St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-07-26
THE MEMPHIS FREAK.
A Physician Considers Her Incur.
- ably Insane.

MEMPHIS. July 25.-No thwithstand-
lug the intense heat the second week of
/ the Alice Mitchell trial opened today
with the court room packed with peo-
pie. Much of the time was consumed
by the lawyers in wrangling over tech
nicalities, and, as consequence, only
two witnesses were examined. Miss
Mitchell was present, as usual. and
showed no signs of fatigue. She was a
calm, stoieal, but. interested spectator,
and occasionally joined in a smile at
stfe keen 'witticiSn of the attorneys in
meeting each others thrusts. ...sf.-.
DR.. b. +. Turner. who has made the
study OF disease Of the mind specially,
was the first witness for the defense.
The bare facts of the tragedy. coupled
with Allce's remarks. was presented to
the witness and his opinion asked as to
the sanity of the defendant. His
answer was that, knowing the history
Ut the mother, he should say it was an
outbreak Of the same insanity that had
affected the mother. Continuing, he
said insanity might remain latent life
time and never develop. again an acci-
dent might develop it any time, and the
subject might remain insane or might
recover and have relapse. or death
might ensue from exciting cases.
He detailed the matters discussed at
Intervals with the defendant. She told
him OF her plans relative to marrying
Freda. He asked her if she understood
what marriage fully meant. She re-
piled that she fully understood. Then
he asked her If she did not know that
one woman could not marry another
She replied that she could, or at least
that she could have married Freda, and
would have done It, He asked her if
they expected to have children, and she
said she knew they could have no chii-
dfen, but she insisted that she could
marry Freda, and could not be talked
out of it. The witness illustrated
this form of delusion by citing
ined he was mile high. He might be
placed next man six feet high and
admit the other man was the taller, but
still he would insist he was mile high
The victims of such delusions would
argue logical up to certain point and
then fly the track. So it was with Alice
Mitchell in her deluSion that she could
marry Freda.
Another thing that was noticeable
was her utter lack of emotion on all SUBJ
Jects except when her affection for
Freda was spoken of. She showed no
emotion in discussing the tragedy itself,
or the events Immediately preceding it.
but as soon as her love for Freda was
spoken of her lips would Quiver and her
eyes fill with tears. In questioning her
closely on the relations between them,
her answers were always to the extent
that nothing improper took place be-
tween them. There was an entire alb
sence of remorse for the deed. When
asked if she did not know it was wrong
Tor her to kill Freda, her reply was she
had been told it was wrong. He finished
by giving it as his opinion that the de-
iendant was insane, and incuraDly so.
Miss Johnson. the companion of Alice
Mitchell at the time of the murder, was
recalled to the stand by the defense and
asked If she had ever seen Alice and
Freda Ward hIg and kiss in public.
She said that Alice and Freda, while
swinging in hammock at Gold Dust,
embraced and kissed each other re-
peatedly before large crowd of men.
The witness asked Alice if she was not
ashamed. and she replied: II don't
care for what the hateful men think.
will hug and kiss her where and when
ever please"
The witness explained that the al
legged flirting with the men at Gold
Oast. She said Mrs. Volkmer had told
Alice and herself to talk TO all the
country people that came along, other
s.yise they would get mad and would not
trade at her husbands store. She just
poke to oblige Mrs. VOlkmer. and had
. idea of flirting with them. This
closed the days proceedings, and court
adjourned until tomorrow.