Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-20
IN. MErHops OF KxAnrSArroS OF MENTAL


sOs AOVO LIN huLC.
IN. MErHops OF KxAnrSArroS or MENTAL
CONDITION AND RESULTS.
| We endeavored TO arrive at a correct idea of
his mental state by such Questioning as would
lead him 70 disciose his alleged decisions: We
| tested HE memory, his general knowledge Of
things about himself, his ability to understand
and reason, his consistency. his emotional con-
troll. and by various other modes OF inqairy Gus
| tomary in our experience.
During our examinations be nanifested q
stuporous apathetic condition and vacuity Of
mind sueh as occurs in certain iong-staniing
fnsanities under other conditions He avoided
| the eve Of the observer and looked ont Of the
| window or At some fsr-od object, slightly con-
tracing his brow. and il WAS rarely that he
| would meet the eve of his interrogator.
The prisoners appearance in the cell as de-
| scribed BY several witnesses was that observed
by us. He was apparently oelivious to the
| presence OF any one, and occupied a seat - the
end Of his cot. bowed down. his bat drawn over
his ewes, smoking continually. When ques-
toned he would take sone time before reply
ing, and occasionally In interrogative way
/ would repeat the question. His answers were
| never incoherent nor always responsive. and
| he would sometimes ask to have a ques: zion re-
peated. His general attitude one of sus-
picion, but not Of persistent suspicion since ne
could be persuaded to take things he at first
refused
He was almost, according 10 his own show
| ing, entirely without memory of recent or re-
mote events--did not know the name OF any
one the season Of the year. month or day. and
| occasionally when asked a number OF questions
would irresponsively refer to an alleged delu-
sion which had not been led up to or intro
duced in any way. He did not know about his
| wife's death, his trial. nor why be was In JAIL
except that his enemies wished to stesl
his invention: But when he was reminded
that they would have as good e chance to do so
| outside OF the jail he had no comments - make.
He did not know that he had ever been to the
court house, according to his statement
| He could not tell us the year of his birth.
when or where he went to school or other bare
| and simple details Of his past life He knsw
there was Capitol. but did not know where il
was situated had never crossed the Potomac
| or gone TO Culpeper.
| LAS examples of his conversation the following
extracts as We remember them may be APP
| pended:
| O. Do you think it Ia summer?
A. l don, know; don't go out
Q. IL it December or March2
A. l don't remember.
BY this time he was looking ont Of the window
In direction OF the snow Ipon the ground ard
when this was called to his attention be reluc-
family admitted that II must be winter
O. Is your father living?
answered after the question was repeatedly
| A. He IL dead
O. When did he die2
| A. don't remember.
/ @. Did you attend the funeral?
| A. l don't remember
| Sometimes when the questions followed each
| other rapidly and after he had replie,i fire.
quently Il don't remember" he would say Il
haven't time to think OF these things l am SO
interested in my machine At other times
when he was asked commonplace questions in
relation to his surroundings OF his past he
would say, IL don't remember. but II! find out
and tell you" Upon some matters he was
minute. Being asked where his house was he
described big frame house on a high hill"
| When questions were repeatedly put to him
In regard to his trial and the subject of his in
generation. he would then frequently refer TO
his Invention, to persecution or to poisoning
ana acid throwing. Ia an irrelevant and
| illogical manner; but at other times when the
questions asked were not those that would
naturally cause him any embarrassment be
maintained his stupid behavior and PARKWAY
look which Las been before described.
His attitude in regard to his friends was not
always the same; he manifested enmity toward
his brothers. and at times spoke of his mother
as his only friend. ana then again declared that
she was against him. Inconsistency was also
shown in regard to another person. Some
| times he would remember the name OF Dr.
| McWiliiams, the Jail physician and then would
say he could not dasso.
He told Us that he saw faces of people pour
ing acid upon him, but Gid net speak of voices.
nor did he give us any evidence that he had
auditory Authorizations.
Upon the second day Of our visit if was sug-
gested that he should take an anHsthetic
/ When this was exhibited his quiet manner i'm
! mediatey changed and he became violent aad
declared that We were going to kill him. He
upon this occasit 4. finally took ether after q
| struggle, evincing much cunning in holding his
breath and suddenly turning his head while the
cone was placed over his month his conduct
being In contrast with the want of energy and
apparent hebetudo OF previous occ asIons.
Upon recovery he said he was being stary ed and
called upon bis mother to bring him food At
later stage be at once took up his complaint
OF alleged persecution and decisions
| His behavior in the court room was the SUBJ
| 1ect OF observation. and We believe that he was
cognizant OF all that went on, and more than
once manifested play OF expression which
was in consonance with the surroundings i'm
medlateiy resuming his PARKWAY look when he
. knew he was observed. When reference was
/ made to the subject of his delusions By the sew
eral witnesses there none of the appearance
OF annoyance or the demonstrative manner
which was SO marked in the Jail. and there was
distinct smile when one Of his former friends
testified to more or less amusing incident.
GENERAL RESULTS AND CONCLUSION.
| As the result Of Our examination and the tes-
timcny of many witnesses, it would appear that
the alleged insanity of the prisoner developed
"a
| period Of two or three months il attained its
maximum intensity. In other words, that he
developed o stuporous demented condition
with insomnia, active decisions Of persecution
! and suspicion, visual Authorizations and that
| this state has lasted until the present time
There seem to have been no serious physical
changes whatever in his condition, and his
comparatively good state Of nutrition is marked
by loss Of only nine pounds from the time of
his sentence until JanIary 81. and this not
withstanding the allegation that he has refused
| food and only eaten sparingly and most OF
the time in small Quantities given him bv
one person alone. 1t would appear. how
ever,' from the quantity and character
of his discharges that the processes OF waste
and repair are normal, and the absence Of phvsi-
cal deterioration indicates that the claimed in
somnla has at least not led to any profound ex-
haustlon OF the vital forces.
We ascertained that he was an inveterate
smoker, and possibly the use OF tobacco has
enabled him to do without food TO some extent
and has made up tor The loss OF sleep which is
alleged to have occurred
1t would appear from the bulk of testimony
that the alleged insanity WINS OF sudden origin:
that there was no prodromal nerioa a,d 1h,t