The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-04-22
AN ASTONISHING VERDICT.
THE BRILLIANT STRJTEGY OF THE
HON. William n. HOWE.

-
NON. WILLIAM H. HOWE.
A Verdict FROM Jury In their Scats-Ths
Adroit Handling OF n Case that lett |
judge Barnard only IIobson's Choice
Chambers saved from the .Cn Iiows and |
sent TO Lnnntic Asylum.
The trial Of William Chambers for the killing |
OF Dominicus g. Voorhees, was concluded yester-
day morning. At precisely o'clock Judge Bar |
nard entered the Court room. lie was soon after. |
ward followed by Mr.. Howe, District Attorney |
Morris, aud Assistant District Attorney Thomas K.
Pearsan. Chambers was already in the room, as
usual. Hith bandago around his head. Mr. Howe,
for the defence put DR.. NJ. Gonzalez Echeverria
on the stand. The witness had already been par.
TALLY examined. and his testimony concerning cpl
leptic insanity was continued. The doctor thought
that Chambers was affected by epileptic vertigo,
and was therefore not free agent when he shot
Mr. voorhees,. The doctor was examined BY the
District Attorney as follows:
DASH AT DIR. HAMMOND.
I examined tho prisoner sunday lastj | had not
heard anything about the circumstances of the murder
ssssS w Mr Hove IN other
epilepsy had made c nS Una. sT p os s w WIZ.
as far az The medical part ,S of the The %
k rs S a S 81 ss2w wd 1f Su uS
pent 70 pass sncn an opinion a. he az 10 tue case o.
KcynOlusi my hlcntlOu uhs UVtn Vhhtu W Vhseb VI
SIMULATED EPILEPSY
could very readily be detected Chambers, when ex
impossible for Chambers 90 deceive me he was sane
a dsT S sS sang ne naa ahsyefsS ny aus.ton:
he did 9Gse of pr y b TnsT9es
g. to Nm would not form m, any sy osn aS fG Sr, pI
Pson SSa M WIZ
reference 10 particular subject an irresponsible
DR. JoHSsoS's GREAT TOE.
The District Attorney here cited the case Of Or.
johnson, who used TO 81 for hours looking az his
and France were marching around IT, Judge Morris
| asked the witness whether Dr. Johnson was an ir-
responsible being during that time and the witness
said he could not form belief from that lact. The
District Attorney asked the witness whether he was
| acquainted with Judge Edmunds OF New York
Tho witness replied airmatively, but that be never
| treated him professionally, and therefore could say
| nothn! about his case.
| Tho witness continued; Persons afflicted with epi.
aTs HSe srsp Go s palsu
wien person affected commits vloience :. eEllepne
ye,go ,er9 Sa mlaS ea,
while he was IN the store toia absence OF al recoes-
ton Of the aetmaY weeks or monihs there an
| INSTANTANEOUS USCoSsCIoUsSEss
| when tie attack on person tho attack very
seldom last. beyon few moments the attack Was
ON Chambers when he disehnrgsd his pistol ,~pe'a
glass OF ale his mind under state Of total o6ltera
NJ Hoye.I consider Gh9mbsrs mad when ?, he
Dr. Meals Of New York, the next witness. said:
er!llcaie people are committed TO toe un nate, s1ypn
co onSin w ha mr. s have beara Inc
that '"'' '''' ''' ''N''H '''
CHAMBERS WAS INSANE
when he Killed voorhees, Il thiuk that Chambers's
,a contion q, the present time is below rar was y
the kaymGhi street JAN yossTGsy SlmisIay1 toid
D ma MAJ Ph seap 1c s w1s sr SSs
he did not me told INN that he must not try
to hnmbug me and a~eln asked him his name and again
| received no answer; asked HIM whether his name
| WAS ,hambcrs aud be said Yes then suddenly
r9a9 @ on S s9fS sng 9S a nm Tenfl
ortnc chair aud ran out OF the room gerward .lH;
he was lying Oh hs bunk vita ms eyes closed, spoke
Vent ! Si a us anu SaSe IN very lightly
90 thai II was iupCs- re io. nan to hear me sad
&c up Ispat al HIM and he then jumped up and pick.
Chamber m was s@aiatinS thought that he ought to
| be sent TO q Iunauc asy lun.
| HEREDITARY INSANITY.
| DR. sayre an expert Of long experience In matters
| pertaining to insanity, testified Ne follows:
He told me where he born, that he came TO this
country when u years OF age and nat hs moiheT was
was living or dead; do not agree with Or. Eche.
t'H nk that wSsh &c sa The shot chsHScTs vas
| insane.
Amer the examination ofDr. Carey, MI Howe said
| LET THE CASE HERE,
| and not sum up. lie had only word to say, and
| That was tlint defence OF lutaultgs WHEN
sustained, always meets with appreciation In court
| Of Justice.
District Attorney Morris said have examined p Is
| have called TO my aid experienced physicians re
the pr sS% 70 ac
community wanted to know The prisoner condition i
Put them the But as public prosecutor. 4
sSS S s Wnes G aa .nqTS oh S59s
discharged my duty to the public, and
LEAVE THE REST To THE COURT.
mover ask OF A Jury anything don't believe In thes
few remarks wanted to explain my position.
At II minutes to ~ O'Clock the jury were request
ed to stand up. and Judge Barnard charged them a
| follows:
three things First, the killing Of VOORHEES, second
9s hs neepsed ya S ss h
to taec away ME. on the mast two facts there n
from verdict q mq 95 sI n the hrst decree BT
bers Killed Voorhees, with preme aton. The prisone
says, through hs council INA! at ne time Of me shoe
Use II or his act II this accused knew that act va
e s nh be s" eonvcted but Il he was melted by d
orie ed brain Il at The time the prisoner had no vi
= HE WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE
for his acts. This you have to determine. II your
cson l. IN favor of tho prisoner the statute pToyd'
jury should say 50 in their yeldie 50 that the CGn
m order Gs aha hat i lie a not be IN Soa Su
upon any other pe.son. You Win Ind a verdict eith
t Inc q ssnd Of insanity at the time the done
y | Al nfteen minutes 10 IL judge Barnard flnish'
his charge. and half minute later tie jury, NiIhoI
, | leaving their seats, rendered the following
l. VERDICT
I | We Ind the prisoner
NOT Guilty
t that he was insane at the time the act was commttc
| aud recommend that he be sent TO lunauc asylum
Il Jude Barnard told District Attorney Morris
draw up the necessary papers TO give mo verdict
feet.
Chambers, on hearing the verdict, betrayed
u emotion. Several friends OF the prisoner gather
around him, and Chambers shook them by the La
~ and spoke in perfectly rational way.
THE FEELING
10 among the majority Of the spectators was u
4 | Chambers was perfectly sane, and that murder
a has escaped tho gallows AZ avg minutes to