The record-union., 1892-10-14

In my opinion" answered DR.. Mich
OILS. THE subject was insane.o
The doctor was asked if he had exam
1ned Palmer since the time he referred
to, when the prisoner was in the City
Prison, and he replied that he had, many
times.
"Well, what in your opinion is his
mental condition now ?'' asked Mr.. Stone.
Il do not think he is of sound mind
| right now.'
What would be the result of his con-
dition, by continued life ?'
The doctor said that would depend alto
gether on Palmer's surroundings. If the
same state of affairs that produced his
present condition were to continue it
would result in death in a madhouse.
de would have to be taken away from
such surroundings and carefully nursed
back to his once healthy condition.
WHY HE THINKS so.
Being asked to give some of the reasons
he based his opinion that Palmer is still
insane, the doctor said Palmer evinced
many Indications at the present time of
progressive disease of the brain. The
witness was in a position to see this, as
he visited the County Jail every day, in
connection with his official duties. The
doctor described Paimer's peculiar walk,
which doctor would readily discern as
indicating cerebral trouble; his fits of
oPcidSISO anu SCIOSI1 Cud146 Id ulldT-
lty; his loss Of memory, and other pecu-
liarities.
Under cross-examination DIR. Nichols
sald that his experience had taught him
to rather look Tor caimness and GOODNESS
in murderers Immediately after the act,
instead Of an excited condition. He had
seen probably twenty-five or thirty per-
sons who had committed murder-he had
seen them Immediately after the act-and
the majority of them We're cool and col
lected. He did not find Palmer in this
condition.
In answering Mr.. Stones hypotheti-
! cal question you based you opinion to
considerable extent on the supposition
that the subject was not under the infu-
ence of liquor when he did these strange
acts, did you not ?''
TO some extent" replied the doctor.
well, suppose it were shown that he
were under the influence ofliquor at these
times, would it not change your opinion?"
We'll, not altogether" replied the doc
tor. Mr.. Stone incorporated in his
question reference to hereditary insan-
lty-about the ancestors being insane"
Continuing, DR.. Nichols described the
type OF insanity Palmer was suffering
from as being homicidal mania. A suf-
ferer of this kind was just as liable to at
tack his best friend as his enemy.
Attorney Jones referred to various ac-
tons on the part of Palmer, as shown in
the evidence, and asked the doctor if they
were necessarily the acts of an insane
person.
MORE ANALYSES.
The doctor replied that taken in them
selves separately they did not necessa-
rily mean insanity. But it was all these
acts together, taken in connection with
the other matters referred to in the hypo-
thetical question, that caused him to give
the opinion that Palmer was insane. In
answer to another question from Mr.
Jones, DIR. Nichols said it was possible
for man to bring himself into almost
the same mania that afflicted Palmer by
continued hard drinking.
sis homicidal mania continuous 2v
! asked Mr.. Jones.
mo; it is impulsive,'' replied the
doctor. Continuing, he said that a per-
son afflicted with homicidal mania might
be perfectly calm just before committing
an act OF violence and be perfectly calm
just after committing it. The aff1iction took
types of insanity. There was no estab-
Hshed rule to cover all the freaks insane
people were liable to indulge in.
In answer to another line Of questions
| from Mr.. Jones, the doctor admitted that
he took considerable interest in Palmer's
case, and wanted to see him acquitted,
because he did not believe that Palmer
was responsible for the act he committed.
He said further that he had consulted
with Palmer'S attorneys several times.
and had gone to San Bernardino in the
defendants behalf.
1t was quite late and dark when Mr..
Jones finished with the doctor, and the
court ordered an adjournment. Judge
CARRIER asked the jurors what they
thought about holding night session,
but they declined to go into ecstacies,
As a matter of fact they looked Mortified.
The Judge softened then and adjourned
until 9 o'clock this morning. He threat
ened, however, to order an extra session
tonight.