The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-07
THE MAUD MERRILL MURDER.
Seventh Day of Blcakicy's Trial-Conciu-
sion OF the Medical Tessimony-Hc Is
To &c Examined This Morning in His
Own Behalf.


To &c Examined This Morning in His
Own Behalf.
The yesterday in the continuation of the Bleak
ley trial. in the Court of Oyer and Termincr, before
Judge Brady pretty much a repetition of those
The day previous. There the large, eager
crowd in attendance while Beakley in his corner with
his arm still in sling and his face "sicklied DER with
The pale castn of n most e-begone and melancholy
expression, still kept up his nnin,clgibe uterances.
At one time he became quite dcmonsrative, unhe cding
the officers having him in charge and the thumpngs
the Judges gave 1t took all the soothing powers Of Mr.
William f. Howe, his counsel, to restore him TO quiet
EVIDENCE.
District Attorney Phelps said he withdrew his objection
10 the admission of Beakeys letters and pictures
dence. His objection caused by doubt 10 their
genuinenes and OF this he had satisfied himself They
accordingly admitted evidence Ex.Mayor
Oakley Hall said he would them in his address to the
jury.
The whole day was consumed in the examination OF
sanity or INSANITY OF the prsoner 70 simpiy the exsm
inaion Mr. Hall had carefully prepared resume OF The
in lunatic asylum how his sister committed suicide IN
Sis strong ataeh%snt to this sister pn and how
ne se csde s o his oM hS e sent mos to
@ e 5n them a0ss ass nna Ire %
cred that the whom ne subsequently, killed had
tered on lie q ms ss ana M his
lice, and 50 on, deneatng with suceinctness all the
accnmnated proofs he asked to each the following hypo
theiical question What state OF mind do they manifest
to The prisoners sanity insanity at the time Of the
The frst witness called was DR.. VIM. B. Neftel He
stated that he was Russian physician by education,
and had given special attention TO nervous diseases in
the Hypothetical that basng his opinion on the
was crosse xaminea BY District Attorney Phelps.
heard there arc two or three controlling aets-the
over m am and 10
strike the first two should be uncertain and could
q
given special attention nervous diseases and
os% the ss ssnn G 81 sa his
s Il Ta hSsea I and spsda s
does not conceal the act but rather gores in Il but no
clusively; consider the brain is always implicated in
O. What would You infer from two apparent efforts to
commit suicide yet so carefully arranged as to produce
a1yhins from vu's' SA0a'u n'' 'e''e much 0'
S9 not sn o o these ep ne sn
fully sprnkled the door with water so as make the
uncommon for iunatic TO commence such an act and
opinion h as e 'ss assli my
Dr. Frank Nichols testified that he had visited the
SmSsfs%sns The SyPoshstSeaI qsesiea as put
tar answer saying he thought the accused must be OF in
TO Mr. Phelps-In some cases of acute mania there
might w " Sas ss sna sbs
ancted with hernia and had a scar on his head and one
his neck He described the two attempts suicide
TO MI PhcipsI have not seen ANYTHING in the appear
he
DR. James Hallock Jr Resident Physician of the Lu.
matte Asylum Wards Island, the witness and
upon propoundng OF the hypothetical question by
Mr. Hail pronounced the prisoner. beyond all que sion
insane at the time he committed the homicide.
District Attorney Phelps crosse xamned this witness
ut great length nut tailed in any degree TO shake his
testimony the witness proving man OF great skill and
research ana very profound.
Dr. Alfred L. Parsons had read the question in printed
form and made up his mind that the circumstances
plainly showed that the prisoner was insane at the time
Of the homicide.
random statements the incoh crent letter TO his sister
and his anxiety about his niece the leading facts
inducing such belief his part. As general rule
sane people tried TO themselves after committing
q crline. but insane people did
kedirect-lhe manifestations of insanity were some
uniee very obscure lie had persons his nj the
The lunauc asylum on Blackwelfs Island OF which he
has charge whose cases he has had study weeks
and months before he could determine the question of
their insanity. He pronounced the letter published in
yesterdays HERALD, TO say the least, most strange
letter. ~
The Court here adjourned TN this morning, when the