be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Hardy Robinson was taken to Michigan City, …his life sentence Sunday, by Sheriff Al Clark and his brother Ed Clark. His mother and relatives, except Roland Robison, bade him farewell Friday and Roland came down Saturday. Hardy showed the same stolid indifference, which had characterized him ever since his arrest. The only times during all the trying ordeal, was the mention of his horse which he killed and when Miss Myrtle Huffman spoke to him in the court room. When she fainted he sobbed violently. The bereaved mother, sisters and brothers have the sympathy of many people, the same as they have for the parents, and brother and sister of the dead boy, Ancil Phillips.

The Scott County Journal
Scottsburg, Indiana
May 3, 1916

HARDY ROBINSON WILL NOT ASK NEW TRIAL

Roland Robinson, brother of Hardy Robison, was in town Saturday, and says that they will not ask for a new trial for Hardy Robinson. While he and his mother are fully satisfied that Hardy was insane when he committed the crime for which he was convicted, Hardy has requested them not to spend any more money on him. He informed Sheriff Clark, while being taken to prison that, "I do no want them to spend any more money on me."

Mr. Clark said when he left Hardy at the prison that he still had the same cool demeanor which characterized his conduct all during the trial. He also informed Mr. Clark, "I am going to try and make a model prisoner, and take my medicine."

The following is from the Lexington Township Cemetery Records:

PHILLIPS, Mary 1890-1920
" Ancil 1898-3/27/1916
Parents: Howard Bailey & Zerelda (Johnson) Phillips

ROBINSON, James Wilson 1856-1919
Martha Elizabeth ""Mattie"" (Hardy) Robinson, wife, buried in California
" James Glenn 4/29/1885-8/4/1887, son
" Eugene 7/2/1891-7/30/1891, son

According to Ancil Phillips' niece, Marian E. Middleton, Myrtle Huffman went on to marry "Wee Willie" Wilson. She also reported that Hardy Robinson died in 1953.

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