The morning call., 1895-02-13
AGAINST DIR. POTTER.
Won Schmidt Was Maltreated
at the Home.
VERDICT FOR THE PLAINTIFF.
Attorney Clara FoItz's Powerful Plea
for Her Client.
THE LAUNDERING WORK OF THE JURY.
Another Attempt to Ineareerate the
Unfortunate Rancher Nipped in
the Bud by the Judge.
THE BLUNDERING WORK OF THE JURY.

Mrs. Clara Foltz, attorney for Alfred w
Won Schmidt in his suit against the Home
for the Inebriate and DR.. Potter, its super
intendent, sprung somewhat of a sensation
on the defense yesterday morning She
placed Attorney Sawyer, counsel for the
defense, and a trustee of the home, on the
stand to prove that the trustees are not al
together familiar with the manner in
which the institution is conducted. She
drew from him the admission that while
he visited the place himself, he was not
sure whether the others did so or not, and
that they might be unfamiliar with its
workings.
Edward Won Schmidt, brother of the
pain IF, was also placed on the stand and
questioned concerning the feelings existing
teiween himself, his father and the plain
tiff, the object of the latter's attorney
being to show that a conspiracy existed
10 get the plaintiff out of the way on ac-
count of business complications. The wit
nes. denied that any particular enmity
existed or that he felt anything else than
pity for his brother.
The afternoon session was devoted to
arguments. Mrs. Foltz opening for the
plaintiff with vigorously delivered ad-
on theory that if at any time since his
arrival from Fresno her client was insane
it was during his Incarceration at the home
and afferward, and that his condition was
brought about by the treatment he received
there.
''Is it to be wondered al" asked the at
torney, "that the young man, coming from
an excitable, may even say an erratic
family, rAcked with pain and smarting
from the abuses and insults heaped upon
him, should lose control of his naturally
violent temper andturn upon his torment
ors? And do you, gentlemen of the jury,
wonder that when by force this plaintiff,
who is admitted by even the witnesses for
the defense to be sober and industrious
citizen, was seized and hurried he knew
not to what new torture, he fought his
captors with ell his strength?
Not only did they detain him, but they
made his detention unbearable by abuse
and insult, and If he was insane after he
left that Home for the Inebriate it was be-
cause they drove him to insanity. The
trea tnent he received was calculated to
drive any man out of his mind even
thouPh he had been of strong intellect and
physically perfect. Why did not they take
him before the proper authorities and
have his sanity inquired into if they
thought him in.sne?
''That would have been the proper
course, but they did not and instead inn,
prisoned him for four long weeks without
right or lawful authority, end he isentitled
to that redress which we ask at your
hands"
Attorney Sawyer, for the defense, prom
ised to be brief in his remarks and said
thct tlere were just four points for the
jury 70 consider, and these were: First
Was Alfred W. Won Schmidt a maniac
when he was tsken TO the Home for the
Inebriates? Second-Was he maniac
while IN the hcme? Third-Was he prop
erly veated while there? Fourth-Was he
held a reason3 BILE length of time?
He held hat the evidence of the plain
tiff's brother and father and of DR.. Potter
and the attendants at the home would ad-
NIT of no other than an affirmative answer
to these questions