Evening star., 1865-07-13
THE MARY HARRIS TRIAL.
CONTINUATION OF yesterdays
PROCEEDINGS.
THE INSANITY OF THE PRISONER.

After our report of yesterdays proceedings
closed, the examination Of Mrs. McWilliaIns
was continued, as follows:
Witness understood that she was to return in
the 3 or AZ O'Clock train, SO that she might
accompany witness to a colored school, where
Henry Ward Beecher was to be present The
accused left in the train at 940 Witness UNDER
stood that she did not take the letters with her.
Miss Harris left two letters under her pillow.
The accused had return ticket.
By Mr.. Wilson:-The first witness heard of
Mr.. Burroughs was on Saturday morning,
when she brought Mr.. BIS letters with her,
She had intended to visit Washington before,
but was taken sick. She said that she left her
home and came to Chicago on account of Bur-
roughs; that she had been deceived by him
marrying another lady: that she did not wish
to recover anything in the suit, but she wanted
the people to know that she was not the creature
they supposed her to be. Mrs. Fleming kept
the house, and there were several parties
boarding there. The accused read a few ex-
tracts from he letters to witness
". III Bro'rn sworn.-Witness was employed
in the Treasury on the 3ttth of January last
and was about five feet from Burroughs at the
time he was shot, and about 80 feet from the
person who fired. Burroughs was behind wit
ness. Witness saw the person who fired as
soon as he heard the shot.
By the Court rt:-She stood opposite the clock,
near the center of the hall.
By MIR. Wilson n:-Witness saw the lady in
the act of cooking the pistol, and thought at
first it was some SPORT and tried to discover
whether she was going to shoot him or Bur-
roughs; She had a very wild look. Witness
went down the hall, but not very slowly;
thought Burroughs had gone down the left
hand stairs as witness went down the right.
Witness inquired what the shooting was
about, and being answered that they thought
1t was nothing, he went home. Witness did
not know where she stood when the first shot
was fired. She was standing in the middle of
the hall and he stood looking at her until she
raised the pistol and left but not very slowly
Dr. c. " Nichols, (of the Insane Asylnm,)
sworn.-Witness is Superintendent of the Gov
ernment Hospital for the Insane, and has oc-
eupied the position about 13 years. Witness
has made the subject of the mind for IL years
speciality Witness said that at the request
OF two gentlemen, neither OF them present, he
visited Miss Harris in the latter part of Febru-
ary, or Ist of March, and has seen her five
times, the last time on the afternoon Of the day
of the funeral Of our late President DIR. Mich
OILS here read his conclusions, as follows Miss
MARY Harris's brain and nervous system are
large and active. The nervous temperament
largely predominates the other temperaments
OF physiologists. 1t appears that she has been
affected with painful dysmenorrhOea from the
autumn of 1863 to near the present time Her
mental faculties are stronger and more active
than The average of women. Her temper is
highly sensitive and spirited, but kind and
placable. She has not enjoyed the advantages
ofmuch moral or mental training. Her char
acter was that Of an uncommonly sprightIy
and engaging girl, who had attracted the no.
tice and regard of highly respectable GENTLE
men and ladies in Burlington, Iowa, who es-
honorable m.
bition, and virtue. Both her physical con-
stitution and her health, and her men,
tai and moral constitution, are such as to
render unusally susceptible to either physi-s
cal or moral cause Of insanity. She has been
exposed at the same time to the physical and
moral agencies which frequently cause mental
arrangement, and those to whose effect she
was peculiarly susceptible; as, first, painful
dysmenorrhPa, and, second, disappointment
in loye-the sudden and unexpected breaking
on OF long continued engagement of marriage
IN a amanner best calculated to deeply wound
tuous young woman, and " disturb her rea
son. From the moment of this disdppotsatRient
in tOre-ths great shock to her moral sensibili-
hes-there was material change in her spirits
and health, and she at times exhibited acts of
insane violence. She was unquestionably in
sane at times during the period between the
disappOin tment and the homicide.
The circumstances attending the homicide by
her are better explained by theassumption that
1t was an act of insanity, than that it was an
act of malice or revenge committed by person
of sound mind. The state of her body and mind
since the homicide is calculated to corroborate
the truth of the theory that there is a continu-
GUS morbid susceptibility to mental disturb
ance, and that the homicide was an act of in
sane violence.
By Mr. VOORHEES, Witness said that at his
first interview with her, the accused, not only
impressed him with her virtue and truthful
ness, but as being person of uncommon can
dor. At the first interview the accused ap-
peared to distrust the witness. 1t does not oc-
cur to with ess how the idea was impressed ,
upOH uIlu luc MENSTRUAL peTlOQS OF lQe dc
cused had any connection with her insanity;
but 1t certainly occurs at this time that she had
such menstrual periods. Witness asked ac-
cused "a II she was 9nwell at the time she com
ness said he was at that time so much i'm.
pressed with the wonanly delicacy Of the ac-
cused, that instead Of asking her the question,
he wrote it upon card and she noted her re-
ply in similar mannar, and said she was I'M
we'll, and that she had been SO for three days
before she came to Washington, and that that
t1,n IS 1,c0w -
Washington.
The Court adjourned until 10 O'Clock this
morning.
! AFFAIRS IN NALEXANDRIA.-From the Alex
andria Gazette.
A young lady from Washington, who had