, 1862-12-25
Tr1al Of william Hopp for the mQr.
der OF his wife.


tom, has consented to hold morning session
to-day. The evidence will probably be all in
By Friday night but the arguments Of counsel
will extend into next week.
Dr.. AcrAnlANE*a rEs11MoE1,
Nearly the whole Of yesterday was taken up
in hearing the evidence of Dr.. McFarlane,
Superintendent ofthe State Lunatic Asylum Ut
Jacksonville This witness gave by far the
most important testimony yet developed, aud
itlnust weigh heavily in deciding the grave
issues involved in the case.
The manner Of the witness wns dignifed
and bis words impressive. while his whole
testimony, which was Of purely scientific
character, Eas devoid Of the slightest a1nbi-
guilty. We would be glad to publish it entire,
but the press upon our columns prevents, and
we therefore give carefully prepared
synopsis: |
In ordinary cases Of insanity, said the Doc
tor, the del11sion under which the patient
suffers, is clear and eeemB to have specific
object. Aud this is prominent always, while
otherwise The mind is in perfectly sound
state.
The depth of delusion that would be likely
to iucite such an act as homicide mlnst be
greater tlan exists il, a fourth part Of the in
ssanc I think the justification for the act
committed hy Hopp existed in bis mind years
ago. do not regard the drinking OF liquor
bY the prisoner rs material. think possibly
lie was more or less Intoxicated at the time Of |
killing his wife as stated in the testimony Of |
the daughter In all his actions there does |
not secn--ftom the evidence I have beard |
to have been that diffusiye character Of insan-
ity usually displayed by persons insane from
tie use Of intoxicating liquors.. From my
knowledge and experience in the treatment Of
such subjects consider the prisoner insane
I do not think could be imposed upon;
1h5n.. I slon1d detect stimulation. II Is not
the type Of insanity which man could slmi-
| late Unless profoundly acquainted with just
such cases.
| regard this class Of 1nalady as exc1tahle by
| ljauoT It acts upon the disease as VarIliS1
| u,:on certain wood; that is, it brings out the
| grain or real characteristics, more perfectly.
! II nv own experience I think aminority only
| Of cases were such as were brought out by
| ieuor Topp'e insanita I should think, waa
| 1slstxys1ual Monomanla Gften increases dur
I'M. TIC i,aroxisms. an increased desire for IL
alior. 1t is often fund that moderate use
II such sti1I1Etnts is ;mper:ltively necessary
in order 10 quiet or allay the violence Of par
oxiynls in insane persons.
Cross s-Ezansaation-For about seventeen
years Eaye had riy attention almost cxclu-
si;cly directed to tl.at Of insanity and insane
persons first heard Of this case Of Hopp
) througl,a letter I rccei.ed from DR.. Allen
about two weeks ago. I c:sii4e under Fo;Iin~
tu,y cnEagtmc1t When arrived DR.. Alien
rccapitulatcd the facts Of the case to me-
Nothing was said Of the subject matter, that
| is Of the probable c;li1se, etc. particularly
desired ill those I came in contact with to
; | make no communications to nc on that Sub
iect, as wished to form IN opinion for my
! self, as unbiased, as possible, l,y outside
statements, until after [ had seen and cS-
a1nined the prisoner. lconsidered myself the
! pecplc's witness, and as such bound to Il care
q | dul and we'll digested opinion. From his men
g ;tal and physical appearance alone should
. not have been able to form decided opinion
d in regard to his inEanity- His style Of conSer.
4 essential points to be regarded. To me there
is nothing peculiar in the fact Of his tempera
= ment being mixed. There is d difference. o1
l. course, in all PERSONS laugh, but demented
PeezIns Ppeen}iar e t. themselves. % fhere s ar;
many intelligent, well educated persons
II whose laughs are both silly and peculiar
# In forming my opinion Of Hopp, I was inf'n
a eneed very much by the stories he told, ans
= his manner in the telling. do not think hi:
a story Of the Masonic clique who were goinI
st to kil1 him the result Of a bad dream
$, It is not at all probable. have given Il
20 | 1nrch attention to the subject Of dreams a
:: nostnen- | do not think Hopp could bay
t, lead to an insanity. recognize jealousy th:l
:, ia destructive arising from insanity.
in TThis was objected to, and the counsel 70
in the prosecution then took turn in Shak:
lis peare In his reply, the witness displayed
4e knowledge and study Of that author, suff
to cient even for the able counsel, who though
those rho objected to Shakespeare displayed
,e- wonderfully bad taste1
nd Care yon acquainted with the history
-. Othello, as given By Shakespeare, and do 90
co think Othello was affected with insanity?
It A sort OF insanity, yes. \
cd medical man Of standing, writer
,a- thinker that know of, gives any credence
-" hethcorY of moral insanity.
nd Q.-Do you think that where man was a
raigned for crime and vas insane, though
knew what he was doing, when he comnitts
tic crime, ought to be punished:
it Ido not think the mere hiding Of a knii
~ after committing with it criminal act,
~ any evidence Of having done SO.
u Hhc vas simply hstle m lntoSleatea a and
moro, think there may have been deterr!1
led that the act was one of preconcciVcd purpos
His I do not think the liquor alone would ha
lost prompted him to the homicide: think
nm would have done the same from the influcnc
OF Or of his mind. Deluston is not the parent
5tri- insanity, but insanity is Of the deuslon-
rth As a controlling influence in producing t
N.Y. homicide, / think that liquor had but s.
nee onda1y p1ace, if place at all, in acting mp
y. II rance nan, I think he still would have co
q H. ~ mittcd the same deed--peThaps sooner, ?
u 5 q hans later. Years Inter, think his insan
tate would hare developed Just the same With
tied Honor. think as the delusion existed in
[ish- yeudent Of liquor, it would have been Trou:
1875 | out independent Of it.
ge1d: HENRY 7. MERRILL TEsT1AoSY.
'tal. This witness, it has been stated in the c:
I for applied for & conseryator OIL the estate
reatr Ralph Bopp, on the ground of insanity.
:ntsy testified that he bad done at the suggest
mn ~ Of Ralph, and bis sole object was to sec
| II u T1nt,& II 17a+r rS1fl
It OF witness thought him simple and harinl
ank- William Hopp and the witness had alw
d to been good friends. with the exception Of
sets; horse difficulty.
hieh d This was the gist Of his evidence, and al
t e. close the Court adjourned to 9 O'Clock
ows, morning.
1ates 1,-,~,x,,,, -, 0,, Ar-r~-
aitu- The usual Christmas gathering including t
eiRl- siR- with gifts and dinner, wiu be held at
t!y. y Asylum the day after Christmas. II
com. o%s friends who have met us on former occasis
a sad with full hearts and hands, we expect to 4
= srf i5s this year, with their contributions for
pass children, feeling assured that tthey Will rec
q p, the gratitude of all in this home for the
! had phan. Donations from any ladies sent to
ee1n9 Asylum will be very acceptable, and the b
ca1ity fit. conferred may be mutual.
uoSIy caal Ne hereby gratefully acknowledge the
opes, lowing donations: One coffee rooster,
q 'afGse 81 economical and lahorsaying invention;
eago: clothes wringer, (ecven dollar size,) whic
de q pronounced indispensable in housekeep
cd hy one barrel and half Of corned beef, fro1
atthe ac a L. Hancock; one barrel Of pork from
rtablc Hough; one barrel Of beef, and basket
srap- meat from 7. NASH; baskets Of fresh I
sne. from Jones and Cnthbertson, and fruit all
rable from Mr. Platt, Randolph street.
,artie-
amplS gn: MASONIC E1Ecr1oS.-At the annual {
c hos 1nunication Of Garden City Lodge No
rer M2ate AZ F. 4 L. NJ, held on Wednesday evening,
inst, the following named gentlemen
,a,os+ elected officers for the ensuing year:
= t15s Norris, ". NJ; Il. A. Hamlin, s. ".
,.s;on Link, ]. VI; a. Starring, Treas; G. Il.
bridge, Sec; D. A. eastman, L. D.; 7
Morrow, J. D.; E. ]. Higgins, Tyler.
it son- CAxcE1L1sG srAMp-Lynan i 2
- Clark street, have gotup a very nice ca
ling stamp, made Of brass, with wooden
to1ts- die. The lettering, date, &C., are MAI
movable type. The letters can be take
achalk- or put into the stamp by means Of a
Cots thumb screw, very readily and quickly.
ael. stamp is just what is wanted by bank