The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-28
Sister ON The Stand
Miss Susan Dickinson Relates Stories
of Miss Annals Conduct.
PECULIAR ACTIONS AND TALK
Contradictcd the Testimony of Plaintiff
on Several Important Points-iicr
CrOss.examination VIII Be Resumed
This Morning by Judge Daley.


DR.. II. p. Meredith, of the Danville
State hospital, was the first witness
called in the Dickinson case in United
States circuit court yesterday.
DR.. Meredith identified tho signature
of DIR. S. c. Schultz, to n certificate of
detention of Anna T.. Dickinson. DR..
Schultz was then superintendent of the
Danville asylum but has since departed
from this life.
Attorney Thomas w. Burlow, of the
committee on lunacy of the state board
of charities, was the second witness.
He identified the signature of DR..
Schultz, of DanNille, on the commit
ment papers on which Miss Dickinson
was sent to the asylum.
Miss Susan Il. Dickinson, of this city,
sister of the plaintiff, was the next wit
ness for the defense. Major Warren
made an elaborate and most eXhaus-
tive examination Of all the details of
the plaintiffs life from the time that
she branched out as u public lecturer
and began to earn money down to the
time of her incarceration in the Dan
vile Insane asylum.
The witness assumed that her sister
was not in her right mind from the
manner of her actions about the house.
the way she found fault with the ser
wants, and her ugliness and irritability
Of temper. She imagined herself the
victim of COnSpracicS. All OF Miss
Anna's actions could be tolerated up Till
the date of February %, 1891, when she
became dangerous and violent and was
starving herself to death through an
insane fear that poison had been mixed
in her food.
The Cross. Examination.
Major Warren concluded the direct
examination of Miss Susan at O'Clock,
and Judge Daley began the cross-eX-
animation. She said that when her
sister, Anna, first branched out as "A
lecturer on the rostrum the family lived
in Philadelphia, and consisted of the
mother, the witness, Miss Anna, and
brother, Samuel, who was employed as
a clerk for the Reading railroad COM
pany.
Anna took trips about the country
lecturinG. When she returned she ad-
vocated moving from the house the
family occupied, because she said it was
not fit for a woman of national reputa-
tion to live in.
Judge Daley wished to find out all
about the family affairs and who con-
tributed to the support of the family
Major Warren objected to all these de-
tails and court sustained the objection
Judge Daley shifted the time then from
the early days of the family in Phila-
delphia to the time that the Dickinsons
moved to West Plttston. Susan was
engaged as special writer by several
newspapers and earned about 800 a
month. But her mother became sick
and she had to give up most of her
newspaper work to nurse her mother.
The first time the witness observed
evidences of insanity on the part of her
sister was in the summer of 1889 in
Philadelphia. Anna complained that
she had a special nerve in her head that
gave her severe pains and her actions
showed signs OF an unbalanced mind.
The witness had not assisted in the
preparation of the defense; she has
known Major Warren for three and one
half years, but said nothing to him
about the case until Monday morning
of this week. In fact. she had not
shown any undue interest in the prepa-
ration of the case. She exhibited only
the same interest as is usual for impor-
tant witnesses to take in any case.
Anna Became Violent.
Miss Susan went over the details Of
the plaintiffs life from the time their
mother died until Feb. 10, 1891. on this
date Miss Anna became so noticeably
queer in her actions that the witness
sent for DIR. Heilman. Miss Susan told
about the day that Anna stabbed her
on the hand with a pair of scissors
That action convinced the witness that
her sister was not in her proper mind
That same evening Anna went to the
garret of the house about o'clock and
she began to pound and stamp on the
floor and called to the servant to have
a lamp brought up to her. When the
lamp was not furnished Anna became
furiously excited.
The witness was at the foot of the
stairs and warned the servant not to
take the lamp up to the garret to Anna,
and the latter Immediately rushed
down from the garret after the servant
and followed her out on the street and
chased her across a vacant lot. She
called the servant q devil and other
unladylike names.
Madam. did you ever call the serv-
ant a Ounce or blockhead or any other
uncomplimentary term?" asked Judge
Daley. The witness answered that she
had never shown more temper than
was then being exhibited by her.
Judge Daley carried the witness for.
word then through the later events of
Miss Annals life up to and including the
time of her Incarceration in the Dan
vile asylum. The witness explained
all clearly and she was still on the
stand when court adjourned.
Judge Acheson announced that court
will resume this morning at o'clock.