New-York tribune., 1881-12-13
THE FILL REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS.


THE FULL REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS
WASHINGTON. Dec. 1.-THE fifth week OF
tbe trial OF Guiteau opened with public interest uh
abated If possible the crowd was larger thah usual
As the Jury fled in the spectators turned 'her a'o
10 the coored Juror who has been in poor hean' aau
about whose ability to appear in the box TINS morning
some doubt was felt He appeared with one eye Dahu
aped. hut otherwise apparently in good health
Mr. scoyjle called to the stand with the consent oI
the prosecution, Dr. f. c. Spitzka oil New-fOfK' ne
stated that he had followed the medical profession Io
eight years, and for six OF those he hsu hnau"
sneoialty of nervous and mental diseases lie
nad stn1ied in Vienna and this country. He had
been called as expert insanity twenty-five OF
twenty-sx times had written articles upon the shD
tect and had received the international competitive pilze
in 1878 for an essay upon insanity
Q-Do you know the prisoneri Al examined hiln
yesterday in the jail
o-For what purpose did you examine hint An
order that were compelled to give testimony by the
Court, might do so intelgenty.
OWN yon tell the result Of the examination A
II the Court compels me to do 40.
The Court-If the counsel requires it, You will have to
answer it.
Dr. Sptzka-The result OF my e&Ahih"'''h "1e '""'
found this inan insane.
Q.-IIave you any question or doubt aooutHi A.
Not the slightest.
ODD yon examine his eyes with opthamiscope1
A-snnply with the desire Of making the examination
thorough net with any special object
o.-Did you examine his eyes so that you satisfied
vourself as to their condition. I Cid
O-Also his rusei A-Nes
o-Bov 1id YOU investigate this subectl Al ex-
s,niped the background OF his eyes by an Instrument
known as an optbslmiscope. examined the pulse wltn
an Instrument which magoics the pulsations caeo the
sysgimograph.
o-What was the result of that examination a' to his
ewes and pulsc7 Al found both normal and healthy
o-state whether there anything in those paricr
lars to change or affect your opinion as to his insanity
ANohng fror the nature Of the case, as In nv mind
Roth examinations were not necessary and strictly
speakfng irrelevant 1t simply matter Of record
that made them.
o-state somewhat further the particular phase or
character tie insanity IA this observed by YOU
A-That would be very difficult TO render clear 10 any
jury not composed OF experts simply say thsl INC
marked feature OF this mans n'snity ia tendency to
deusye insane opinion and TO the creation oi mOro
and fantastica projects There Is marked element oi
iInbecility of Judgment and while had no other e'
dec than the expression OF his face for this have no
aopbt that he Is moral imbece rather moral mon
strOsity.
OWN you state whether you observed any laIica
tan of sanity the general appearance Of his eyes
A-That was my mind, the rncst conclusive evidence
of mis- insanity. concluded that had an insane man to
deal with oooro asked any question or said anything
N4"'H'@A
ever saw Il in AL asylum.
o-Frop your knowledge OF the insane, il It or is II
not an n dcation insanity that man hasan acute re
tentive memory A-Itis consistent with some forms
OF fnsanty and Inconsistent with others
O-Is consistent with condition or insanity that
man has quick PERCEPTION A.-TAe same ans Fei
would apply that question.
Mr.. scovIle then propounded long hypothetlca
question similar TO great extent to that "h'ch ne had
already asked the other expert Witnesses ending with the
interrogatory to whether Guteau was insane Oh
July 2,
The wituess--I decline TO answer any Hypothetical
npestjon In case where have examined the prisoner
himself that would not incorporate the result OF that
examination.
o.-Then include in that Hypothetical question your
own conclusion of his mental examination Al should
say that the prisoner whom examined had been more
or less Of morbid mental state throughout his te and
that he was probably at the tboe hat you men
CRoss-ExAMIHAIIoN BY MR.. DAYIDGE.
o.-what do you mean by insanityf A.-That Is a
question which never attempt 10 answer can give
You an approximate definition
OIL would be glad 20 have it. Amy profound de
terOraton normal standard OF human thought and
acton excluding the ordinary phenomena Of the COM
mon nervous and exclusive acute intOxcaton
and ebrile deleTum
Q-Tbere very many degrees OF insanity are there
not n A-Certainly there ia every degree.
o-There may be degrees Involving want of ciscrimt
nation between right and wrong and there may he other
deerees which do not involve want Of discrimination
A-That IL so and IL varies In the history OF the same
person.
Q-There may therefore, be degrees which render in
sane persons responsible and other degrees which DO not
render them responsible Objected to by Mr. scoviie
aud objection sustained by the Court the ground that
1t is not for medical expert to say whether not man
Is responsible in law.
o-You have had submitted 70 you quite long hypo-
hetica case Suppose every element OF that 20 be
remoyed except the single ore that the prisoner was
dominated by the delsiOn that in putting the Pres
dent to death he carrying out the Divine
will and that he hal not capacity 10 resist the
force OF that delnAon would not that posTnlate alone
have led you 10 the conclusion that he was insane A
IL It an insans delusiVn that you refer to-
Q-Itis all insane deluson. A.-A person who has an
insane delusion is II II is single delusion
Q-Then II you can that posulste to be true
the rest Of the question amounts TO nothingi Al &c
not see how that follows.
OFF the fact that this prisoner was dominated by an
insane deaiOn you the conclusion that he
was insane, do attach importance 10 the Other
postIlates the hypothetical casei A-The greatesi
a. strong coufrmatory evidence.
OF tie first postulate was sufficient to lead you
70 the conclusion OF his insanity d0 yon want any con
frIoatory eyideneei Al should feel very much more
positive had It than If had IL not AS medicine
not science generally strengthen our dag
posis by taking every available point
Q,-You not making a diagnosis here, but answer
ing hycotheteai aud one liked fact in that by