Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-18
PROVING MUTT INSANE.
MORE MEDICAL EXPERTS GIVE
THEIR TESTIMONY.

MOaE MEDICAL EXPERTS GIVE
THEIR TESTIMONY.
Hypothetical Questions by the Defense
Elicit Answers In Support Of the The.
orY on Which They Base Their Case
cashier Breckenridge in Court De.
spite the Threats,
PITTsBU2G, Jan. 17.-When the Nuf4
trial opened this morning the court room
was crowded. Mrs. Mutt and the family
were not in their accustomed seats
Among those present, however, were Mrs.
Breckenridge, accompanied by her hus-
band, who is the Cashier of the Peopls,s
National Bank, of Uniontown. and who
received letters threatening his life IL he
appeared as a witness. The prisoner was
brought in looking fresh and smiling. It
Is now thought that the trial will extend
wen into next week, as there is only A
pare possibility that the defense will more
than get through by Saturday.
THE THREATENING LETTERS.
In an interview during the recess OF the
court Mr.. Breckenridge said thas the Iet-
ters received by him were scurrillous ana
ADVISED him TO leave the country. called
MN vie names and cast a reflection on
HlmseIi nm and the Mutt family. In case OF
Nutts acquittal he thought IL would NOT
be safe for him to return to Uniontown
and that he should ego Vest for time,
-Ihere We're those in Uniontown who bore
MN no good will, but Mr.. Breckenridge
uouDted II any open demonstration of ami
mostly would be made. A number OF
other people from UniOntown expressed
themselves In the same manner.
MEDICAL EXPERTS.
A medical expert was then called. DR..
A. NJ Pollock, the first witness. said thar
ne ielt competent to give testimony as an
expert IN cases of mental difficulties. A
hypothetical case was put to the doctor
by the counsel for the defense. embracing
in synopsis Of what had been offered iR
relation to his mental incapability. "As-
sumlng all these points to be true.o
SAID the counsel, ''what is your idea Of
the mental condition of Nutt's mind az
time OF the firing of the pistol?v
DIR. Pollock replied, "a person with the
ancestry cited would be almost certain to
inherit insanity"
MUTT INSANE.
II should think that a person under the
condition cited would be insane. Some
persons have an insane temperament that
may suddenly break down their mental
control; yet persons who have such n her.
insanity becoming manifest. 1 have
known cases where there was a distinct
manifestation OF unsOundness Of mind
which passed away without apparent per
manent results. After the impulse had
reached an irresistible point6'the con-
dltion of insanity would remain. After
the homicidal act resulting from unsound-
ness Of mind, the unsoundness would re-
mann. Where there was not unsoundness
nj efs,v,
mine whether or not the act was that of
a child of sound mind"
ANOTHER EXPERTS VIEWS.
DIR. Ewing, practicing physician for
eighteen years and an attendant at the
DiXmont Insane Asylum, answered a hy-
potheucal question By saying: ssThe
probabilities are strongly in favor of un-
s0undness OF mind at the time the act was
committed. PredispOsitIon to insanity
being present would say that an overt
act was the OutgrOwth Of it. The mani
festations following the act would not
necessarily be anv different from those
preceding. 1t is not uncommon for ex-
cltement TO pass of as rapidly as it ap-
pears. That is the accepted doctrine Of
all authorities on the subject
AN INSANE IMPULSE.
DIR. DAILY. physician of twenty years,
a believer in inherited insanity, although
he believed that it did exist. EsAssuming
the hypothetical question to be true, there
is" he said, "a strong probability that
the killing was the result of an insane i'm
pulse"
AN IRRESISTIBLE IMPULSE.
DIR. Wylie, who has been connected
with the DiXmont Asylum for six years.
said that his opinion OF James Nutt's con-
nffinn Tf-hpF hn raI eI1t =.
was labOring under an irresistible inn
pulse caused by emotional disturbances.
OF UNsOUND MIND.
DIR. Riggs, who had handled many
cases of mental disease during his career.
considered Mutt Of unsOund mind at the
time he committed the shooting.
Dr. Smith Fuller.heard the hypothetical
question, and gave the opinion that Mutt
was laboring under a delusion, or was a
that he felt compelled to
take the life of Dukes. Il think" said
he, 'that James had made up his mind to
take Dukes life. The murder OF his
father, and the traducing of his sister had
created this desire until 1t became a
dominant desire with him. He was crafty.
All maniacs are crafty. His condition
was due to hereditary taint. The act
sprang from mania that was possessing
him at the time, and not from oppor-
tunlty. | have nc doubt he designed and
the killing of Dukes" The
court then adjourned.
$50 TO GET IN THE COURT ROOM.
PITTsBURG, Jan. 1.-THE desire to
witness the trial is so great thai the Depu-
ties who have charge Of the tickets have
been offered as high as $40 for a single ad-
mission. A thriving business has been
done since the beginning of the
trial nv hn hoI of
tickets, who, after being admitted, would
collect the tickets from their friends, come
down and sell them on the street at 81
each and then conduct the purchasers in
side. They would then collect the tickets
anG sell them over again.