The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-01-07

| ed bloodthirsty, and told him. witness, that it
was impudent on his part to discuss his CONVEX
satiOn. Witness has loaned the prisoner money.
| 1t was never returned.
Guiteau-" You never loaned me 4 &C mt YOU
are lying"
Dr.S. Fl. Talford was next called and testified Is
a resident of Mildletown, n Y: is physician
Has made insanity speciality for seven years. Is
superintendent of the State Homeopathic Asy-
lum for the insane Is lecturer upon insanity
in the Hahnnemann Medical College of Philadel-
phia has treated over 900 cases of insanity
Has met with eases of insane persons who have
committed and ATTEMPTED murder. The charac-
terlstlcS of that form of insanity are halucna-
tOns and great excitement; the patients have
always spoken of their purposes before carrying
or attempting to carry them out; witness has
examined the prisoner personally twice and
watched his movements and manner in the court
Witness told prisoner that he was an expert :;
found him natural quiet, pleasant and straight
forward in his statements in the first interview
In the second, he declined to answer some ques-
lions of the witness. Witness, taking all things
into consideration, thought the prisoner was per
tectly on the ID day of July when he murdered
the President; even from the hypothetical case
OIL the defense.
DR.. Henry P Stern testified that he was sun
erirtendent of he Retreat for tho Insane at Hart
ford, Conn; he had attended from 800 to 1000
cases and had treated cases outside; he examined
the prisoner four times at the jail in reference to
his physical and mental condition.
Il want to say here" interrupted Guiteau,
So that | am not any more insane than Mr. Davidge
is. | won't say anything about Corkhill because
| think he is crank, but am not any more in
sane than Mr.. Davidge What want these ex-
perts to say is whether or not / was insane On
the I'd of July and for thirty days before that
time. What do they know about the condition
of my mind at that time? That is what want
to know
The Wftness-I went to the prison in company
with Drs. Earl, Calender, and one or two others.
We examined the prisoner first in regard to the
shape of the head, and We noticed the symmetry
of the head. We examined his eyes, and it was
noticed that there was difference in the size of
the pupils, and that the iris responded more
quickly to the effect of light in one eye than in
the other. We also noticed that there was
slight deviation in the axis of one of the eyes.
The face was examined. The mouth was ex-
amined. The tongue was examined in regard to
its condition, its cleanliness, and whether there
was any tremulousness the surface There
was none discovered. 1t was noticed that there
was slight detection of the tongue, on the left
side, but that is not an uncommon thing. TIE
prisoner removed his clothing and undertaking.
We examined as to his heart. There was found
a slight soufiet, slight abnormal sound in the
beat of the heart. There was no disease noticed
normal condition ghtyeight beats to the min
ute. On she second occasion it was seventy-eight
or eighty. The prisoner explained that he had
not been well for the last three days attributing
his feyerishness to change of diet. in connection
with the Thanksgiving anniversary.
The District Attorney-Did he ia those inter
views say anything about his having committed
the murder under the inspiration of the Deity?
The Witness-He did. He said that having |
done the act under the belief that he was inspired
by God to do it, he entitled to acquittal if
the Jury believed that he believed he was inspired
| could not take the statement of an individual |
under Indictment fer crime, in itself and by ITSELF
as an evidence of insanity. From my observa- |
tions and examinations / think the prisoner is |
sane. In the propositions laid down in the hypo- |
thetical case put by the District Attorney l see |
no evidence of insanity.
The crOss-eXaminatiOn continued at great |
length, and was rather tedious. Mr.. Scoville pro-
pounded some questions as to witness belief in |
irresistible impulses, when the prisoner burst |
forth again: When you get into the domain of |
spiritelogy yoI are in the dark, Doctor You !
can't tell what kind of spirit will take posses
sion of mans mind and impel him to an act |
don't care about your head antecedents. |
The whole thing rests on the spirit that gets in, to
you. A man may be perfectly insane at the time
Of the commission of an act, and an hour after |
be sane After pause Il wouldn't 90 to the |
depot again and shoot President Garfield for a |
million dollars, from the mind 1 have on me now
and an hour after the act was committed. And |
yet for thirty days prior 1 would have shot him
at any time l could. If knew that I were to
be shot dead the next minute l could not have
resisted it. That is all there's to it. have said !
it about fifty times.
The Court severely Then don't say it again
The Prisoner-I say it because the whole the
DRY of the prosecution is ridiculous
Mr.. Scoville stated that he would not be able |
to complete his cross-examination of the witness
and at the suggestion of the District Attorney, |
the court lat 255 o'clock adjourned.