Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-12-18
THE TRIAL OF EB. TITUS.
Medical Testimony as to his In
sanity-Opening of the Argu-
ment for the State by
Gen. Wallace.

The first witness examined after the
close of onr report yesterday was Dennis
II. Hays, who saw Capt. Monroe short
| time after he was shot. Heard him say
that he did not desire Titus to be pun
ished. [Col. CAN'T objected to this tes-
timony, and the Court excluded it on
the ground that the wishes of Capt. Mon
roe could have no more bearing than
those of any other person in the case
DR.. r. W. Creighton being called,
stated he knew the prisoner. Col. Bull
lock asked witness if he would regard
the prisoner as sane or insane, judging
from his conduct from the age of six
months to the time of the shooting, to
which he replied /" ! should regard him
as aboring under that peculiar form of
insanity known as impulsive insanity; |
do not consider it as necessary for the
brain to be diseased, if the nerves are
involved, to produce impulsive insanity.
l should not regard him in possession of
his reasoning faculties; l should con-
slider him us insane" Several ques-
tons were then asked the witness as to
the effect of liquor on different persons
and on the prisoner, the answer being
such as to show that the prisoner was
temporarily insane from the influence of
liquor.
Drs. j. NJ. Kellar, o. B. Knode, W. II.
White and j. G. Greenfield were exam
ined fully as to the condition of the pris-
oner at the time of the shooting, and
testified that it was their impression that
he was laboring under fit of temporary
insanity.
Dr. A. II. VOORHEES, testified this morn
ing, that he considered the prisoner un-
der temporary fit of insanity at the
time of the committal Of the deed.
DR.. W. R. Lowry gave similar testi-
mony, and said man might be de-
ranged while committing deed and re-
cover his senses Immediately afterward /;
he thought the prisoner was not sane.
This closed the evidence for the de-
tense, when two witnesses were called by
tho State, to rebut the evidence of the
insanity of the prisoner. They were the
clerk and jailor at the station-house where
Titus was taken Immediately after kill
ing Capt Monroe. The Deputy Sheriff
made return that they were not to be
found, and he had made every effort to
find them since yesterday morning.
Attorney General Wallace then opened
the argument for the State.
ASSASSINATION COYsPIRACY.-Dr. p.
d. Beecher and w. H. Richard we're ar
rested yesterday and indicted by the
grand jury for comspiring to assassinate
DIR. o. r. Early. DR.. Beecher, during
the war, while DIR. Early was South,
bought the residence Of the latter at a
United States tax sale, for a nominal
amount, and has retained possession
since. He wished to get DIR. Early out
of the wny so that he could take no
steps to recover his property. The fol-
lowing statement was sworn to before
Esquire Creighton the 10th of Septem-
Der, and it seems strange that no legal
proceeding were taken in the matter I'M
I'll the present time. NV. H. Richard
makes oath that on or about the 10th of
August, 1865, DR.. p. d. Beecher pro-
posed to give him the sum of three
hundred dollars or span of mules, to-
cether with such interest as he held in
any piece Of property purchased by him
at Usited States direct tax sales in the
city of Memphis, for the purpose of
bringing DR.. o. r. Early upon the lot
upon which he resided, think ~ Avery
street, in South Memphis, for the pur-
pose of disposing Of him, or as he said,
of getting him out of the way, he at
the same time telling me that he had
purchased this property upon "hieh ne
resided, at Uaited States sales, and that
it belonged to DIR. Early, and he wished
to get DR.. Early out of his way to get the
title to the property. Upon several oc-
casions, subsequent to this conversation,
he has talked with me on the subject, de-
string me to accomplish his object in
getting DIR. Early upon the place for the
purpose of his assassination, or, as he
(Dr. Beecher) said, getting him out Of
the way. have communicated these
facts to DIR. Early for him to be on his
guard, and take such steps as may be
necessary for bis own protection" DR.
Beecher has been released on $1,000 bond
to appear for trial when called upon.