Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-09-21
TESTIMONY FOR THE DEFENCE.


The defencs opened by General Grout
offering testimony taken at Cincinnati.
Charles s. Woodruff. of Wyoming county,
Ohio, swears THAT Hayden's father died in
Lick Run Lunatic Asylum; he scarcely
knew his friends.
The afternoon was consumed by reading
deposi.ions of Mrs. Julia jackson, Hay
den's aunt Samuel F. Elliott and Doctor
Mussey. all residents of Ohio. to show the
eceentricities of Hayden's father and some
of his relatives.
IKAsBURG. VT, Sept. 13.-J. Scoyille
testified that be was acquainted with Hay
den's grandfather and great-grandiather
they were both very eccentric and passion
ate men. and especially the great-grand
father had no control over his temper.
Several OF the officers of Windsor State
Prison testified to Ilayden's peculiarities
during his confinement there; they believed
him insane at times; at one time in prison
one of the attendants went into his cell in
the night and found Hayden up and dress
ing himself in clean clothes and said he was
about to take journey; why. said the at
tendapt, you are not going in the night
time why, said he. is it night now?
John A. Edwards testified A year ago l
was assigned a. counsel for the prisoner L
went into the jail to talk with him abou
the case ; he was resolute to plead guilty
and have no trial; could get no clue to
any defence from him; | called his atten-
tion to the subject of insanity, but be re-
pudiated the idea at once.
j. E. Dickerman testified to a singular
action by the prisoner, having the appear
ance of insanity.
F. D. Holdridge testified: An jailer OF
the Orleans county jail ; at the last Febru-
ary term OF the court word was brought me
that Hayden had got a rope and was going
to hang himself; | went up to the jail and
found in his possession silk handkerchief.
twisted into a rope and knotted into Il slip
ping moose; Hayden was lying down on the
floor of the jail, and the rope was under him.
Ii. A. Csmnel testified that he saw the
prisoner at the Windsor State Prison ; Hay
den said his counsel had tried to have him
plead insanity. but be didn't want to, for il
he did he would probably be confined in jail
for life, and he would rather die he talked
in all respects like perfectly sane and ra-
tional man; said he deserved to he hung
Just as mueh as Phsir. who was to be hung
the next Friday.
The State introduced many witnesses, W no
had been associated with Hayden, to testify
a. to his sanity. This gave rise to u long
discussion a. to the admission of the opinion
OF witnesses, who are not experts, and the
rule laid down by the court was that the
witness must be inquired of as to particular
insta nees, when he saw HAYDEN under cir
cumstances which would call Tor an exhIbi-
tion Of his character, and state his actions
and his conversations. In this way he
might give his opinion of his sanity at that
time.
DR.. Bugbee testified that he saw Hayden
on the same day of the killing, and he
seemed elsted with his deed. as would a
surgeon after having performed capital
operation
DR.. Draper. superintendent OF the Luna
tic Asylum, of BrattleborO, and DIR. Brown,
of ST. Johnsbury. testified that ut the Sep
tember term of the court Il year ago, they
made an examination of the prisoner. with
a view to ascertain whether he was then tit
to undergo trial, While Dr.. Draper was
there, and Just before Dr. Brown came into
the Jail, the prisoner had or pretended to
have, fit. and from the examination OF
the prisoner, and from his description of
his feelings afterwards. it was their opinion
that the fit was feigned; there is sunn u thing
as emotional an insanity that overwhelms
one for tie time being 1t generally leaves
no recollection OF the event ; it Is not often
protracted. From all the testimony in the
case it Is the opinion of these doctors that
there is no reasonable doubt OF the sanity
of the prisoner at the time of the killing.