The New York herald., 1875-11-25
JOHN SCANNELL' TRIAL.
THE PLEA OF INSANITY MAINTAINED.
Incidents Of the Prisoners Men
tai Disease.
His Mother and Sister on the Wit
ness Stand.

The trial of Jrhn Scannoll resumed yesterday
maFuinv the Coer Or oyer aud Tcrmncr, the testi-
mony aadaced being mainly q show the effect which
as shooting - FLORENCE soaunoll had upon the mind
= ~ prisoner rhcre 4 iair attendance the cor
rdors being A. usual. crowded Judge Barrett took
his ho bench II halfpast ten O'Clock. District
Attorney Phelps, with Mcssrs RolnS and Lyon, ap-
peaFed Tor the prosecution, and Messrs W. A. Beach,
chafles Spencer William 4, Howe and Peter Mitchell
lor no prisoner
AZ the opening 81 ,ho court George W Hojer was the
arsi witness called for thc defence He testified that
ho mot mo prisoner a tho catsklls IN the summer
succeeding hs brother's death; he looked pale and
emaeiated and ~as ~ no means IA good health; ho
was exceedingly restless aud seemed to be wandering
IN his mind; no complained of not being able sleep
and was incohcFsnt IN his conversation, one occa
sion, when the death of hts brother Florence was nj
ludod TO- hs eyes became Wild and boodshot; his
and hs conduct seemed 20 tho witness 60 be very ira
tionaL
TESTIMONY or FErnR CARROLL
Potter Carroll examined BY Mr. Beach-is an oyster
saloon keeper and has resided the city all his liie
acquainted with the scauncs for years; thought
that the affection between them remarkable; John
particularly anxious about his brother; his do
10 his mother aud family was kind and con-
sderatc after his brothers. death great change
over him he became sullen and nc was ali
panionabe; prior to thai event he pleasant and
cheerul witness him In attendance on his brother
at the hospital, where he used 70 pace up and down the
room in very agtatcd manner then he would sit
down by his brothers. side and remain SILENT his con
duct seemed TO witness to be irrational
The witness briefly examined By Mr. Rollins.
TESTIMONY OF OTIS wIIsEY
o. l. wilsey was next examined. He testified that
he commission merchant; acquainted with
the Scannells for eight OF nine years. John Scannell
prior to the death Of his brother cheerful and
pleasant but after that event he acted very strangely
when conversing he would break from subject TO
the other without any connecticut there a Wild
preston in his eye; witness him at Columbia
Springs in September after his brothers. DEATH ho was
restless and excited there and could sleep; witness
in the same room. and oitentimes Scannel asked
him TO get up in the night and take walk; he in
the habit ofmuttering to HIMSELF occasion wit
walking up Broadway with Scannell when the
latter shouted out "Look therel" and pulled witness
into the gutter; witness asked what the matter was
and looking up, Thomas Donohue coming down the
street; scannen was nervous and pale, and both of
them then stepped the sidewalk and up town.
To Mr.. Rollins-I am the brother law of the pris-
oner; the time OF the occurrence occupied room
at the Compton House.
TESTIMONY OF oATMAN $. PAINE
The first medical witness examined by Mr. William +.
Howe was 0atman s Paine, who testified follows:
am physician and have been in practice for thirteen
years; am attached TO St Elzabeths Hospital;
know the person John Scannell also knew Florence
and all the family; afforded frequent instances OF
seeing the brothers, being their family physician John
Scannel aectionato and kind toward the members
of his family prior to the shooting John Scanne was
good health after the shooting saw him IN Bellevue
Hospital where his brother being cared for; had
an inta wit mo nd xyifa
prisoner present; he wild and excited; told
him his brother would die and he said it mpossble
he very pale a marked change had come over
him; his eyes wild looking met him on several
occasions after that and he always insisted stat
ing that his brother would recover though he had
informed to the contrary; after his brothers. death ho
began to waste away and acted no sane man would
act; advised his mother and wife to send him an
insane asylum, my opinion being that he was not of
soCnd MiDd.
Cross examined by Mr. Rollins-I have never madsin
sanity a specially; have not read upon the subject
within year two; the prisoner was not sent to
any asylum that know OF; thought he was insane
from his manner deeds and conversation; think
Scannell was troubled with monomana; he talked and
thought of nothing else but the killing Of his brother
my standard of insanity Is not that he differs from
others but differs from himself
Judge Barrett-After the death of Florence whore
did You happen to the prisoner2 A. In the street
O. Did he consult you professionally after that2
A He did; believe he sent for me.
Q. After Florence died you say you might have met
the prisoner 365 times what do you mean by thatY A.
met him great many times but cannot remember
the occasons met him going 30 the hospital; re-
member his coming TO the club house, of which was
nresdent he spoke about his brother and then went
away; cannot call to mind all the times met him
To Mr. Beach-About two weeks before the shooting |
OF Thomas Donohue took place started at nine O'Clock
one night go the hospital to attend TO a sick pa
tent Scannell on the other side of the street,
asked him to accompany me- when we arrived there he
went into OF dwards and came down stairs; it
was a cold night bat he nevertheless took of his hat
and wiped his brow, as the prespiraton poured from
him; | asked him what the trouble was and he said /
that in every bed the ward he could his brother
Florence: in going from the hospital he took his hat
of least fifty times and he talked OF nothing all the
way back but about his brother
TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM JOHNSON.
William Johnson, examined by Mr.. Beach, testified |
that he had been Warden Of the rombs he went there
in February, 1873 and left in January 1885, had fire.
quent opportunities OF seeing Scannel in prison. there
times when he was moody and melancholy; saw /
him sitting on the bed, crying about his brother; he
used to pace up and down the prison yard, talking to
HIMSELF he improved somewhat after he got the priv
ilege Of walking in the yard witness mad known Scan
nell before he TO the Tombs; tho impression wit
received from the acts OF the prisoner that ho
To the District Attorney-The prisoner seemed to /
improve in health after he allowed to take
exercise; witness diq not remember what physician
came to see him in prison.
At this stage the Court took the usual recess
APTER RECESS
Katherine Scannel, sister OF the prisoner was the I
first witness examined after recess. Her testimony on
the previous trial had much affected Scanne that he
taken with epileptc fits. Yesterday in order TO
avoid recurrence oil the attack the prisoner was re-
moved during her evidence The witness testified az
follows ~ have been deiormed since three years
old; my father died in 1866; there six OF the
children all living at home; John very kind and
aneconae toward US ALL more after fathers death
than before; after the shooting Of Florence his man
ner was changed on that day. in the hospital, he took
me in his arms, kissed me and laughed; he did
not say anything; the next day, while eating
his dinner, he laughed and talked to HIMSELF his
laugh was peculiar and his eyes had wild expression
the day after that he the house at three
o'clock in the morning; he kissed the younger
children and told mother to let them out that day.
IL being election day; that evening he fell into hys
tercs, shouting and raving; when ho came into the
house he very much excited; he talked in very
loud tone; he did not recognize me; went forward to
him and kissed him. but he did not TO remember
mo; one occasion | went into the basement and
him pacing up and down; spoke to him, but he did
not know me; at that time Florence sick in the
house; after Florences death his treatment OF his
mother and myself was very different from what it
was before he did not to for us; when
sick he said he hated TO look ut and wished tnat
earthanake would and swallow tho whole family: