The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-05
THE SCANNEL1 MURDER TRIAL.


Seventeenth Days lrocedfnrs-A Whole
Day OF Lunacy-Tse V,rious Forms of
Insantty' Melanchlia, Del usions, IIlu-
siOns and Hallucinafon,-Testfm OF
Drse Cross and Hammond for the Prose.
cation.
The proceedings In the tril of John Scannell be-
fore Judge Brady, in the Govt of over and Termi.
ner, yesterday, for the murde OF Thomas Donohoe
attracted more numerous Adielce than during
the past few days of tho trial. yht only testimony
taken was that OF DIS. Cross and Hammond, on the
subject OF insanity in rebuttal OF tat adduced by
the defence. Drs Clymer, Echeverla Dalton and
q large number Of professors and other medical
gentlemen were present and lsened to the
testimony with great interest with only scien-
tifc minds are capable OF. To the misses of the
audience most OF the fine distinctonswere imper
ceptible, and to all of them it was exceedingly dry.
District Attorney Phelps called as he first wit
ness DIR. Thaddeus NJ. b. Cross as epert in dis
eases OF the nervous and mental systems. He ex-
planned the differences between an causes OF
hallucination, illusion and dcusion; aiimpe delu-
SION would be no test Of insanity, s an insane
deluson would; any deusion founde on q mere
matter OF faith is not an insane one: isane deu-
sions are founded on facts; haucinatia is caused
by disturbance OF the cerebral crcuabn; man
may have Authorizations and still be sac; mean-
cholia Is sort OF mental pain, at firt attended
with degree OF depression; in time he MEAN
cholic becomes centred in himself and lis thoughts
and woes; this grows till the mind proper is
affected, and insanity is the result; tn perions
whom every one meets going around tenng tleir
suferings and wrongs and disincHed o tall of
anything else are suffering from meIapeholi in
the second stage; when destructive imInlses are
developed they generally Take suicidal prm;
A MELANCHoLIC
nboring under homicidal impulse will rot direct
1t towards person to whom he entertains AMI
mostly, but against some friend or stranger; nan
may have cerebral congestion and know the diff
ference between right and wrong, but be not
legally responsible for. his acts he is unall, to
control them In persons afflicted with clronic
melancholy the skin is generally dry; an insane
man may act from two motives-a sane ind an
insane motive; sane man always acs from
logical reasoning; a who ha, suffered fOm men,
tai disease for couple OF years cannotbs cured in
day, no more than person who hasoeen su1er-
ing from typhoid fever can get NJ and walk
strongly about the day the poison Is rnoved from
the blood; there must remain traces hich could
be easily detected on examination ofthe disease
iOr some time 1t would take long completely
eradicate all traces Of 1t as the time tasted.
Mr.. Pheips-Iiave you heard all the sstimony In
this case? A. have.
Mr.. Beach objected.
=. And, having heard all the Testimony for the
defence do you believe the prisoner ha, any insane
illusion
@. Well, having heard and believing althe testi.
mony for the defence, do you believe IA prisoner
was laboring under an insane Illusion tiusIon or
hallucinatOnS
Mr. Beach again objected.
Judge Brady ,ued the question on, g II was
shadowy and presupposed concllsin in the
mind OF witness rem the evidence.
1T WAS FOR THE JURY
To draw conclusions from the eVidenc. He would
allow the question in this formulating heard an
the testimony, and believing 1t to be tie what is
your opinion regarding the mental condion OF the
prisoner
Mr.. Phelps said he'would substitute 10 it hy.
pcthetical question, put by the defente one OF
their medical Witnesses who said IRON itthat the
prisoner was insane. The question emblced the
affection OF the prisoner for his brother orence,
the circumstances attending the shootn OF the
latter and the prisoners alleged insane onduct
afterwards.
Tie witness replied that, assuming ahe ctr
Gums stances detailed in the question regatng the
prisoner to be true, he could not decide wilmer be
was sane insane. There were seyerl state
ments and references to de0sieDs in IL 'hch he
would require explained
q. What would be the conduct OF an inin6 per-
son VINO had committed murder rom mrbid inn
pulse when brought into the presence OF he nur-
dered PERSON.
Mr.. Beach objected.
The question was excluded.
In the cross-exaIninatsn py Mr.. Beal great