The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-05-15


Oh! what bliss shall crown the hour,
When the strife is DER, "a,
~ Whenyredeemedfr from Satans power
Men shall drink no more. W ? +.
s Ohio Farmer.
A DOCTORS TESTIMONY.
Homes Ruined ana Haunted by Poor Al
coi,olic Dement'S.
Some years ago l was an expert wit
ness in noted murder trial. The
prisoner was the son of very promi-
nent family, who had killed a compan-
ion while iutoxica tod, and made; some
blundering efforts to conceal the crime.
The man who was murdered was pop
ular clerk, and had large circle of
friends; public sympathy was very pro-
. nounced against the murderer, and de-
/ manded his extreme punishment. Some
of the ablest lawyers and medical ex-
perts were retained on both sides.
AS the trial went on the medical wit
nesses became intensely interested, and
grew more positive of the sanity and
insanity of the prisoner. A very noted
asylum superintendent led the party
who believed the prisoner sane and re-
sponsible. On the other side an old
fashioned physician and several young
men were equally confident of the in
sanity and responsibility of the pris-
oner.
Their convictions deepened with each
new turn of the testimony; what was
called symptoms of disease and mental
degeneration by one party, was called
depravity and willfulness by the other.
The disposition to drink spirits to ex-
cess in early life and violent temper
displayed were considered a sign of
mental disease by one side, and rice by
the other. No one of a family of five,
all younger, had ever shown such tastes
or disposition. or had used spirits.
Both parents we're very temperate and
very reputable people, and this, the eld-
est, had been the "Ishmaelite" of the
family. The parents had treated him
with great tenderness and forbearance.
At times he had threatened them with
violence when intoxicated, but they had
overlooked it. He had been terror to
all his brothers and sisters, and to many
in the neighhorhood. He had gone
about for days in the most sullen, saw
age mood, repelling every advance
with violent language. Then he
would become emotional and weep at
every reference to his past conduct, and
beg every ones forgiveness; the very
next day he would be harsh and sullen
again. These changing moods were as
ISOLATED with criminal cunning to take
advantage of every circumstance to
procure spirits and possess himself Of
any thing that could minister to his
diseased appetite and impulses. When
the time came for the medical experts
to 60 on the stani. a feeling of regret
came over us that we should personally
differ SO widel!; not that we had any
doubts about our convict ions but that
we we're forced to come before the pu bic
and be prevented by the opposing coun-
sci from making our views and conclu-
sions clear and rational. The unthink-
ing public accepts this confusion of
statements by opposing medical wit
nesses as evidence of venality, and CIV
ing evidence according to the fees paid.
Scientific men always feel the injustice
of misinterpretation of an honest differ
ence of opinion.
We were seated in private parlor at
the hotel one evening, urging our vari-
GUS opinions with great earnestness,
when the father of the prisoner was an
nounced. He apologized for intruding,
and with much. emotion said that he
wished to make statement to US as
physicians if he could have our full con-
f1dence and promise OF secrecy. This
was readily assented to. In state of
suppressed excitement, he said that he
had been hard drinker for some years
before marriage. He became temper
ate up to the day of his wedding, when
some friends gave wine party, and
both himself and wife became intoxi-
Gated, and continued so for two days.
They went on long journey and drank
nearly every night for two weeks, when
his wife became i'll, and her life was de-
SPARED of. She finally recovered, and
both of them solemnly pledged them
selves never again to touch spirits. A
few months later the first child was
born, the prisoner. In infancy he was
rnursed by a. professional nurse who
drank beer freely. When a little child
nothing would stop his irritability so
quickly as few drops of spirits. He
grew up drunkard from birth and had
al the marks Of half intoxication at all
times, whether drinking or not. His
mind had failed steadily, and to them
he. only showed natural feelings when
partially intoxicated; at other. times he
was without any sense of manhood. He
appealed to us as physicians not to con-
slider his son as responsible, no matter
.what'the punishment might be-. Il am
more responsible and guilty than he is, =
he said. in sobbing tones.
The father went away, and long dis
cussion followed. 'The medical experts
for the State had received new light;
the next day the counsel were aston:
ished at the change and unanimous
opinion of the State experts as to great
doubt OF the full sanity of the prisoner.
The Witnesses for the defense went on
the stand with such confidence and tes-
titled so clearly that no amount Of
cross-examination could. destroy the
good impression produced. The ex-
perts for the State could give no aid to
counterfeit this view of disease and If.
responsibility. The lawyers were as
tonished, and finally concluded that the
medica! men had been influenced or
bought suprby the defense. The case,
ended in verdictot manslaughter and
the prisoner was sentenced to prison
for life. A few months later the pris-
oner died, and his brain revealed extern
.sive disease which had been going on
for long time. y
Recently this old-fashioned physician
and myself were associated in another
case, and in conversation he related the
following: ''The man whom we de-
Tended had boon from infancy IN
idiotic doments with every symptom q
nartiAl intoxication. He reflected the
5EPFEcT