Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-04-30
The Abarta Trial.

uUC HWot 10 hlsoss
SECOND DAY--AFTERNOoN SESSION.
The proceedings of the morning
session will be found on the fourth
page.I
The proceedings were reopened
precisely at half-past two, the court
room being densely crowded. In
deed, the manner in which the bus.
mess of Judge Sepulveda's Court
has been conducted during this
trial might furnish precedent
worthy of being followed by the
metropolitan tribunals Of our big
northern sister. It is rare that in
any part of the world, on the first
day of cause 'celebre, such as is
this trial for murder. jury is OBJ
tanned. the evidence for the prose-
cution put, and the testimony of
the defendant heard.
The evidence Of DR.. Kurtz had
made q decided impression on the
jury, and that body now listened
with the closest attention to his
cross. ably conducted d
by Mr.. White. DR.. Kurtz was con-
sistent and positive in the rsitera-
ton of the facts connected with the
physical and mental cOpdition of
defendant, both before and after the
shooting. The gist of the cross
examination was directed, how
ever, to the conflict of author
ity between writer's on men,
tai diseases-this being strange
proceeding, apparently, since
the unanimity and gen.
eraI good. existing between
members of the medical fraternity
who publish books are so we'll
known. When DR.. Kurtz said he
considered that any virtuous wo-
man when deprived Of her virtue
would go mad undoubtedly, de-
cIded marks of applause were no.
ticeable among the concourse with
out the bar. The defendant has
frequently, since her incarceration,
threatened iu the presence Of DR..
Kurtz to take her own life; and
this, IN DR.. Kurtz's opinion, must
be evidence of insanity; he thinks
that she is actually insane. Three
quarters of an hour had been con-
sumed in this cross-examination.
James Thompson, the jailor, stat
ed that defendant, while in his
charge, has been very unwell al.
most all the time; has complained
Of pain in her head; has desired
death. She has made frequent
complaints of sleeplessness, and
witness has given her morphine
pills. Everything with which de-
fendant could do herself harm
has been sedulously kept from
her, and she has never
been left alone. She has complain
ed of heart trouble, and one night
he and his family were alarmed at
her condition. This was soon after
her incarceration. Cross.examina-
tion ELECTED no further information
Of Importance.
DR.. Henry Worthlngton testified
as follows: Three years ago he was
called to treat the defendant for dis.
menorrhea. She was irrational
and insane at that time. Saw her
three times only.
On cross-examination no other
important facts were brought out.
DR.. N. p. Richardson said that
about four years ago he treated the
defendant for the same disease ac-
companied by hysterical spasms.
On his cross. examination Dr..
Richardson explained what a
spasm was. At the time he saw
her defendant was ill In bed.
DR.. X. D. Wise testified to hav-
ing known defendant f)r four or
i've years. Has. acted as her ply
sician two or three times, In 1877
and 1878. He treated her for dis.
menorrhna accompanied by pain
In the head. Visited defendant in
the Jail, two or three days after the
killing of Forster; she had high
pulse, les, of appetite, severe pain
IN her head, and was suffering
from sleeplessnessi she had been
undoubtedly an innocent girl up TO
within a very few days; the nervous
excitability of the defe ndant il res
markablej her mental condition
previous to the shooting was irrita-
ole, and very chaDgeable; at times
she suffered under mental aberra-
ton, due to the physical troubles
flom which she suffered; at the
time Of the shooting undoubtedly
her nerves were entirely unstrung,
and she was irresponsible for the
act; since the shooting she has
been In a condition which may
we'll result In permanent Insanity,
unless the female trouble be re-
lieved; this relief has hitherto been
i'm possible because of her extreme
modesty! the Doctor here gave the
definition of an insane impulsei it
would be harder not to account for
this act on the part Of the defend.
ant than to account for 1t; DR.. Wise
thought that the defendant could
not avoid her condition, under the
circumstance as shown; the Doc
tor gave definitions Of ny steria and
insanity, and agreed with the prin-
cipal authorities In his profession,
for no man can dare 10 give an ex.
act definition OF either insanity OF
hysterla; disappointment is the
great incentive to hysteria, disap.
pointment In love the great cause
of insanity; DR.. Wise does not
think that the defendant knew Of
her offsnse against God and msu
at the time Of her elaying Forster
at that time her brain was un'
doubtedly congested with blood
Tho hypothetical questions put tc
DR.. Kurtz were also propounded te
DR.. Wise, by whom they were ar
swered even more elsbofately ano
to the same general effect. The
cross.examInation, conducted by
Mr.. White, was long and searching
but brought out no change of faotI
or of opinion on the part Of DR.