The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-05
JUDGE VAN BRUNT TIRED OUT
HE ABRUP7JT DISCHARGES THE FIELD
JURY AND LEAVES COURT.

Five Days Grown TO Eight and No End In
sight-The Lawyers Rush After the jus
t,ce. and He Agrees to Come Back ir They
VIII Wind Up the Testimony Quickly
They DO II In Ten Minutes-Dr. Mac Don.
aids Recon.idered Opinion.
At o'clock last evening the Field trial was
dragging out the seventh OF its weary days in
the Oyer and Terminer. with no prospect of an
end. Scores OF witnesses had testified. A
score Of witnesses were sitting about the court
room waiting to be called. Each succeeding
afternoon had witnessed later adjournment
and q further encroachment upon twilight
Court had been in session since o'clock. and
everybody. except one lawyer and the witness
he WAS handling. was hungry. sleepy. cross.
and tired. Justice Van Brunt had allowed u
cloud to overspread his usually serene fea-
lures. and as the clock pointed to 7:15 his face
was fine expression Of wrath
twas Bourke Cochran who was cross-ex-
aiming DR.. Carlos F. Macdonald about Fields
sanity. At 7:2O Justice Van Brunt arose. laid
hold Of his silk hat with one hand and thrust
his other hand deep into his trousers pocket.
Then he said:
Il have heard enough OF this case. The
counsel promised that it would be over in five
days and have wasted eight upon it l have
had enough and will have no more. The clerk
will discharge the jury"
Having said this Justice Van Brunt left the
court room without pause. Mr.. Cochran was
staring straight before him with look OF
amazement frozen upon his face. The people.
as represented by Mr.. Nicoll. leaped from its
chair and looked around wildly. The jury
started up. dazed but delighted The other
lawyers. the witnesses. the court officers
stirred around and stared at each other. The
only unmoved man was the prisoner. f NJ.
Field. whose face was burr led in his arms.
which We're >p-awled upon a table.
SELF the hs in his
usual mechanical way. This seemed TO bring
the lawyers to- They, Erasped the fact thst the
ing o. testimony was in vain and the case was
Nut Of H0u n Ths GboWdsd
saying. over and over again:
This is most surprising. This is quite
ihn .,on.r never heard OF the like
What shall we do ?" said Mr.. Nicoll. This
Let S talk to the Judge said Mr.. Cochran.
And they. too. rushed from the court room
while the other lawyers asked the Jury to sit
and its hats. lighted a few cigars, and sat on
the edges Of the , eh al S;,,u o,,...,
serted hall and reached the door Of Judge Van
Brunt : private room Just IN time TO catch him
a he was starting out with his overcoat but
toekran at;erward, FOR otherwise | sonldn't
iare fhs +, cr h with his
They Went back with Justice Van Brunt into
his room. III about three minutes they came
them. The Judge r.Gntered the court room
and took his rac. on the bench without nn-
raped for order. and the jury slid further
back into the chairs and hid the cigars JUS
A the cnunsnl hnve nromise1 10 meka
haste and finish the case, the hearing will go
on. The gentlemen of the jury will take their
The hearing went on. NJ Cochran decided
tina. he and DR. a
called enough witnesses. In ten minutes the
testimony was AL in. and court adjourned un
her tha G1sH When the e3nnse az Will ? sum up
and the ca -e will 20 to the Jury.
IN" iieit trial began on Feb; % and. as the
aIioarn.i un,i! March i. the Judge not VI" "s';
be through hy Friday noon. Justice Van
Brunt. who is the presiding Justice of the SUI
onday HI M awea the neGm ss on
sion every day this week to go on until dark. |
1t noon Yesterday he called the lawyrrs up
clock when pr. Ma donald took the stand |
and at I the defence had Just begun to cross
OF yesterdays witnesses. called by the peo-
PIE 70 rrbut the evidence That fled is insane. |
Dr. Walter kemps,ter swor,e that ne has ex-
alnined Field and found him rational. DR..
Charles l. Dana sWore e the sanity Of Field |
10th had been called in early in the case by |
Dr. Carlo F. Macdonald. President Of tho
State Lunucy Com mission. also examine Field |
for the family. and refused to give an opinion !
dr4w s wfi m s ,Es, P e nas
more cSniiEmed in in TIE belief that lat Field H.ii
sational line. He produced three pa
paper thst ed h nd
acute mcanchola with certain symptoms.
mental ara physical; which We're enumerated.
he had given to pr Mathew
Field; ana that he believed when he wrote it
and had no reason FOR shamminc. The second
paper was a receipt for $3.50 paid to tho wit
ny Mr. Rs A. e s'@nG b ETaS
rlain"!l that he hai accepted this retainer
roysi9naMy end that p1 he 1 had it
he had already been t, see til" District Attor-
Stone S evil When he en- accepted ;e the s51 '' 'ae' 10
% iTsdps nss e. g. y
WI fn BY o TGs Rl 5Sd WAS put
The concl usion that he was 'undoabtedIyn in
sane. When Dr. Macdonald disowned this
statement and ! said h, had meyer asseented
swore that he had read the whole statement to
Dr. Macdonald in the rooms of the Bar As
on the evening Of Dec. H. and that
DR.. Mac Donald had nssented to it AS a correct
summary Of his opinion upon the condition OF
T. NJ. Field at the examination he had made
that afternoon.
Dr. Macdonald said he had not examined
Field carefully tho first time and had based
had no motive for shnmming. As soon as he
made n careful examination he found out that
Field WAS perfectly sane. was anxious to CON
vinco the doctors that he was insane. and was
very poor shammcr indeed.
During the cross-rXamnation OF Dr. Kemp-
ster Mr.. Cochran offered to submit Field TO
wO experts. DIR. Kempstar for the Stat" and
Dr. SpitZka for the defence. Judge Van Brunt
refused TO entertain the idea.
Mrs. w. II. Hayes sues Loie Fuller.
Mrs. Amelia T. Hayes. the wife OF William B.
iha lnu.rnr IrLn cd |