Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-13
AN EXPERT ON INSANITY.
Discounted by the Man He Was Trying
to Prove Out of His Mind.

From the New York Tribune
At Chicago over o thousand people fought
for entrance to the little court room Wednesday
In which Frank II. Collier, o lawyer is being
tried on the question of his sanity. Collier has
long been prominent citizen Of Chicago, and
is the man whom the British Americans Of the
west selected to convey their testimonial to
Queen Victoria at the time Of her Jubilee.
Lately Golfers peculiaritles have been such as
to cause great dispute as to his sanity. and
interest is added to the present trial by tho
fact that Collier is defending his own case
against some of the best legal talent OF the
! city.
The principal witness against Collier was Dr..
kiernan, the well-known expert, who was an
important witness in the Guiteau CASE Moth
ing appeared Of a sensational character until
Collier asked DR.. Herman If he believed in q
! hereafter. "Your honor" exclaimed Herman,
jumping to his feet and entirely losing his
| temper, Il viii not answer such an insolont
questaaAsn = ~ ...zssss,<-.s------------
A long discussion followed. which resulted in
the court ordering DIR. Herman to answer. ii
have hope in the hereafter" he said. "Tha,
! is all"
Ibid you not testify in the Guiteau trial tina,
| you had no belief?"
Il did"
What is the object of this, Mr.. CoIIier?''
| asked the court.
II want to show that through no fear OF the
hereafter would this man hesitate to swear ME
| into an asylum. l also want to show that he
| has ideas that are extraordinary on this cues.
| tion.'
! Then Collier asked DR.. Herman il one out OF
| every twenty-f five persons who daily walk the
streets were not insane. The answer was in
! the negative.
Did yon never swear that the proportion
have mentioned was true?"
| Il did not"
| Collier produced the record Of the Guiteau
case and read tho testimony of DIR. Herman
| wherein he said that five persons out OF every
| twenty-five were insane. This produced grea,
sensation. Collier said. when asked by the
| court. that he had two objects in asking these
questions. One was to show that DIR. Herman
was crank" on the subject OF insanity and
that his expert testimony was different al
different times.
The c. W. Beck case was then taken IN. Beck
was pronounced hopelessly insane and confined
| in the insane asylum at Jefferson for ten days
| or more. his object being to investigate the
| management OF the asylum, which he did. Dis
covering great abuses Beck wrote them up in
such way as to secure a complete reform in
the management of the Cook County Asylum.
You pronounced Beck insane, did you, doc
tori" asked Collier.
| "Yes"
do you know that he il now the city editor
OF Chicago paperl"
Il do"
And yet you hold that he ia insane?"
| well, / think Mr.. Deck is in that condition
lowering between the criminal and the lunatic 81
said the doctor bitterly
DIR. Herman" said Collier quietly. "you
are exhibiting the very symptoms you are
charging against me-"
| The doctor said that failing memory was
symptom of Golfers malady; that forgetful.
ness OF recent occurrences YVES a certain sign OF
the trouble. Collier then related the mos,
minute details of his life during the last two
years. Altogether, his victory over the we'll.
known expert was such that the court found il
almost impossible to suppress the frequent
bursts Of applause that greeted Golfers bril-.
liant sallies