The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-19
ALICE MLTCHELL'S SANITY.
THE CASE OF THE MEMPHIS MUIR
T.. nrrEss COMES UP FOR INQUIRY.

cheerful and Almost Filppant In tho Court
uo,n-,,-r Fathers Grief on the Stand
WAKES No Impression Upon Her-The
uxpo,ho,ieni Case on which Experts
VIII Testify that She I. Insnn-.
MEMPHIS. July 1S-The inquiry into tho
sanlty OF Alice Mitchell. the murdercss OF her
sriond Freda Ward. hegan In the Criminal
Court here to. day. There are three methods
nv which n prisoner charged with n capital
ofrcncc may cntor n plea OF insanity. One is to
enter 1t at the time Of trial. In which case. II
insanity mt tho tIme OF the commission Of the
dsed DO proved. It would result In an acqult-
mi of the criminal charge and n further ex-
animation ms o whether the prisoner was then
IN n condition to DO set at liberty. II sent to an
ASYLUM, and II recovery follows. tho prisoner
woud then be tried for the offence committed.
The third plan is to enter an interpolatory
Mica Of present insanity, in which tho snnity
q, tho prisoner when tho offence was
committed does not enter into tho case at oil.
and affects it only to the extent that IL shown
TO be insane at this time. tho criminal trial
mus, be deferred until the prisoner recovcrs
sanity. This was tho plea entered by Altco
Mitchell. to the surprise OF most OF her friends,
for now nil the details OF the crime and the
unnatural affection OF the prisoner for her
victim will he exploited as fully as though she
were on trial for the murder.
The court room was filed this morning.
many women being present Tho prisoner en-
tered the court room promptly at $3.50 o'clock
and took her seat between her two brothers.
So n after the father and brother of Lille
johnson. who was with Miss Mitchell at the
time Of tho murder. entered. The murder
seems to have formed bond Of sympathy be-
tween the families instead OF estranginG tho
families Both shook hands warmly with the
defendant and her brothers, and took soats
beside them. The prisoner was dressed In
blnck. except for a jaunty white hat sur
mounted by pair ofimitation butterfly wings.
She was heavily yelled until she was called to
take her place at tho bar. Then she walk cd
with firm step to the bar table. where she
took scat and removed her veil. Her face
was plump and pretty. beaming with health
Her eyes were bright. and no traces Of her
Imprisonment were visible 1t was anticipated
that much trouble would BIO experienced In
obtaining jury. but Judge Dubose's rulings
80 modified the rule Of practice that by noon q
Jury was secured. and the case at once went on.
George Mitchell tho aged father OF tho de-
PENDANT was the first witness. In giving his
testimony he was moved to tears moro than
once. hut his daughter showed no emotion
Whatever. watching the proceeding like an un-
concerned specta.9Iri o. Her fa f te ,;ta
showing the peculiarities Of her childhood aud
maturer years. with some reference to her
only thins Which vars in
Mi,chcll's Testimony was as to the finding, Of
tho razor with which the deed was done Alice
It. and the scene Of the. tragedy was searched
n vain for it BY the police; Mr.; MITCHELL test
NED SG sss that r wsf bo 1und in tho buggy
The hypothetica! case on which the claim Of
insanity II based was not presented to-day;
S aed is M lux om es i d 81 5fay up e
lniatuation Tor Frsds WSra.' the murder; AMI
dition. the facts Of her mothers frequent in
sanity and the insanity Of three Of hor mater-
Child hd 70
spent much time in = swing. 'skinninG the
Was EXPERT at Climbing. She delighted in mar
hles and tops, and was pI member 5
20 u she isasned to saot With r she
rode horses and mul les bareback fed and cur
ried her fathers horses. and riyaied al her e
She would MT learn them; Music. drawing,
CHARMS Cha nasf ior her As Womanho"d npnroachsi.
although she had associated all her life with
boys in preference to girls. she took 81 no
entertained no bnnuX asa,@wa often rude. al
ways inIilsrent t. then. -,....u..,.
hen Fr.da Ward nrl"ar"d. girl totally the
opposite Of Alice. feminine in taste, gentle in
demeanor. tender and afrectionatr., They
loved each other not rs girls. but as those o:
t. told Dust Tenn. Alice was greatly
distressed: bpt they .;..rrcsronded: and r. some
1s rr tTd ner ths
closest affection for each other, Later Freda
returned this visit and during her stay at the
iife or. that Of Freda- She bought .
bottle Of laudanum, and considered u, plan Of
Froda WAS suspicious and remained awake all
night. Tho next day FredG started home
i"rkrd herself and Freda in a stateroom and and
ssly ii lor several days. The excuse sho gave
i loved Harry Biiser and Ashley RoseIle, and
she meant to ond her trou blcs and loave Freda
TIRE ret to marry whom she chess ,o,,ouod .,,.
visit showed MI the warmth Of lovers. and In
three different, letters she asked Freda te
Ing to do SO. and then Alice wrote threatening
isol. Alice visited Freda. taking With her a.
E: sucn on thls visit the msrIled sister s; 3
demonstraiions OF love for, each other. Late1
Alic. learned that Ashley Iioselle was paying
conrt to frsda, who had given him one OF hei
photographs. She demonstrated warmly with
freda, charging her with deception. Freda
acknowledged she had done wrong. swore un
shaker fidelity. and promised never to Offend
again.
Then follow IN the story the. plan Of elope'
ment. the details OF the murder. and the do
meanor Of Alice In Jail. all OF which has beer
printed. The story then says that Alice still
speaks OF Freda as lovingly as ever that she
can get. and even hunts tho newspapers fol
them, She is anxious that the Attorney Gen;
era shall ask her more questions than no did
LILLE johnson on the application for hail. and
hHpes more persons will attend her trial than
NJ. IS Johnsons.
Such IS the hypothetical case. and on 1t are
based the answers OF DR.. Blot OF Paris. DIR
Hammond OF Washington. DR., Comstock Of st
Louis. and othengexperts, Granted the n.y.
rothrsis to be correct all OF these authorities
agree that the subject Is insane, and likely to
be affected with homicidal mania. Dr. Callen.
Vile, who also made n personal examination
Of tho subject. shares this opinion. He will
With such authority Miss Mitchelrs fate
largely depends on the ability OF the Attorney
General to upset the correctness of the ny
pothesis., The consensus of public opinion
now is that the prisoner Is insane. and wal
when the deed was committed. The Jury Il