Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-07-13
Trial of Miss Mary Harris
for the Murder of A. j.
Burroughs.
FURTHER TESTIMONY IN REGARD TO
THE INSANITY OF MISS HARRIS.
District Supreme COurt.-.Criminal Term.
ASSOCIATE JUSTICE wYLIE PRESIDING.
TrHE PROCEEDINGS OF THE SIXTH pAr.l
Continued from yesterdays report.l
IEgIIMnNN OF nm IL NIGunIa

I
TESTIMONY OF DIR. c. H. NICHOLS
| as to the state OF mind Of Mary Harris At the
| request OF two gentlemen, neither of whom have
been present during her trial. or, 80 far as know,
in any way connected with It, | visited Miss
| Harris at her room in the jail four five times,
and conversed with her with view to ascertain
her mental and physical condition. | balieve |
| have heard all the testimony bearing upon her
mental and bodily health which has been given
| before this court since Saturday morning. From
| my personal observation Of Miss Harris, made as
| stated, and assuming the testimony under oath
relating to the state Of her mind, to which have
listened, to be true, l am led to the following
conclusions:
Miss Mary Harris's brain and nervous system,
| are large and active. The nervous temperament
largely predominates over the other tempera-
| ment of Psychologists. 1t appears that she has
| been affected with painful dysmenorrhGa from
the autumn Of 1868 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 pla-
| cable. She has not enjoyed the advantages OF
much moral or mental training. Her character
| was that of an uncommonly sprightly and en-
gaging girl, who had attracted the notice and
| regard OF highly respectable gentlemen and la
| dies in Burlington, Iowa, who esteemed her for
her intelligence, honorable ambition, and virtue.
| Both her physical constitution and her health,
| and her mental and moral constitution, are such
as to render her unusually susceptible to other
| u physical or moral cause Of insanity. She has
boen exposed at tho 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 dys-
| menorrhna; and, second, disappointment in love
the sudden and unexpected breaking off Of a
| long continued gagement of marriage in man
ner best calculated to deeply wound the senstbil-
| tiles of q nervous, proud, and virtuOus young
| woman, and to disturb her reason. From the
moment OF this disappointment in lore--this
| great shock to her moral sonsibilities-there was
| n material change in her spirits and health, and
| she at times exhibited acts of insane violence.
| She was unquestionably insane at times during
the period between tho disappointment and the
| homicide.
| The circumstances attending tho homicide by
| her are better explained by the assumption that
1t was an act Of insanity, than that 1t was act
| OF malice or revenge committed by n 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 continuous
morbid susceptibility to mental disturbance, and
that the homicide was an act OF insane violence.
| The witness (Dr. Nichols) was then examined
| by Mr. Voorhees,. In answer to certain questions,
| tho witness said that at his first interview with
her, the accused not only impressed him with her
| virtue aud truthfulness, but as being person Of
| uncommon candor.
At tho first interview the accused appeared to
| distrust the witness. 1t does not occur to wit
| ness how the idea was impressed upon him that
| the menstrual periods Of the accused had any
| connection with her insanity but 1t certainly
| occurs at this time that she had such menstrual
periods. Witness asked accused II she was I'M
| we'll at the time she committed the homicide.
| She said she was. Witness said he was at that
| time much impressed with the womanly deli
| Cacy Of the accused, that instead of asking her
the question he wrote it upon a card and she
| noted her reply in similar manner, and said
| she was unwell, and that she had been so for
three days before she came to Washington, and
that that was the cause Of her deerring her visit
to Washington.
SEVENTH DAY.
The Court met this morning at the usual hour,
and the jury were brought in from the hotel
The room, as usual, was excessively crowded, a
great number of ladies being present. Miss
Harris entered the COURTROOM at lO4 o'clock,
| leaning on the arm Of Mr. Bradley.
| Mr. Bradley announced that the testimony for
the defence had closed yesterday evening. Mr.
b. said he thought 1t probable that the ar
guments in the case would not close before Sat-
urday evening. The jurors not on this panel
were dismissed until Monday morning next.
DIR. C. II. NICHOLS
recalled by the prosecution for cross -eNamna- =
tion. Witness yesterday expressed the opinion
that at certain times between the time that she
was crossed in love aud the comm issOn of the
homicide, she was insane. Witness based his
opinion On his own knowledge Of her, the tes .
tim0ny Of DR.. Fitch the Misses Dovlin, aud Mr..
Bradley. Witness stated no remarkable incl
dent had occurred with himself to convince him
that she was insane. Witness at the first and
second interview he had with her, entertained
strong doubts of her insanity. Witness was
very much impressed with tho predomnHucc and
susceptibility Of her nervous system her appar-
ent candor and the truthfulness of hOr statements
with respect to herself The first aud second
time witness called at tho Jail, Miss H. refused
to see him. Witness learned from the guard
that she was unwell, and was in bed She was
| suffering with fever and restlessness.
Al the second visit, in reply to some question
relating to that matter, she told witness she was
| very much indisposed the first time he called
| which was the reason she did not see him. IL
| was at her monthly period. On the evening Of
| the day OF the funeral oil the late PRESIDENT she
expressed great hpprehehsi"h that lufthcr NIo-
| lcnce might DC committed by the assassinS, aud
particularly 70 hcrSell. one was AFRAID Ihey
might get III hGr room ana muruer her or 40 Vlo-
lehce TO her. wines" learned from me prisoner
thA pr' ftch nau Shlte1 het ~ Cheaso, ana
learned from MIN Ina' shc was suffering with
dysmohoTrnea' witness thou8ht she suffered
Win periou'Gtl OF PaT"N! SINAI mama Ihe term
mama Is apphea 10 that form oi insanity where
tue eNclt'iheht II great ana general.
.ihe Term paroN SINAI Is apPlI'u 10 that form
oi mAnlH wheh t'c arrive symptoms ircnr ht
Soihetlins7 ~ ""t PorIGus' po'H'rh Mh'ch there
greater OF lesser reHlssioh oI the symptoms OF
the disease inc ehect oi thIs mania Is that the
mlhu Is SNoHIui 'he uiituc'stahuinS mSte or less
IefahbIu, ana Ihe VIII aheclod' Whl.e under
thS % iunnence {" ,, 'hI,o pnroNySmal oi mania
anected as 10 nave Nloieht impulses ana TO be
unaOle 10 Restrain theh, ana also 10 entertain
either uhl"uhded views OF ieeilhBs'O or 10 enter.
energy 80 Us 10 MAKE Ihem appear 10 her much
III nealth'
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