Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-10-25

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mad he couldn't control his mind; attempted
to throw tea kettle cover at me; said before
he would sell his claim in the place he would
cover it with his hearts blood said they went
to meeting to talk about people, and back
bite their neighbors.
Cross-erominatioa He said his mother
thought more of me than he did of the 9TH
ers.
j. l.. Libby acting turnkey of the Jail till
recently, from December II; have had the
care of Scribner; used to be present while
people had interviews with him; do not now;
he has sometimes been good and some
times bad; when ugly made dirt on
purpose, would not spit in spittoon, but
did you take the spittoon out for; we had
cinch put him in the cell went in with him;
had squabble: | knocked him down; he
scrambled to get up; said ooh DON'T Said
he would clean the cell up; got water and did
il been quiet since.
C,oss-eraminafion Scribner stays in his
cell most of the time is little odd begs
for tobacco; let him out one-haf hour at a
time he is always lively when talk will,
him meetings are held in the Jail he does
not attend the meetings every Sunday; eats
his meals in his cell e; walks much in his cell
heard him hal.co in the night; has been well
Since III jail
Daniel +. Scribner Brother to Jason thirty
years old; live opposite my mothers; Jason
made threats against me some four years ago.
theatened in March to stick me with an iron
bar; he was standing in back door of house
. O'Clock evening, caught iron bar feet long
said he would split my brains out five or six
years ago he came at me with chair, held 1t
over my head and used profane language
my harness was cut two or three weeks De-
fore the homicide; Jason Is quick tempered
passionate person, when enraged catches hoid
OF anything near ut hand, makes ready ana
strike
CToss-erdmtned: When IN temper ne strikes
people.
FRANK Small, Stenographer, resumed the
reaulhg OF the records, evidence OF Jason
Scribner, gwen at the March term, 1879.
County Attorney webb read the deposition
OF Allen w. Knowles (now in Pennsylvania),
allowed for defence.
Mr.. Rogers, recalled on cross examination
Had conversation with Daniel +. Scribner.
Had seen no great change in the prisoner.
The counsel for the defence called for the
testimony OF l)r Harlow, expert. The court
ruled that questions must be prepared, taking
III certain forms OF evidence rendered by the
witnesses. The counsel we're allowed three
quarters OF an hour to prepare, and the court
took recess.
Dr. Harlow. Supt OF the Insane Hospi-
tai. called; Have four hundred patients UNI
der my charge. Have been in practice thir-
ty-nve years. The tendency to insanity Is
hereditary. Quick tempered men are more
liable to become insane than others. Exhi-
bition of uncomfortable temper is an evidence
of insanity, and tendency to insanity is in
creased by intcmperance and religious ex-
citement. Many insane persons know the
difference between right and wrong. Doubt
If they have power to control themselves.
When in tit of insanity the subject will
remember what has taken place. A person
insane may kill another and remember it
thereafter. From the ages Of 80 to 60 per-
sons are inclined to insanity if at all insane.
An insane person may commit an act one day
and not know the nature and quality of the
act he was doing, and remember it the fol-
lowing day, and talk about 1t. An insane
person by loss of blood may be brought to
his senses Suicide is product Of insanity.
Insanity may lurk for weeks or months and
only display itself occasionally. Physical
health affects the mind and leads to insanity.
An insane person may know between right
and wrong and not have the power to control
himself. see nothing inconsistent with the
theory that the prisoner might not be insane,
from his own testimony. Examined the
prisoner in the summer of rs, prior to the
trial. The statements of j. 7. Scribner re-
garding his children does not prove that he
NIT acts of violence AGAINST those tbey love
best. If a man without provocation should
strike his children and then cut his throat,
when asked what he did it for, says did not
know what was doing, these facts are not
inconsistent with the theory of insanity
The fact that he had many relatives that had
a tendency to insanity, proves strongly that
he was himself insane. That he said God
told him to do these things also strengthens
the opinion of his insanity. When asked
what he had done, said he had killed his chill
dren, that they might go to heaven with
him, proves his insanity. Insanity may
have been coming on for years, and he
would not, at the time, know what
he was doing, might know thereafter.
The fact that person negects his work,
complains of arrows through his head. uses
profane language to his wife, was fond of his
children, loved them, should threaten his
brother and friends with violence, for the
space of five years, prove insanity. If he
should kill his children and all attempts
to kill himself fail this goes to prove that
the man was insane