The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-05-29


Barney Reads His Own History.
When the probate court convened yes
terday morning there was a large
crowd present to hear the expert tes-
timony in the Barney Gibbons case.
The first witness called was DR.. Van
Mugs, assistent superintendent of the
Osawatomie insane asylum, in which he
stated are now 775 patients. His tes-
timony in substance was:
Il examined Barney Gibbons in refer
ence 70 mis- mental condition on two oc-
casions yesterday. From a medical
standpoint it is my judgment he is of
unsound mind"
Mr.. Adams turned the witness over
to the county attorney, who proceeded
to cross-eXamine him.
What DO you mean by unsound
mind?"
Il meant that he is insane"
Upon what do you base your con-
clusions?'
From my examination of him and
the history Of his family and from what
he tells me of himself for the last four
years. He Is laboring under delusion
now, and l find evidence of a strong
acrotic tendency in the family. He
told me Of a severe case of Ia grippe
which he had four years ago, and | am
satisfied from the symptoms described
by him that his mind was affected by
the disease. We have a number of in
sane persons now in the asylum caused
by the same disease"
If he inherited a tendency to in
sanity would he show symptoms from
his youth?"
Not necessarily, but sickness, and
particularly la grippe might bring on
those symptoms at any time"
why did you conclude from his
talk that he might have inherited a
tendency to insanity?'
Because his father was dissDated
and was inclined to nervousness and
his mother was inclined TO nervousness
also
Have you a knowledge Of moral
as well as mental insanity"
Yes sir, have some knowledge of
them"
What kind of insanity has Barney
Gibbons?"
His moral faculties are effected, his
memory and reasoning faculties are
good. He can remember and argue a
case. He told me that ne shot his wife.
be can remember that he committed
the act, but he can not realize the enor-
lilIts OF MS crime. lie VIII consent Inat
he has violated the law of God and man
but he has no moral conception of his
crime or that he ought to be made to
answer for it"
What is the tendecy of his in
sanity?"
He has hallucinations and sees Wis
ions He generally sees his wife with
some other person."
What causes these hallucina tions?"
I'm the first place, he inherited an
unstable nervous systOm. His sick
ness rendered il more so. These things
added TO his family troubles, perahps
thinking he was disgraced. in my Opin-
ion brought on his present condition. I"
rs it not fact that he was jealous?''
Yes sir. In this case he was alb
normally jealous. He acted on the de-
fusion that his wife was not true to
him"
Does not the act itself show jeal-
Gus disposition"
THE act shows a lack of co-ordina-
ton Of the faculties He does not re-
aliZe the enOrmity Of his crime. There
is no moral responsibility resting upon
him"
DO you consider him safe now?''
IL turned loose he is liable to kill
somebody. When he gets a delusion he
IS liable'to act on tjust the same as if it
were true. If he would get vison to
L
Why is it that his wife always ap-
pears in these visions?"
Because she is uppermost in his
mind. He sees these visions when
asleep and when awake. He firmly be
lieves that there is a plot to take his
life. He also believes that he is being
consumed by consumption when he has
no symptoms of the disease"
''You-say Gibbons is not responsible.
What do YOU call a responsible MANI
''One who can realize his environ
ments and act accordingly"
Do you believe if | am jealous and
kill my wife | am insane and ought TO
escape punishment"
You might have nervous trouble in
herited that would render you unable
to stay your hand when you became
possessed of delusion II kin your
wife. There may be nervous conditions
that you cannot control"
Redirect examination 10y Mr.. Adams:
Or. is a lack Of fear an evidence of
Insanity
1T sometimes is. The insane man
who lacks ability to take in surround
ings and comprehend results has no
fear
Then you think Barney Gibbons is
insane do YOU"
ut is my Judgment that he is Of I'M
sound mind and a dangerous man if al
lowed To run a large. because when an
insane person has these decisions they
viii act on them just the same as if
they were real
Judge Myatt:
is it a characteristic of Ia grippe to
leave the mind weak?'
Yes sir. We have a great many
cases Of that kind in the asylum Glib
bons condition was such as To produce
these results"
Drs. Hoffman. Cave and Rentz who
We're present when Or. NanNuys made
his examination were put on the wit
ness stand but the ground having been
covered by DR.. NanNuys their evidence
was necessarily short.
DR.. Hoffman said in answer to ques-
tons:
Il saw Barney Gibbons several times
since he'was put in the county Jail and
was present yesterday at the eXami-
nation. [ think he is of unsound mind
and believe he committed the act under
a delusion.
Il believe he has these decisions and
is liable TO act on them at any time. !
believe he has these decisions because
they are so firmly fixed in his mind he
never varies in relating them and You
cannot catch him by having him re-
peat them / also make up my mind
from the appearance of the man.
His first delusion is that his wife
was unfalthful and he accused her II.
He told me that was the reason she left
him.
His forming these conclusions that
his wife was unfaithful with no facts
upon which 10 base them was an evil
dence OF insanity.
Can't Sleep
49, III It,, ,.,. s,-- ,,,.-,-- ,>ayo,,la