The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-01-06

TurRTY-sEcoND DAY.
The assassin opened court with the announce
ment that he "bad . nice Christmas dinner,
with lots Of fruits. flowers and lady visitors
and good time generally"
| Dr. A. K. Mcdonald, Superintendent OF
Wards Island Insane Hospital, testlned that
during his practice he had attended 5000 cases
Of insanity, and given special attention to the
study Of insanity. Witness stated the difference
between g doIusi ms and insane decisions -
| thu one beng subject OF correction by Judgment
| aud the Senses and the latter not being cur
| rectible, and for that reason denoniinated an
insane deusion-aso illusions and hallucina-
tons, giving Illustrations from his own expe-
Hence. He believed, judging from experience,
that the claim OF inspiration frequently
asserted by insane persons proceeded from
| source of hallucination or insane dsluson, an
| Affection of the senses. ..
Witness was then asked il persons action,
under claim OF inspiration, would Indicate
| IL al any other way tnan by their assertions,
and replied "Their actions and behavior
would indicate it, rs we'll ~ their asser tons.
70 illustrate it. person claiming to be Jesus
CHRIST and acting under all insi ration, clothed
| himself like the Savior, gave away his property
and slept out OF doors, because the Savior had
| not where TO lay hls head"
| Witness was asked il such persons would
feel any apprehension of bodily injury, or
would take any precaution to guard against
| danger. He replied " Insp ration always over
| rldes all lear, bod ly pain or injury, and rem
ders the person who believes he Is acting under
inspiration wholly Obvious to such considera-
| items"
Witness was asked If such persons usually
planned with elaboration, and replied "On
the contrary their acts are sudden IN both con-
| ceptlon aud execution, az q rule, and they sell
| dom attempt to avoid consequences In any
way"
"There are two kinds of insanity, DOCTOR"
| suggested the PRISONER, "the crank Insanity and
the Abraham insanity. The latter Is the school
l belong to- Tell us what you think Of Abra-
| ham, docIor"
Witness described what is commonly called
temporary insanity, as where q man commits an
acC which ID the only evidence OF his insanity,
| aud where person ID 10 all appearances per-
| fectly sane III ali other respects, 10th before
| and after the act.
GuIeau-" That's just my case exactly"
| Witness =" do not believe III such Insanity,
and Ill all my experience have never seen al III
stance OF IL.
Witness thought person acting under an
| inspiration to commit u certain deed would not
bo deferred from the commission of that act
through ANY consideration o. personal harm to
/ other persons.
Guiteau-.'O On, you are talking about cranks.
/ Now, don't belong to that school"
Witness visited tue prisoner III his cell at the
| Jail, remaining Two hours, and making the
usual mental examination IN such cases. lie
| believed, from his examination and observa-
ton OF tiIo prisoner IL court, that he Ii u Ier
foctly uan.
G,nteau, wno had kept unusually quiet all
! through the morning, here addressed witness
! Operating without any show OF eXcltemenO
You are making "a great ado about nothing,
Doctor. 4 don't pretend that am insane low.
| Tell ns what yol know about Abraham. Get
your money and 20 home"
! Witness, continuing, closely Analysed the
| conduct AID remarks OF the prisoner during
the trial, and concluded that he had been play
! inS part ever since the first day. AT the out
set che prisoner, he said, had directed all his
abuse IA, ailst one OF the counsel and after
| ward against all Of them.
Guiteau-'' Well, you see, Doctor, Corkhill
has cUiroptod the rest OF thom. Evil commu-
nIcatlons, you know, corrupt good manners"
| The assassin, looking over TO the Jury, con-
f, tnued /: "Inese experts are doing tins BUSH
ness with good deal OF parrot-llke talk. DIR.
| Mcdonald has dSyiated somewhat from the
! course pursued by the rest OF them. deem it
but justice 10 myself TO say that did not say
| TO hlin that had examined the law III regard
! TO this ma after"
Mr.. Iced conducted a long cross-examina-
| ton, and propounded u series OF hypol he, zeal
| questions, based upon the acts and conduct
I OF the prisoner, 10 show such acts aud
such conduct would not be inconsistent
with the theory OF insanity. The wit
ness admitted that insane persons wero
, liable to be- adjudged sane; that sane persons
were liable to be- pdjudged insane. scovillo
| took up the cross'examlnation, and ques-
! toned the witness at sOEle length relative to
| the symptoms and causes of Insanity. The
witness stated that insanity the result
| OF diseased brain, and was asked Are
you not confouDdng cause and effect? And
cannot the unusual exciation Of the emotions,
or excessive worry and care and anxiety,
| overturn their reason and cause dis
ease of the brainY' The witness admitted that
such might be the case, with some Qualihca-
ton that overwork, care and anxiety might
produce dyspepsia, which, with other causes,
might lead to insanity, and that would make
necessary disease Of the brain, and dis
ease of tho BRAN would, i'll its turn, stimulate
insanity.
THIRTy-TuRD DAY.
| DR.. Mcdonald resumed the witness stand
and was cross-examined by Mr.. Scoville. The
questions were rected mainly to the subject OF
temporary insanity, and witness was asked il in
his practice no had not met an insta nee OF tenn
porary insanity. He replied: "Yes, sir.
know OF man who was insane for twenty-four
hours"
Scoville (esgerly)-"An then he got well ?"
"No, sir ho died" Laughter at Scovilles
expense
Witness was asked what he meant by saying,
al think he (the prisoner) has been playing a
part in court" and replied az believe he has
been fegning what he believed to be insanity
not real insanity. believe that he has been
attempting to give the impression in court that
be is insane, and with that idea has been acting
part"
DIR. Randolph Barksdale, superintendent of
the Central Lunatic Asylum, near Richmond.
Va, visited the prisoner at the jail. He had
also closely observed him in court and from
his personal examination and observation was
| Of opinion he was sane. Witness also testified
that he believed Guteau had been fegnng in
court Witness believed, taking as true the
fac,s set forth in the two hypothetical ques-
tons of the prosecution. that the prisoner was
sane when he shot the President.
DR.. John H. Collender. of Nashville. Super
intendent Of the Tennessee State Asylum for
Insane had given special attention to the study
of insanity for the past twelve years. He had
seen about 1000 cases during his connection
with the Tennessee asylum. Witness visited the
prisoner In Jail and also closely observed him
in court, and believed him perfectly sane. He
(witness) did not believe the Deity ever inspired
O man to take the life Of a fellow-creature
that If persoI labored under an insane delu-
sion that he was inspired to kill the President
OF the United States he would, even II he did
not talk about it, disclose his purpose by his
chanQed manner AMI concentration