Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-19
Further Testimony as to the
Defendants Insanity.
A Number of Witnesses Who
Think He Was Crazy.
Some of His Actions Which We're Net
Those of a Sane Man.
: Considerable Evidence Given OF an In
teresting Nature-The Defendants
Actions Previous to the Shoot
ing of Dye-Yesterday's
Developments.

court for an unusually large audience.
Interest was unflagging in the case yes
terday and the defense succeeded in in
Producing good deal of testimony that
was both weighty and extremely inter
esting. The insanity theory is being
sustained by mass of testimony that
cannot fail to have effect on the jury and
the impression prevails that the defense
is making out convincing case.
Mrs. Mary Pierpont, former neigh
Dor of the Bradfeld's, who lives on Olive
street was the first witness of the day,
and was examined at length as to what
she knew OF the mental condition of the
elder Bradfeld. She told great many
odd things about the behavior of the de-
fendant's father, and said that at times
his actions were so violent that she was
compelled to lock her doors for fear he
might enter and do her some injury.
Mrs. Bradfield was usually absent on
week days tending to her duties at
school. During such times her husband
would run about and throw things
at imaginary objects and frequently
brandished knife. The witnesses chick
ems seemed to bother him a great deal,
and when they came over into his yard
he would become exasperated and
furious. The witness considered the
elder Bradfeld an insane man.
Mrs. Pierpont first saw Mason Brad
field about three weeks after she be-
came neighbor OF the family. One
night he appeared at tie door Of the
witnesses house with roll OF blankets
on his back, and asked where his mother
lived. He said that he had been away
on long sea voyage, and told wild
story of the cruelty of the ships officers
and the privations he had passed
through. The witness directed him to
his mothers house. After that occa-
sion Mrs. Pierpont saw Mason every few
weeks, when he would return from
alleged sea voyages and tell long stories
of his adventures. These stories seemed
unreasonable to the witness, because
they covered long periods Of time-a
very much longer time, frequently, than
the defendants absence could account
for. Young Bradfeld called frequently
at the witnesses house with his guitar,
on which he would play, at times dis
cordantly and at others very pleasantly.
insane because of his irrational and
emanate from a sound brain.
Under cross-examinatiOn the wit
ness said, referring to the behavior of
the defendants father, that he usually
made his insane demonstrations when
no one else was at home. Mrs. Pierpont
did not like to repeat the language that
Bradfield used on such occasions, be-
cause it was often profane and obscene.
He would frequently run through the
rooms of the house as if in pursuit OF
some person or was being chased. The
witness knew how a drunken man
acted, but Bradfeld's behavior was very
different.
At this point the prosecution asked
Mrs. Pierpont how the behavior of
Bradfield's father differed from that Of a
man suffering with delirium tremens,
but the question was objected to and
ruled out.
In regard to Mason's sea stories, Mrs.
Pierpont said that she did not know of
her own knowledge that they were
false or exaggerated; that was only her
opinion. The district attorney was pro-
ceeding to investigate the defendants
playing on the guitar at greater length,
but the court thought this line of ques-'
tioning waste of time, and the witness
was excused.
John G. Wray, ex-deputy sheriff
under Sheriff Aguirre, was then called.
He had had a great deal to do with
''crazies" as an officer, being continu-
ally called upon to accompany insane
persons to Napa and Stockton, and was
called partly as an expert on insanity.
The witness had known the defendant
four years and Dye longer time. He
had heard of the fracas in Linde's store
shortly after it's occurrence, and had
talked with Bradfeld about it. One
day, while the witness was en- route to
the station at Fillmore, Bradfield
stopped him out in the brush, took him
aside and proceeded to tell him about
the affair. He was still greatly excited,
and said that he was afraid to go either
to Los Angeles or the Sespe, on account
of Dye. Bradfield on this occasion
talked to the witness an hour, but the
latter knew very little more about the
occurrence at the end of that time than
he did at first, the defendant having
rambled on at random and talked inco-
positively that Bradfield was insane,
but thought at the time that he should
be looked after.
On cross-examination Wray said that
the above conversation occurred at a
gypsy camp. He did not take any par
ticular interest in the matter and did
not care to hear Bradield's story. He
thought at the time that the defendant
exaggerated his account of the quarrel
with Dye, but subsequent events induced
him to change his mind. AS he and
Bradfeld were comparative strangers
and their business interests were op-
posed, the witness thought it very
strange that Bradfield should take him
into his confidence. The defendant was
going into details in regard to his
trouble with Dye, but Wray did not care
to get mixed up in the matter and cut
him short.
J. Henley. a Sespe oil prospector, was
the next witness. He was as.
sociated in business in the
oil region with Bradfeld and
noticed that he acted very peculiarly
for long time before the shooting. He
was afi aid that Dye would kill him, and
whenever the deceased came up to the
Sespe Bradfield would leave. The de-
fendant could eat very little and
wasted away in flesh. His face wore 9
hunted expression and his actions were
not those of sane man. One day the
witness noticed that Masou was going
about in the hot sun with no hat on.
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