The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-10-28


saw the label on the bottle.
Cross -Eramtnea-Uo was deathy pale at each
time He was perfectly quiet He never epo.e 10
me OF spells coming on.
At this point the Court adjourned until to-
morrow morning; 1t being now six o'clock.
THIRD DAY.
THURSDAY MORNING, Oct, %.
The examination of witnesses for the de-
| fence was resumed this morning at half past
nine o'clock, DR.. 6. H; Waddell, was put . up.
there until fifteen minutes past eleven O'Clock.
DR.. Waddell knew nothing at oil OF the de-
fendant or the circumstances of the homicide,
but his testimony was as to the symptoms,
| general effect. and all other matters pertain
| Ing to the various forms and degrees Of epflep-
sy. Describing them as seen In his own prac-
tice, and as described in medical books, but
which testimony, owing to its scientific ma
ture and professional character, we cannot at
tempt to reproduce from the fact that we are
not sufficiently informed on these matters to
Believe. the testimony Of the expert was
something like this: .--.
Epilepsy Is nervous disease, With various symp-
toms but which symptoms, are characteristic There
are two grand divisions Of the dise1se-grand NAL and
petit nml-grand NAL being the severer form In this
form the patient is thrown dnTn, seized with c0aVu-
sons-petit nal is q lighter form, in which the pa-
tient docs not fall. The attacks sometimes are so
slight that they scarcely discernabe to patient or
bystandcr. It. may Be merely the loss OF conscious
tigo, accommodating other symptoms. Between grand
nal and petit nal there is distinct line, but they
run together. It is among the most hereditary OF the
diseases In grand NAL face Is pallid, patient falls,
has spnsms, during first Of COMMISSIONS rgd muscles
OF the throat drawn so that air cannot pass into the
lungs. After that no jerking-before rlgidty ensues.
Succeeding is comatose condition. when the face Is
| frofn nfn
muscles in some cases cut OFF flow of blood, patient
apDears black-sufused. There are many degrees of
epilepsy each with distinctive symptoms.
Cross -Era7ained-W Witness has practiccd mcdl-
cine for thirtyiye years, and has had only one case
of petit ma-n fact didn't recognize 1t Mt the time
Never have known grand NAL to induce violence IL
is certainly not probable that patient would 90 on
act Of this kind It ia almost certain that he would 40
untary movement of the muscles. The patient Is un'
conscious when suffering from an attack Of petit mal
IL he WAS talking he would STOP and If OF sufficient
profonndness woald fall During any attack Of the
disease he could not conceive or perform any 1nde'
pendent act. .. p.
ments made by DR.. Waddell DR.. j. w. Wide
man, DR.. j. L. Press!y, DIR. l.. L. Hill, ana Dr.
L. j. Mabry, were also sworn as experts.
AS u matter of fact we do not pretend 70
Synopsis of our understanding of what DR..
Waddell said, and from which facts, we saw
or understood no special difference IN tine
statements of the other Doctors. Even If we
understood medicine, and the whole testi.
nOuy of the medical experts was 1ntelllglole
to us and the reader, it would be better FOR
him to buy two books on the subject, tnan II
would be for us to undertake to print such vo-
luminous documents as their testimony
would make If Mr.. Bcnet and Solicitor Orr
did not put them through u thorough. COM
ple:e, exhaustive and able examination on
that most perplexing OF an the diseases. o hen zen
saying: .. ~.
The Mother of the Prisoner Test1hes.
Mrs. FERGUSON, mother of the prisoner, was sworn
| John had these spells from the time ne was one
year old until be was ve years old. His sister Lizzie
had similvr attacks when she was ten years Old ehe
had them great deal harder than john She foamcl
at lbe mouth, ard tnrned dark In the face she died
when she was II or IL years Old. We thought tna'
she had entirely recovered from the attacks. Dr.
Roberts gave her ycratrum. About three years ago
John came home looked pale low spirited. Went In
to the ynrd caught negro Tom Berry, by the c1lor
got the AK, said he going to kill him. He lct MN
90 as saon rs he saw me coming. Never saw similar
symptom on John until tho 10Th OF December, when
he came home from Nnety-Six. lie looked pnlo, dis
prited acted like he had sense. lie has never look
ed right since he was stabbed In the back on Tue ia1
OF February last yea. After that occurred he looked
melancholy and sad-more 80 than before. W emf 70
4 Wsioiaa n Ninety Sx Came home in restless con:
ditiun. Hc coSdn't sleep that night. Said he wished
he was dead. The 81 ss1 he had erys'pelas ne
seemed to be suffering very much. I've or my unces
had attacks like Johns. never saw them 'sa ny
tatks don't remember how John was affected. we
didn't send for doctor, because we lived SO far from
one. Whskey, camphor water anu ruDDinS alwaya
restored him. Don't remember tn have seen him TAX
en- with those attacks. Don't know what brought the
attacks on daughter. Never her have the attacks
for six or eight months before her DEATH. never saw
John drink. He never came about me drinking. his
wife and my sons vert with Joha tD NinetySN to see
/ or..lot va e
had 10 indications Of liquor. had no Objection ~
his marriage Ills father kept his own ho"ks.
| Direct RcsunletI-Lizzie was bright g,rl before
| tho attacks, but not SO uterWard. .-
The Father Of the Prisoner is Wit
A.. J. FERGUSON, father of prisoner, sworn: -
Martha Wharton was burn my slave She nursed
nv children, and have frequently seen her carrying
john into the house in thrse spells. lie stupid,
pale, and unconscious. Either in the fall of 1850 or
the sping OF lSSl in the woods hauling logs
to saw mill We were lifting heavy log. J'hn stag
rercu, reel, d and fell. He looked pale We set him
lip beside tree. l stayed with him some time,
while the others went to mill with log, and hauled an
other. When the wagon came back for the third load
he began to get better. He had no sense about him
when he was first taken. He was taken ABOUT ten
o'clock. We took him to the house. He was not ra-
tonnl oil day. Don't know any thing of the attack
which his teacher, Mrs Ferguson, described DR.. Rt.
ley sent for mo when John had the attack in Wahala
Year before last he had another attack In bottom corn
while plowiny He remarked to ME that he felt very
badly. he went to side of field. crossed the spring
DRAIN falling as he did so, and was pale and uncon-
sc.ous put water in his face. AS soon as he seem
ed t0 he getting BETTER took him and his horse with
mo 10 the house, where they remaned until after din
ner. / did not see John attack Tom Berry. He let
him loUse about the time came up. saw John have
an attack last ycar In Jnne. IL was very warm wealth
er-lhs other attack was in the winter, when the
weather was not hot. When pl0wing caught hold Of
him. and he didn't fall. We went to the shade near
| by, IIe lay down. l famed him. This was about
ten o'clock. He wanted water, and went to saw mill
spring for it, He stabbed February OF last year.
havo not considered him the same rs he was before.
| lie looked melancholy, sad cast down. heard him
make threats to take his life went to his house on
Tuesday after he came back from Ninety Six ana had
conversation with him. He said: spa, sometimes
have notion to take the gun and blow my brains
ont" krow nothing of Johns secplessness, except
on the night after he came back from NinetysiS; lie
WAS plum crazy. 40 much 30 as TO alarm
Monday until Friday. l saw very little Of his drink
inc myself He lived on another road for last two or
three years. know he had heen drinking heavily for
two or three months before the honiicide Ihe day
went to his house SAW ju. which he had Drought
home with him, which contained liqnor OF some Sort
This was the day before the h!lEg. lie had young
man named Firth worEia. for him. Nobody else was
Mt the house except his wife, The night that he came
from Nnctv-Six c went into the stove room, and sat
by the stove ls though he WAS las: asleep. Attrrwar
he commenced crying, saying he had taken little.
lis brothers took him TO iiy bed. lie got up-some
times crying sometimes laughing. liz dilut s'eep
| wink, and lout think | did. l heard him say: 81
wish WAS dead, and out OF The way. Everybody Is
down o., me- and wish w"s deal" He lett my
honsc on Saturday evening to 20 to lis OWE house.
went 10 see him Sunday Monday, and found hi'n
in his lot, standing against straw pen, but didn't
speak to him. went back to HIS house on lucSday,
t prrveut his coming here Wednesday, to the we'd
ding | saw that snmet:in. Was wrong with him. lie
was evidently crazy. | mad. arrangements with him
fur his brother tn take his wife to the wedding, III! !nr
h,, t ,,,v ,t hnr,a that day | WAS afraid for him