The Portland daily press., 1869-10-01
in the winter of 1858, aud they afterwards renewed


their domestic relations.
aaron B. Holden testified that he had known the
prisoner ever since childhood that few months be-
fore the shooting he observed change in her de-
meanor; wildness, excitement and nervousness; she
had often asked him to use his influence with her
husband to induce him to reform his habits WIZ
ness testified that uncle of hers died insane; ac-
cused at one time threatened to prosecute Mrs ba-
ker for adultery; and once said she would shoot her
she could not endure that state or existence anu
didn't what became of her; she compiane W
herself and family were unprovideu iof'
DR.. Gordon, her family PHYSICIAN was caneu On
fra 18th ot Nav nj the time of MIS-. Parker's mis-
c,rr;,os The lat time he saw her, four days after
the msban he FUND her alone, without fire or at
tendance and from his inquiries judged that there
WIS notbing to eat in the house; she was neglected
ot time when she needed careful attention: about
eiobt davis after his first call she came to his oice
she was exceedingly unit to be out; during the last
few months before the assault found her verv much
changed, nervous ard emaciated, "For severa,
months Mrs. Parker was evidently laborinp under
monomania' SO far as regarded Mrs. Baker; WAS
not surprised when heard that she had chit no. ;,
have seen her when she was wild and violent. tho
expression Of her countenance was wild .nd oo;tod
tn're Is disease called puerperal mania and usual
y'o"nehces some three OF four tays after confine-
n'"'' 'he symptoms are varied from the miIdest to
must severe, betrays itself in all sorts Of actions
Gnu al sorts oil conversations from the most refined
ho most laseyious and lewd 1t is peculiar to that
state OF women following confinement.
Gross erdmined Three or four months prior to
The hrst OF June heard her make threats to shoot
Mrs. Baker; her vi ence consisted In epithets varied
by weeping and sobbng repeated causes Of anger Or
the same cause repeated frequently would render
person monomaniac in the sense we uss the term.
John A. Smith, testified that he remembered the |
time Mrs. Baker shot; that event ng Irving Par
ker to his st able and asked for team witness
harnessed tor him and got in and drove him up
to the Promenade about o'clock arriving there the
witness saw a woman walking towards the Arsenal
and asked Parker if that was not his wife; Parker
imme lately jumped out of the carriage and walked
off towards the seats; witness drove off down TO Dan
forth street and then back to the Promenade: there
he saw a woman who they said had been shot, and |
crowd following her; Mrs. Parker stopped him and
told him il he was looking for Mrs Baker, there she
Cross erdmiRed.-Did not hear any pistol Shots;
did not see Parker again after he lett mo in the car
riage.
DR.. Henry AZ. HarloW, Superintendent Of the In
sane Asylum at Augusta testified that he had made
the subject OF insanity special study tor rs years.
First saw Mrs. Parker last week at Mr. Tukey's; had
long conversation with her with view of ascer-
tanning what her condition had been and what the |
state OF her mind was. A monomaniac is a person
VINO Il insane upon one moro subjects but where
the intellect Is not entirely involved persons afict-
ed with 1t are frequently impeled by irressti
BILE and uncomfortable impulse do an act Of which
the reason does not approve. The DIR. stated that
from the conversations he had with Mrs. Parker,
taken with the testimony of Mr.. Turkey, Mr. Holden
ana Dr. Gordon, supposing the facts to be true as
they state ho should say that Mrs. Parker was labor
ing under an attack of insanity at the time she shot
MIS- BAKER. The moral causes were sufficient of /
themselves to develope insanity and her physical L
condition was enough without any other to develop
it in person predisposed to insanity. From one
fourteenth to one twentieth OF tho females In Insane
Asyums are afflicted with puerperal insanity, and
three cases out Of five recover where the system
sumes Its former condition. Persons are frequently
afflicted with what is called homcidal monomania;
in such cases the sight of knife or other weapon
Will throw them into state of violence.
Cross erGmiaed-I could not and do not base nv /
opinion on the state of Mrs. Parker's mind or her
condition simply from the conversations have had
with her. for it is impossible to Judge by that aone
take that together with the testimony on the stand
taxing the facts to be as sta ted by the witnesses
Dr. James 8. Nutting, of Hallowall, brother to /
Mrs. Parker testified to the great change in her per-
sonal appearance and demeanor: from q pleasant.
sprghtly and social young lady to orose and sui
len one, who was at times violent, excited and hy-
sterical that one year ago she was quite fsshy and
the next time he saw her. last April she had become
pale and emaciated.
1"dge Wiuiams Attorney at Law, Of this city, tes-
Tiled to Mrs. Parker. to whom he was then stran-
ger, coming to his office six or eight months ago and
insisting telling him her troubles that she would
sit and talk necessarily for an hour at time that
subsequently she communicated to him q design to |
shoot Mrs. Baker; that she told him that Parker had
gone to Boston with Mrs. Baker, and left her desti-
tute, without food or means whereby to pay her rent
already due; that while in his Office she was very |
excited at times and sobbed, sighed, laughed and |
cried. He went down to the st. Julian Hotel to see
Parker one cold evening last March and found Mrs. |
Parker there entreating her husband to 60 home |
with herr this was after Parker's return from Bos-
ton; he refused and she went off homo alone; wit
ness demonstrated with Parker and finally prevailed
on him TO go home to his wife.
The counsel for tho defense put in two letters from
Mrs. Baker TO Irving Parker together with two pho
tographs OF Mrs. Baker, which Mrs. Parker took /
from her husbands pocket One of the letters dated
the 3lst of May the day previous to the ARRAY urged
Parker 10 close up his besiness get his money from
his uncle and fly with herto California; in erspersed
with declarations OF undyng love and cautions to be-
ware OF that artiul wife of his
d0Hfy GdfhSon, called by the Government, testi- |
fed that Parker and his wife boarded in his family |
about five weeks last Spring. Parker Is a cousin to
witness Wife, She had told him she was going to |
shoot Mrs Baker; never saw her have any pistol he
toid her the consequences, but she appeared to be
indifferent about it. She said ii her husband would
leave Mrs. Baker she thought they would be perfect
Iy happy together When Parker and Mrs. Baker
were absent in Canada she seemed to be indignant
and wild at times she had asked the witness several
times TO try and persuade her husband to leave Mrs.
Baker and be true to her. Parker left the CITY soon
after the warrant for the of Mrs Baker on the
charge of adultery was issued.
Cross crdmined.-Mrs. Parker told mo that the |
warrant was not served at the request of herself and
her friends, because it would impcate her husband
understood the warrant was Issued at the instga-
ton Of Parker's father.
At this point the Court adjourned. The testimony
is nearly if not quite all in, and the arguments will
be made this forenoon
Municipal Court.
RECORDER KIDDER PRESIDING.
IHURsDAY.-State We. Samuel Bell. Assault and |