The Washington times., 1895-03-22
Jury Reached a Verdict in Little
More Than Half an Hour.
DEATH WILL BE THE PENALTY
The Murderer of Mrs. Leahy Received the
Announcement Quietly - Notion to Be
Made for New Trial-Improbable that
It viii Be Granted-Judge Coles Charge
Concerning the Question of Insanity.

said bystander as big, red bearded, red
headed Joseph A. Beam, with stopped shoul-
ders, shuffling gait, and a foxy eye
passed out of Judge Coles courtroom at
$40 p. m. yesterday to await the jury's
verdict on his brutal Staying of Mrs. Annie
L Leahy, his stepdaughter, late Saturday
afternoon, December %. A verdict OF guilty
of murder, returned little more than half
an hour later. confirmed this opinion, and
met the expectations of nearly all who were
present to hear it.
There was only one ballot, and Foreman
William G. Belts was ready to answerguilty
as charged. Beam received the announce
ment quietly Ills counsel gave notice of a
new trial, bnt it is improbable that grounds
upon which it can be granted can be pre-
sented.
The real question before the jury was
as TO Beams sanity, and Judge Coles
charge WAS mainly devoted TO an expla-
nation of what constitutes irresponsibility
before the law by reason of unsound mind.
NOT AN IDIOT BY ANY MEANS.
He first spoke of the fdiotic type, and said
he assumed that no one would suppose the
evidence offered showed Beam belonged to
that class.
The type of insanity, if any. which had
been proved, was that of insane deiusions
upon particular subjects. Quoting from
Judge CoX's opinion in the Guiteau case,
he said an insane delusion was an incor-
rigibe belief in the existence of facts
which are of themselves imposSibilities
Such We're the dc.usions of a man who be-
Iieved himself 10 be president, or to be
inspired by God, or to have q glass arm,
or TO be the inventor of some great patent
when he had invented nothing. These
delusions usually center around the cares
and burdens OF the holders Of them. They
are a waking dream.
The distinguishing feature of an insane
delnSiou is, he continued, thati never results
from reasoning or reflection.
a man may be- brought to an absurd
conclusion, and to undertake most i'm
practicable enterprise by presentation Of
facts to his reason, but he can never be so
driven into an insane delusion.
CRANKY OPINIONS CONSIDERED.
Mere opinions on religious, political, or
social questions can never show this sort
Of insanity. Men who are perfectly sane
have held the widest theories on these
matters This has been the result of natur-
ally weak powers, bad mental training,
a presentation Of only part OF the facts.
These views are often entirely banished
by a fuller showing OF the facts involved.
'You VIII find whether the defendant
had insane delusions or only erratic
opinions. IL the latter, you VIII dismiss
the subject at that point and return a
verdict accordingly"
Tf insane lplpgsOUG wore fr,fp6 ba Com
tinued, the question whether they were
connected in any way with the killing must
be considered, and if so. whether Beam, at
the moment OF shooting, knew right from
wrong.
II was proper for the jury TO consider all
the evidence presented as tending 10 show
Beams condition at that moment, but
especially his conduct just Before and just
afterthehomicide.
BEFORE AND AFTER THE ACT
If he was crazy just before and just after,
be was crazy at the time, and must be
acquitted; on fhe other hand If sane before
and after, he was sane when he fired the
shots. and must be convicted
There could bc no more dangerous doc
trine than that a man could be RESPONSE
bly, sane the moment before an act or
moment after but Irresponsible in the
commission of it. That is what is called
emotional insanity. II il were allowed
there could he TO conviction. Bat neither
passion nor intozication nor any other
cause affecting the mind can be accepted
as rendering the defendant irresponsible
for the mere moment OF killing lis victim.
Facts rather than opinions OF witnesses
must lie considered, but the jury should
give due weight to the views of the expert
and others. II motive could he 70 nd
for the homicide, that would tend to show
sanity. The mere enOrmity or brutality
OF the deed was no proof OF insanity.
The charges followed a considerable
extent tie reasoning upon the facts urged
by MIR. Birney and Mr. Jeffords for the
government, and disagreed with the pleas
of biessrs. CraWshaw, Duffy, and TFuitt
for the defense.