The evening world., 1893-12-21
OF MEYER TRIAL.
The Jury Discharged on the Report
of the Physicians.
Juror Low Is Suffering from Acute
Mania.
,,.tice Barrett Says the Court Was
Deliberately Deceived.

The fury in the trial of DR.. Henry C.
r Meyer was discharged by Justice Bar
,e,t. in the Court Of Oyer and Terminer,
This morning, Drs. Carlos F. Mac
Donald and Charles L. Dana having
admitted a report to the Court that
Alexander B. Low, the seventh juror.
who went mad during the closing address
NJ Charles W. Brooke. was hopelessly
insane. and that his recovery Of mental
balance was exceedingly improbable.
The report of the famous alienists Sc
,ected to examine Low was a voluminous
docimcnt. 1t related the history Of the
family of Low. h history of his former
Insanity, and the record of his present
attack. concluding with a statement that
the juror was suffering with acute mania.
Justice Barrett read only the conclu-
SONS of the specialists In insanity. He
aid:
Il regret to have to inform you that
he report Is of such a character as to
make 1t impossible to go any further
with this trial. The finding Of the ply
Tcians on the data at their Is
rs follows:
I"From a careful consideration of all
the facts observed by us, together with
the information obtained from others,
we are clearly OF the opinion that Alex
snder b. Low is insane and a proper
subject for care and treatmen as an in
sane person; that the form of his in
sanity is that known and recognized as
acute mania. and that by reason OF
such insanity he is mentally incompe-
tent to act In the capacity of a Juror,
nor is he likely. in our opinion, to be-
come competent to act in such capacity
In the near future.
",c :IfAktHs F. F: MpAASNR%o 3GN$A
Justice Jarrett said he felt some ex-
plsnation should be made regarding Jur-
or Low. 1t had been reported that Mr..
Low had expressed himself as unwilling
be said that he was not only able but
willing to act as a Juror.
He deceived the Court in his answers,
N SHORT, telling absolute untruths about
Justice Barrett expressed sympathy
with he eleven business men who had
been put to so much inconvenience and
distress, and VIII had attended to their
duties as jur ors so faithfully, and con-
There is nothing more to be done
save to discharge the jury. 1t is so or
Mr. Brooke asked that the full report
Of Drs. Macdonald and Dana be made
part Of the minutes, and then excepted
to tie order discharging the jury.
DC you mean that seriously" asked
Barrett. his expressive brows
in surprise.
simply to avail myself Of all formali-
les e1 on ant the .or resord.s replied ,h the G laWyeri d.
II had hoped that the coun-
on both SIDE would agree in an
for the discharge of the jury,
lnder the distressing circumstance"
In discharging the eleven men in the
,ox, Justice Barrett called attention to
he difficulties which must be %encount-
red In selecting q new jury; and told
increased, should the present
rrors express their opinions in the pub:
ic press. on the testimony they had
card He Instructed them to refrain
.,pinions, reminding them that they mad
only q part of the final plea of the
nothing of what the District-At-
u the charge of the Court, so that their
~,oinions must necessarily be ounde on
In!y a part of the case.
Assistant District-Attorney John F.
ScIntyre, who saw in the .mistrlal his
Ne months work in preparing the case
.gainst DR.. Meyer go TO naught. was de-
,.essed. He said that DR.. Meyer would
,e called to trial again probably next
The records of the Bloomingdale Asy-
show that Low was first admitted
3 ser ISIS sep There q; if Ss h hnd a several eon Uef.
live seizures of epileptiform character.
On July l, 1884. he was again admitted
9 the Bloomingdale. Lsylum, and dis
charged Sept. is, 1884. since which time
lie has been mentally well.
The report of the specialists says that
Low had suffered somewhat from In
although his family assert that
MS mind was perfectly clear down to
md including Monday morning when he
eft his home to go to court.
The physicians examined Low on Mon
and Tuesday nights and Wednesday
,fternoon. On Tuesday night he seemed
much improved. He related many Incl
in the trial: told his conversation
with Justice Barrett. and seemed to
nave good judgment. but was hazy about
the testimony of Prof. Witthaus, the
witness on the trial.
He told Drs. Dana and Macdonald that
he had said to Justice Barrett that he
did not want to sit on the jury. which
the physicians say was a lie. betokening
the cunning of an Insane person.
Yesterday afternoon when the allen
called again they found Low In a
state of violent maniacal excitement.