Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-07-19
Alice NIitcheli's Trial.

her case was brought up in court before
Judge Duboise, it being to prove or dis
prove her insanity.
DR.. Calender, an expert on insanity
cases, who was called to testify in the
Charles j. Guiteau case after he slew
President Garfield, is expected to be
the mainstay of the defense: he having
during the past few months made a
most searching examination OF Miss
NIitchell's case. He did not, however,
testify yesterday The only witness
was Mr.. George Mitchell, father OF the
accused. The jury selected is I'M
doubtedly one of the Tost intelligent
ever gathered in West Tennessee.
Mr.. Mitchell being placed on the
stand, said he was the father OF the de-
PENDANT, and that she was nineteen
years old. He then testified as to the
insanity Of the mother Of Alice years
ago. He said that Alice had manifest
ed some very noticeable peculiarities
recently. She would want to stay by
herself all the time. She would go 10
her room. and remain there for hours.
When there were young men around
the house, Miss Alice would not stay
near them.
She did not seem to have any use for
men and would never stay around them.
She had always been more like a boy.
than a girl, and often played marbles.
She would shoot Il target rifle and
adopted other boyish habits. He knew
there was an affectionate feeling be-
tween Miss Alice and Freda Ward too
She signed the name of Freda Ward to
receipts for coal last September and
when he asked her aboutit she said she
was thinking about Freda Ward so
much that she just signed her name to
it. He had noticed a peculiar bright
ness about her eyes about this time that
he had never observed before.
He missed his razor in November,
and after the killing of Freda Ward,
Alice told him that she had taken it.
He said Alice told him that she had
thrown the razor away after the killing.
He did not know Alice had killed Freda
Ward until an hour and a-halfafter the
occurrence.
She told him that she had killed
Freda Ward because she loved her
Freda, she said, had gone back on her.
They were engaged to be married.
She was very fond of talking about kill
ing Freda Ward. She has Freda Wards
picture in the case of the watch she
wears. She never talks as if Freda
| Ward were dead. She uses the present
tense in speaking of Freda. and does
not seem to know she is dead.
The next day after the killing she
was told that F'reda would be buried,
when she said she wanted to see her;
and when told that she could not. she
cried. 1t was the first time he had
seen her cry. She had pasted all the
newspaper pictures on the wall in her
room. She had never taken any inter
est in her own trial or her fate.
Here the witness was turned over to
Attorney General Peters. In answer
to question, the witness said there
had never been any perceptible disturb
ance of the mindss of any of his child
rem but Alice and the eldest child. The
witness said. in answer to questions.
that Alice was not exceptionally bright
at school.
She would play almost any sort of a
musical instrument. She did not read
much. nor care much about books. He
had heard since the tragedy that she
had correspondent with men who were
perfect strangers to her. She frequent
~ went out riding with Miss Lille
Johnson
He never knew of any estrangement
between Freda Ward and his daughter
Alice. or between Alice and any other
member of the Ward family. 1t was
one o'clock when Mr.. Mitchell con-
cluded and the court adjourned until
tomorrow.