The New York herald., 1872-10-19
COURT OF GENERAL SESSIONS.
Wife Murder.

Before Recorder Hackett.
The trial of Mark Flanagan, charged with the
murder OF his wife, in August last, by cutting her
in the neck with knife was resumed yesterday,
before Recorder Hackett, in the General Sessions
CONTINUATION OF THE TESTIMONY
Ohicer Peter Sheridan was examined. He said
he was called to arrest the prisoner the evening
OF the 18th OF August; he found him In a back room
of the apartments occupied by his family; his wife
was lying on the floor, Mrs. Graham leaning over
her; the officer was informed that the prisoner
stabbed his wife; he asked Flanagan why he had
done it; he did not answer for some tlme but said
she had driven him crazy; Mas Graham's daughter
handed the oficer the knife. which he brought to
the station house.
BY consent DR.. Cushman's testimony, taken by
the Coronerl was read. He made post.mortem
examination OF the body OF Mrs. Flanagan ami
found stab wound on the rignt side OF her neck,
three quarters OF an inch In length and another
one.half an men above ana other messed wounds
on the chin aud neck. In his opinion death was
due to internal hemorrhage, the result OF stab
wound in the neck.
Patrick W. King, the brother OF the deceased,
was called but being unable TO testify as 10 whether
the prisoner quarreed with her ior some time pre-
yious to the killing he was not examined.
MIR. J. f. Grabili, the junior counsel for The de-
fence, opened the case. stating that he would adj
uuce competent evidence to show that his client
was OF unsound mind at the tim he committed the
THE nrrsScr.
The first witness called Tor the prisoner was Mary
Buckley, VINO lived in the tenement house waere
Flana gan and his family had apartments. She saw
the prisoner In ats, and then he acted as If he was
all cranped up: mis- tongue was parayzed, aud
alter he got oveg them lie would complain OF being
greatly affected in the hcus; after he had the fits
he seemed to be bcwlldered and had poor
memory.
MIS- Hart testified that she was an inmate OF this
tenement house, ana knew oil the prisoner having
fits; he was always talking about his head, and
said he Thought he was going TO die soon. rms
witness gave a similar description of his appear.
ance to tnat gwen by the other witnesses, and said
he looked as II he was crazy.
Mary Flanagan, the prisoners daughter who ap-
peared TO to be very intelligent poke OF the ne 1T,
about twelve or thirteen OF them during the six
months previous to the Killing She said that her
iatner was KIND to the children, but not very Kind
10 her mother he did not quarrpi with her much
during the time he had the periodical fits In an
swer to the Recorder she said tnat when under the
influence of liquor her father would strike her
mother, and Tor six months previous to the killing
he drank lager, which was prescribed Tor him.
years old, the son of the prisoner, was examined
Us to his fathers condt.on when IN the fits.
DR.. kenaen Smitn testified that last February he
was called TO trcat the prisoner for flesh wound
the right eye, which was inflicted by his WIFE,
who Knocked him on the head with pitcher. The
Doctor dressed the wonnd, which seemed TO be a
scalp wound. The Doctor also testified to symn-
toms Of ins nifty exhipitsd hy the prisoner;
tailed the appearance OF the prisoner when he
called at the State Hospital lor treatment, and
from the prisoners account OF his symptoms ne
fis Doctor) concluded tnat he was anected with
cerebral congestion Of nm epieptlc form. The last
time he SAY the prisoner was on the 18th OF July
The Doctor said that, from what he knew OF tie
condition OF the prisoner, and Judging IRON the
evidence, he believed flanagan had what was
known a. "variaii..r epilepsy, and lie believed he
also had masked" on,,opsy. He made two ex-
annatons o. The prisoner 4. the Tombs with the
ophtralmoscope, and it was his opinion that the
brain was congested. .
In response 70 the Court Dr. Masca said that lie
believed that at the time the prisoner stabbed his
vile he was insane. lie did not wish, however, TO
be understood saying that the mere cxstence Of
epilepsy was sufficient cause TO render a person
Irresponsible, bnt its existence, coupled with tsc
other symptoms III this case, led him 10 The conclu-
sion that the prisoner was suffering from an attack
- .,masked epilepsy when he killed his wife.
TN, glsed the evidence, after winch Mr.. KNIT
iug ana ,atIct Attorney sullivan made bricf ana
nSlc summing T." sucechcs. ,..-
HE ease viii he res,c'ued this morning.