Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-12-24
E. M. FIELD Is INSANE
So Declared by the Jury al
White Plains.
VERDICT QUICKLY REACHED
The Testimony of Several Experts Hal
~ w. Great Weight.

Mrs. E. NJ. Fields Testimony Bring,
Tears to the Eyes of the Spectators
Other Members of the Family Preson'
Fields Personal Property Valued al
$40, OOO-New York's District Attorney
OH the Verdict The Prisoner Still
Starving Himself
WHITE PLAINS, n. Y, Dec. 24.-An
other act in the sensational drama of
the failure of Field, Lindley, Wiechers
s. Co. has been enacted in White Plains,
where the inquest in lunacy on Edward
II. Field, the late head of the defunct
firm, has been held before William H.
Robertson, the commissioner appointed
by Judge Dykman. A number of wit
ness were on hand, but Edward M
Field was not among the number. He
was not, in fact, present dur
ing the proceedings. Sheriff Cor.
man, of New York, was served
by Lawyer John l. WiIkie with COM
missioner's warrant requiring him to
produce Mr.. Field at the hearing, and
the sheriff made return an affidavit of
Dr. Crosby, the physician OF Ludlow
Street Jail, that Mr.. Field was too i'll to
be removed.
The application for the inquest was
made in the name of Cyrus w. Field,
jr., and the other mem beRs of tn fami-
ly had been notified. Attorney Wilkie
represented Cyrus w. Field, ST., Cyrus
w. Field, jr., and Mrs. E M. Field.
Cyrus w. Field, jr:, and Mrs. Ed
ward NJ. Field arrived together. Mrs.
Field walked up to the Court House,
where the hearing took place, with Cy-
rus w. Field, jr. Mrs. Field was dressed
plainly and in deep morning
a long black veil.
Lawyer Wilkie had prepared to pre-.
sent a great amount of cumulative and
corr obora tive evidence in the proof OF
Edward NJ. Fields insanity.
1t may be noted that the testimony of
the distinguished experts is very strong
and, in fact, cumulative in the M ain.
The evidence presented by DR.. Carlos
F. Mcdonald, President of the Lunacy
Commissio ion of the State, stripped of
unimportant matter, is substantially IS
follows:
81 have seen and examined Mr.. Field
twice, my examinations lasting up
wards of two hours each tune, and as a
result of these examinations, I have
formed the conclusion in reference to
his mental condition that he is at pres
emit ms ane, the particular form being
melancholia. 1 am convinced that he
was absolutely free and frank in his ex-
animation, and that evidences of feign-
ing were wholly wanting. The physi-
cal conditions are those that would be
found accompanying the mental condi-
tions found.'
DR.. Allen Fitch's testimony as to
Fields condition sustains DIR. McDon-
AIDS.
DR.. Frank II. Ingram, who was form
erly assistant physician at the New
York City Lunatic Asylum, the same at
Brigham Hall Hospital, and subsequent
ly assistant medical superinte ndent at
the lunatic asylum on Blackwell &
Island, examined E. M. Field on Dec. l..
He says:
CATER an examin alton which was in
all respects satisfactory to me, 1 said
that Mr.. Field was insane. The posi-
bility of feigning was paramount in my
mind, but, after thoroughly observing
him, l was convinced that he was in
sane, as my recorded opinion shows"
DR.. Migrants other statements are
corroborative of DIR. Mcdonald.
Mrs. E. NJ. Field followed. She had
to be supported to the witness stand.
Rev Charles Cuthbert Hall, of Brook
lyn, stood beside her as she testified,
and her voice choked as she told the
story of her husbands eccentric actions
for two years past
He had become very morose ana Ill
natured, and she recalled one instance
when he had been delirious. Her test1-
mony was concluded in ten minutes,
and there was not dry eye in the court
room.
After several other witnesses had
been examined the case was submitte
to the jury, and the jury retired. AT
ter being out ten min utes they return ed
with the verdict that Edward M. Field
r.
his actions. They also found that his
personal property is valu at $50, 900.
District Attorney Nicoll says: ''The
verdict of a Westchester County jury
cannot affect in any degre the indict
ments of the grand jury of the County
of New York.
Edward M. Field still persists in
starving himself. He refuses to par take
of any food at Ludlow Street Jail.