The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-12-31
MAHAN CONVICTED
Defense in the Morrin Shoot
ing Affray Plead
Insanity.
PROSECUTING WITNESS STORY
Doctors, Of Course, Differ as to the
Prisoners Sanity-Jury
Out All Night.

Mahan, who was tried in the General
Sessions Court yesterday afternoon for
shooting his friend and intimate as
~sociate. Thomas F. Morrir. made a
strenuous effort to convince the jury
that Mahan is insane. The trial has at
tracted a great deal of attention. The
two men are well known. Morrin IS
chief engineer in Lorillard's tobacco
factory, and Mahan was employed there
in tire capacity of ~paymas.er. They
were on terms of very close friendship
and spent a great deal of their leisure
time together. Mahan was q great ia
vorite in society. He is an accom-
plished musician. and has a finely cuiti-
waited voice. He also had a genial,
happy disposition, and everybody who
knew him liked him. The defense pro-
duced several witnesses Yesterday to
prove that a remarkable II ineXplic-
able change came over him a few weeks
before the shooting.
The trial was opened after recess.
Mahan was brought from the Jail. The
only noticeable change in him is a
slight pallor in his face resulting from
his confinement. There was no appear
ance of insanity about him, on the con-
trary he looked as m as those Who
We're trying to prove him insane.
Mr.. Morrin took the stand and told
the story of the shooting ARRAY as 1t
was told in "The News yesterday. He
| had gene out of the house in the even
ing after dinner to transact some busl-
ness, and was returning when Mahan
met him near the house. Morrin was
| about to greet him when Mahan pulled
his revolver and fired four shots at him
in rapid succession. Three bullets
penetrated his body and the fourth
lodged in his clothing. Mahan ran
away, and Morrin pursued him. The
fugitive was caught by Policeman Hen
messy near the Hasbrouck Institute.
Policeman Hennessy testified to the
capture, and said Mahan told him that
Morrin was trying to ruin his charac-
ter by circulating false stories about
him. stories which were calculated to
drive him from the town.
Captain McKaig testified that the
prisoner made a similar statement to
him.
DR. Everett and DR.. Kopetchny told of
their search for the bullets. and OF the
close call Morrin had had.
Michael Delaney testified for the de-
ferlse that he had known the prisoner
TCI SOIuG years. LII hlCW hthi ~ -
peaceful, quiet man of good character.
Thomas ]. Maloney. of No. sN Grand
street. Superintendent of the factory,
testified that he had known Mahan IN,
timately for several years. were
He frequently visited at my house ana
was treated as one of the family. he
was always genial and cheerful: in fact,
usually happy disposition. A sudden
and remarkable change came over him
think it was on September Is that | first
noticed it. | had bought a new nat, and
I asked him in the office. what he thoughI
said that / had insulted him. Then he
pulled open a drawer and aklng a re,
volver out of it pointed 1t at me. ,Hold
ing. can't your l tried to soothe him,
but he insisted that ], was in a con-
spiracy with come people. who We're CIR,
him that he was mistaken, that no one
was~ circulating stories about mn ana
that nobody was trying o to ln5q nd ms ms
communicative after that, and seemed to
be a completely changed man; !, His = re Ia
tons Wit With ms Mor aba rac Mere always OF me
"Dol you know the nature of the stor-,
les he imagined We're being circulated
about him?' asked LAWYER Rowe. OBJ
the witness was directed not to answer.
.Were they calculated to degrade him
IN the eyes VI liz -
yves" answered the witness, and the
subject was dropped; -
sistant Superintendent. John Newton
Clark. an office boy, and Edward Hogan,
stew nat in ne fb fae remsrK al tes dhange thai at
shooting; They J, an tfStifis nr,or to @ This his
Maurice ]. Richmond. a paint manufac-
turer from. Covington, KY; and Mahan's
with the prisoner in Jail several times;
Mahan talked in a rambling. .incoherent
way about a conspiracy to defame his
witness tried to dissuade him from the
notion, but failed.
Thomas Secor., Alexander Milne and
d. Britton E. Evans. Medical Superin-
tendent of the Insane Asylum at Morris
Plains. testified that on November 70, a
month after the shooting he made q
careful examination of Mahan's mental
and physical condition IN the DOCTORS
sound. both at the time of the examina-
ton and the time of the shooting. He
sions and insane decisions. He be-
lieved that he was the victim of a con-
spiracy. and that his character was be-
ing DETAINED. He said the conspirators
had. been his friends. but they were MAX
irg life miserable for him
Dr.. King. of the Snake Hill Asylum.
gave similar testimony.
County Physician Converse. with his
accustomed modesty. testified that he
does not pretend to be an insanity expert
although he examines an average of
about 700 persons annually who are sup
posed to be insane He talked with
inc anv evidence of insanity.
The jury retired late in the day and
they came into court with verdict of
'tGuilty as charged
CRIME AMONG ANIMALS.