The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-24

al was"
1T was part of your duties to go to the jail?'
"Yes, SIR
"Did you ever meet Durrant prior to the time
you first visited the jail?"
sNo, SIR
What time did you go to the jail on Au-
gust 1872"
81 think in the afternoon"
"How did you make yourself known TO him "
~ think one of the jailers told him was
there to speak with him?'
"HoW long did this interview last?
"Not very long-about fifteen minutes; but
he told me then that he would not talk to me
for the papers,
"Yes'
"As reporter"
"Did you see him that time in the cell or in
the rooms of the jail?"
81 think it was in the CELL"
"Was that the time you went into the cell?'
al don't think So"
"August Is was q Sunday, was it?"
al think So"
Miss Cunningham was then temporarily
withdrawn to give way for DR.. W. I'll.
Mays, an expert on mental diseases. PelX-
otto examined DR.. Mays.
Under preliminary questions DR.. Mays
said he had been a practicing physician
for twenty-one years and had made O
been, he said, an assistant physician in
the Stockton Insane Asylum for a year
and half, and had been its superintend-
ent for two years. He claimed to be an
expert on mental diseases and insanity.
Peixotto's first questions referred to the
Authorizations and decisions which arise
from constant reading of sensational
topics of the day.
Dickinson lodged an objection to this
question. The court then suggested that
decisions and not Authorizations had been
the subject of inquiry in the previous tes-
timony, and Peixotto changed his ques-
ton to:
"WilI the constant reading of person of
sound mind upon certain topic create de-
fusion in his mind?"
II think not
Chow may such condition of mind be pro-
duced?'
Dickinson put in a fruitless objection,
and the substance of the witness answer
was that when such case was presented
1t could always be found that the subject
was originally weak-minded.
The court then asked for little light on
the difference between hallucinations and
decisions, and the witness went into long
discussion of the subject.
DIR. Mays was then asked about illumi-
mating gas, and this question was put to
him:
suppose we have subject in normal physi-
cal health, OF the age CT about "a, weighing
TO make some alterations or repairs in gas
burner and proceeds to the burner, which con-
slsts OF circular gaspipe about Is inches in
diameter, with twenty-four gas jets in it, that
is contained in circular cylindrical contri-
vance, with a fiue leading up and out to the
outer air; that our subject before going up to
the burner turns on the gas, an Illuminating
gas which from chemical analysis is shown TO
contain from 10 to 20 per cent of carbonic OK
ide; that our subject removes three plates,
making an aperture sufficient to insert his
head lies down fiat on his stomach, inserts his
hand and head into the opening, in position
like that shown in the diagram, and remains
there three, four or five minutes, working on
the fixture and breathing that atmosphere
thus charged with gas-what in all prObs bility
would be the physical condition of subject
after submitting to these conditions?"
Dickinson objected because the question
was not entirely based upon the testi-
mony in the case, and in pursuance of his
objection the question was changed,a little,
but still it did not suit. The court finally
decided that the question had better be
withdrawn until IL could be made to more
accurately tit the evidence. Once more
the question was fixed up, and was read to
the witness. He answered:
81 think such a subject would be driven to
tnsensibility within two or three minutes"
"What is the effect OF Illuminating gas con-
tanning Is per cent of carbonic oxide?''
'In small quantities rapid insens bility; if
more than small quantities the insensibility
becomes very profound, the whole surface OF
the body becomes flushed, and coma ensues
The reddening OF the surface of the body is a
well established fact"