The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-05
TIE SLEEPY HOLLOW MASSACRE
Further Developments in shs Buol[hsat Trial.
The Insanity rhsory-What Experts Think Of
the Prisoners Responsibility = The Ae-
cused Wishes to Join Secret Order.

The trial OF Isaac v. w. Buckhout for the mnr.
der Of Alfred Kendall was confirmed yesterday In
the Court or oyer ana rernlner. at White Plains.
WcstohesIer county. As usual, since the com.
mencement OF this somewhat notorious case the
court room was filed to repetition with
spectators, while all the seats In the
spacious gallery were monopoized by the softer
throughout the entire day. The testimony for the
defence was continued, ana was confined exclu-
svely to the examination Of medical experts touch
ing the insanity OF the accused
DR.. George q. ). Choate testified as foows:-I
ha been superintendent OF the State Lulatc Asy-
lum in Massachusetts for seventeen years, during
which period about four thousand insane persons
were placed under my care for treatment; have
gwen my enllre attention to
THE SUBJECT OF INSANITY
for the last eighteen years; have also been employed
by the government OF Massachusetts to examine all
prisoners, where the plea OF insanity was urged in
Their defence; have visited many OF the large instl-
tntions for the insane, IN Europe, on two different
00casions the last visit was made u year ago last
December; have seen the prisoner, Bnrkbouf;
visited him IN the jail, accompanied oy Dr. Brown,
Of the Bloomingdale Lunatic Asylum: 10 was after
his first trial; we called upon him. ana had an anter-
view OF perhaps two hours In length; we did not in
troduce ourselves, although he probably knew Dr.
Brown;
BucRHouT WAS CALM AND PLEASANT;
we began our conversation with general topics,
principally relating to his life in the jail, his
treatment while there ana other kindred
subjects; all OF these his answers we're
to the point aud straightforward there
was slight symptom OF mental arrangement
but not enough to attract my attention II had not
been eng sged ia scfuLnillng such Cases; MS ex-
prcssions wien convcrsIng ala not exhibit any
striking result; after tai ting on general topics we
came To tue matter OF the homicide; he was ut
nrst extremely re'cent 50 n much 80 that
against saving anything on the subject, and asked
nun If that was not the case he admitted mat 1t
was 80; I happened to have Il letter from his
brother, which 1 produced and read to INN, In
when the writer expressed hope fDat Isaac tine
prlsoner) would De fee, and tell me all lie could
reading that letter the accused was nloe M
HE ADMITTED EVERYTHING
regarding the homicide and IN ans er to questions
put to M as TO why he mad Killed his wire, he re-
Piled because she had been untalthiu TO him. AMI
asserted that she mad been Improperly intimate
with Charles Kendall, Mr.. Millard his own brother,
Benjamin Buckhout and others; we endeayored 10
ina the source OF this jealousy how he knew That
his VIE was unfathfdl TO nln without stating amy
facts circumstances he sad he was sure Of 1t,
MS HEART TOLD HIM so: =
we asked him whether he had ever seen any lmpr0-
preties, whether anybody rad told hlm anything TO
that elect, and whether he nal ever intercepted
any com .uuuicaton5 between his wi q and any u
the persons an nc rsn 70 o y, mn nm 20 M
formed the opinion then IRON his own statement
nat he was laborng under an insane delusion az 70
the chastity or his vile; asked Bucknout why he nad
killed Alfred Readali; he replied that he was an ac-
IFFIpELlTY or HIS WIFE.
by aiding the and sending Milard to his house
to live, Tor the purpose OF cuvatiny an Improper
intimacy with hts wue, he told me that many years
before had been invited TO JON Masonic lodge,
but his wife persuaded nini net TO do IL; that the
| elder Mr.. Kendall had sent men to his lDucKhout's
house have Improper relations with his vile, ana
| Tor that reason he killed him; that tho
| Masons had caused articles TO be inserted n tho
l uaxu a
tended 10 convey the idea that the Masons-he not
| being oil the drder-had got these articles In
| serted the idea IN the mind OF Bnckhout was tnat
1 these people would trouble hm the only question
| 10 come up was whether there was any
POSSIBILITY or DECEPTION
| on the Fart OF the prisoner; concluded, after
! weighing all the circumstances, tnat he could nos
| have been felgnlng; had another interview with
BuckhOut on saturday last perhaps Tor gu hour; ne
| remembered nv former visit; asked him II he
| felt uneasy about his trial; he SAID that ne
| did not; asked him as To how he felt regarding
| his wIle he SAID that he knew she had been
unIaitniul 10 him-tnat his heart tod him 80: ho
asserted that the elder Kendall mad been TOO fnti-
statement; he alluded again to the artl-
| cles that had appeared in the newspapers,
and saii that the issue Of his case rested with the
.Freeni sons he expressed desire to be admitted
| hanged; from what have seen and heard arp or
| the opinion that Bucknout has been more or less
INSANE FOR YEARS,
and think he Will continue insane; think he be-
longs TO the most dangerous class VI lunatc3, ana
should view him rs such.
Other medical witnesses including DR.. f. T.
Brown, Superintendent OF the Bloomlngdae Asylum
for the Insane, were examined each OF them avor-
ing the theory OF insanity on the part OF The pri
soner, after which tie defence rested.
The prosecution then proceeded TO Introduce tes-
t1nony tie purpose OF proving the entire sanity
OF the prisoner anterior TO and AT the time vi the
murder.