National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-11-17
LIEUTENANT WALKERS CASE.
Hearing Before Justice James-An Ehthusi.
matte CI,rietIau.

@NN~NINNNNNNH
The hearing Of the hdbods corpus In the case OF
Lieutenant J. p Walker, u S. A. alleged In illegal
restraint Of his liberty at the Asylum as an insane
person, was continued before Justice James last
saturday Judge Warden appearing for the petit
toner and District. Attorney Wells for the Govern
ment The following evidence was taken.
Miss Kate Warden testified that she had known
Lieutenant Walker for five or six weeks Intimately
mrs, saw him in this city aud met him at her hus-
now living. lie went out occasionally, rs gentle
men usually did. There wns q wedding az the
house , aud Lieutenant Walker was present, also at
ton with him, and heard him talk with others
and from that she was Of the opinion that nothing
had been shown TO lead one TO believe that he was
insane. Nothing remarkable or unusual In either
way had been observed by the witness In his case.
Ihe subject Of family government had been talked
OF III the house and he advanced no peculiar ideas
in connection with It, There was no cross. exami-
nation Of the witness.
Charles Guy Warden testified that he was ac
quainted with Lieutenant Walker and had know II
him two years, The witness heard him converse
then and since, and had become intimately ac-
qnantcd with him. sleeping In the same bed with
him, and accompanying him on excursions and
taking walks with him. He first met him at the
Insane Asylum, and saw him there ten or twelve
times. Dt. Nichols was then superintendent of the
institution. He did not know when Lieutenant
Walker left the asylum, but he saw him there
again two months ngO, not knowing that he had
been away. lie had talked with the Lieutenant on
various subjects In the house and on the street.
and at these times he was quiet. He was Of oph-
iOn that he was n sane man.
No cross examination.
Saunders W. johnson testified that he had been
acquainted with Lieutenant Walker since 1876
that Is, fro a boyhood lie lcfl Georgetown. Kan,
in 1860, and had not seen much of him until about
two years ago, when he came to st. Elizabeth Hos
pital. Amer that lac hRd several conversations
with him, chiefly upon the fact of his being con.
fined, and wondered how 1t could be. lie was n
man of considerable intelligence, aud above the
ordinary cultured man. lie did not dream that he
was insane, and had not at any time thought so.
Cross cxamined-llc met the Lieutenant before
he graduated at West Point and aiterward lie
did not know anything Of his being confined at
West Point, while n student, as an insane person.
He got some information on the subject but where
and how he obtained possession OF IL the witness
could not remember lie had heard while the
Lieutenant was on duty in tic West that he was
insane and a military board had so pronounced.
He was astonished and could not believe II, which
caused him TO make some inquiry into the matter
The petitioner had told him that Major Dudley had
reported that hcwaS not fit man to go before court
martial, but should be sent TO the Insane asylum
lie thought Lieutenant Walker was as sane u man
as there was in the ROOM lie had talked with him
upon numerous topics, and had yet to discover any
break in his intellect lie had never seen or heard
of letter addressed by the Lieutenant to the
President of the United States asking him to or
gaiize an expedition TO the Holy Land TO recover
the sepuchre of our saviour. The letter was here
produced and read The witness would not soy
that the document indicated unsoundness of mind
Christian soldier enthusiastic on the subject
might very reasonably write such q letter. He
thought II was disgrace to-day to the Christian
world that the tomb of Christ was In the hands of
others than the Christian people. Another lengthy
letter written by Lieutenant Walker to Dr. Golden
on the subject OF his sanity was here read The
witness had read the letter and saw other reports
IN the case which helped TO make IN his opinion
| lie did not think an insane man could write such
a letter rs the last one that had becnrcad. This
closed the testimony for the day and the hearing
was adjourned.