The morning call., 1894-11-10
SHE HAD STUDIED.
A Lady as an Expert on
Insanity.
MRS. CONFESS SAD STORY.
Tier Husband and Two Daughters
All Were Afflicted.
AN UNUSUAL SCENE IN COURT.
AN UNUSUAL SCENE IN COURT.
Testimony to Show That Old Joshua
Hendy Was Insane, With Some
Elaborate Theories.

A somewhat unusual proceeding was
resorted to yesterday in the contest over
the will of the late Joshua Hendy, which
is on trial at present before Judge COffev
and jury. 1t was the taking Of testi-
mouy from lady as an expert in insa nifty.
The witness in question was Mrs. Har-
riet n. CONFESS. Most readers of The
CALL will remember her sad story, which
was given to the world few weeks ago
on the occasion of the committal of her
youngest daughter to the Napa asylum by
Judge Ellsworth. All through her life
Mrs. CONFESS appears to have been
haunted by this terrible disease, as, al
though never attacked by it herself. she
has had the misfortune to notice its de-
velopment in nearly all the members of
her family She was made to tell the out
lines of her story yesterday during the
process of answering questions relative 10
her qualification to testify.
Joshua Hendy, it will be remembered.
was wealthy machinist. who when he
died left his entire fortune. amounting to
about $4,000 to be divided between two
nephews and niece. He left many other
nepnews and nieceS, but these were not
rememb cred in the will, although equal 10
kinShip to the deceased with the fortunate
benefciaries. II is now sought by the dis.
appointed ones to set aside the will on
three grounds: first. the unsOundness of
mind of the testator; second, the undue
influence exercised over him by the three
legatees, with whom he resided; third,
fraud.
In the presentation of the case on be-
half of the plaintIns yesterday, Attorney
Wheeler called Mrs. CONFESS TO the stand
to testify, as an old acquaintance of the
late Joshua Hendy. as 10 his mental con-
dition. Mrs. Conness was asked the fol-
lowing question:
During the years of your acquaintance
with the deceased, from 1870 to the time
OF his death, wha. was Mr.. Hendy's men
tai cOndiuonP"
1--WE object to the question" Interrupted
General Barnes, "on the ground that this
lady is not competent to testify as an ex-
pert in insanity"
I'VE claim that she is" returned
Wheeler.
Judge Coffey decided to hear evidence
on the subject, and then by way of eX-
PLANTATION Mrs. CONFESS unfolded her tale.
She said that she had been Intimate with
cases Of insanity since 1849, when she was
teacher was attacked with the disease,
''aDd," said Mrs. CONFESS. Il watched him
in all bis stages. He had an IDEA that he
was the Christ. and no one could get that
out of his head"
Mrs. CONFESS proceeded to relate that in
1856 she married her first husband. Volney
Cushing. Mr.. Cushing was nervous,
delicate man ana never enjoyed good
health, but it was not until long after
she had married him that she discovered
that he had the germs of insanity planted
In his brain. She noticed scar upon his
throat one day, and on making inquiries
she found that at the age Of is he had at
tempted to commit suicide. Further in
Quiries developed the information that
Mr. Cushing's father bad committed sui
eide and so had his two brothers, all being
tainted with insanity.
1t came out in the examination of Mrs.
Conness that her children by her first hus-
band were similarly tainted. One daugh-
ter fatally shot herself in q fit of insanity
and another was committed TO Napa Asy-
lum a few weeks ago. There was one son,
however, who was perfectly sound in every
way.
Mrs. Conness stated that these varied
experiences, lasting over period of thirty
eight years. had caused her not only to be-
come acquainted with various forms of
insanity, but also to make a study of the
disease. She and her daughters had read
every possible work on the subject, from
somnam bulism to the rawlings OF dementia.
Judge COtfey asked few questions.
You say you allowed your daughters to
read hese works, madam"
"Oh, yes"
do you think that was a proper course
to pursue toward young people tainted with
such an unfortunate malady?"
Well" said Mrs. CONFESS, they were
interested in the subject ana wanted to
read all about it,"
Further questions ELECTED the fact that
Of these daughters who were afflicted, one
suffered from extreme melancholia, "hope-
lessDess," as Mrs. CONFESS put il, while
The other daughter believed in second sight
and that she was a spirit. One daughter
was victim of sOmuambulism.
General Barnes protested that Mrs. Con-
ness was not qualified to testify, but A T.
t0rney Wheeler insisted, ard Judge Coffey
decided TO investigate further. So he
asked few more questions of a similar
nature to the preceding ones and then he
asked: Madam, are YOU sure that Ill this
reading upon the subject of insanity his
not affected your own brain in any way?"
Quite sure" was the confident re-
spouse.
"What is the subject of your examina-
ton do you think?"
II am asked to give my views regarding
the sanity or insanity Of Joshua Hendy
and bis competency to make a will" re-
piled Mrs. COnness.
by the wav." said Judge Coffey, "you
allowed Mr. Volney Cushing's will to go
to probate, did you not"'
Yes, / did"
And vet you knew he was insane?"
Mrs. CONFESS explained that she had not
given the subject thought, as 1t affected
the validity of will. and as Mr., Cushing's
will was just in every particular she had
allowed it TO be prObated.
well, gentlemen" queried Judge Cof-
fey.
1--WE insist on our contention" said
General Barnes.
land we on ours" said Wheeler.
"Well, | think that the witness is quail
fed TO testify" decided Judge Coffey.
"her experience OF the past thirty-eIght
years must surely make her acquain ted
with the va rious forms of insanity. Let
her testify"
The question was repeated, and Mrs.
CONFESS answered that in her opinion
Joshua Hendy was of unsound mind. The
witness was extremely elaborate IN the eX-
planatlon of her views. She said: "a
sane mind Will reason from premises by
sequence TO conclusion, with continuity of
IDEAS. Joshua Hen1y bad no apprehen-
sion of such processes Education means
development. but some of the brightest
men l know are uneGucated. l did not
CONSIDER That Joshua Hendy understood
the nature OF justice, or that he apdrehend-
ed the nature OF his true relation to the
world.
HE did not understand the meaning of
morality" pursued Mrs. CONFESS. {" /
don't mean that he was OF moral. but that
he could not define the term, nor appre-
bend the ethical idea. On one occasion.
when lady friend and met him on Du-
pont street in The year 1870, he asked us to