The San Francisco call., 1896-06-11
His Honor Intimates That the
Charge Was Known to
Be False.
HAD HER HUSBAND ARRESTED.
The Woman Declares That the Doctor
Is Trying to Get Her Out of
the Way.

Judge Hebbard of the Superior Court
put peremptory stop to an insanity trial
in his court yesterday with an order and
air that indicated that ne was not satisfied
that the charge was brought in good faith.
Mrs. Kate Connolly, the wife OF Dr.
Thomas Connolly, physician residing at
Fourth and Bryant streets, was charged
by her husband with being violently in
sane and dangerous to be at large.
DR.. Connolly was recently arrested on
his wife's complaint on charge of battery.
The courtroom was crowded with wit
nesses for both sides, the husband being
the principal one against the wife, the lat
ter being supported by her mother and nu-
merous friends.
The strongest accusation DR.. Connolly ap-
peared to be able to bring against his wife
was that she used violent language at
times, drank beer occasionally and was
careless about leaving matches and kero-
sene about the house. The only other
witness on the husbands side who was ex-
amined was G. NJ. Johnson, who testified
that he had formerly lodged in the home
OF the Connollys and that at one time
when the doctor was sick she had paid lit
tie attention to him. He had seen Mrs.
Connolly drink beer, but could not say
that he had ever seen her intoxicated.
Mrs. Connolly's defense opened by the
calling of her mother, Mrs. O'Connell. who
caused much amusement by heated
TRADE against her daughters husband,
which even the Judges admonitions were
unable to stop. She described DR.. Con-
molly as most cruel man, and seemed
much disgusted when Judge Hebba1d
ordered her to leave the witness-stand
without describing the particular cruelties
to which she referred.
The defendant was the most collected
and self-possessed of any of those connected
with the case, and answered the questions
propounded to her in perfectly rational
manner. She stated that she had been
married to DIR. Connolly for eight years,
and was the mother of seven children,
four being alive, and the oldest AZ years.
Her husband beat and bruised her shame
fully, she said, and short time previous
to the birth of her last child had thrown
her to the floor and kicked her in the ribs.
She had been compelled to flee to her
mother for safety.
Her answers we're given IN low, clear
voice, quite different than that usually
used by maniacs.
That's enough. l don't want to hear
any more testimony" SAID Judge Heb
bard, when she had finished her tale of
woe. "This woman is perfectly sane and
it seems strange that she should have
been brought here on such charge. 1t
appears TO me that there is something here
that needs investigation. Madam, you
may GO home"
He turned as though to address the hus-
band, but that worthy was already on his
way out of the courtroom and Judge Heb
bard's withering glance fell on his back.
Mrs. Connolly said after her trial that
she was being prosecuted by her husband
because she had had him arrested on Sat-
urday last on charge of battery for turn
ing the garden-hose on her and otherwise
making her life miserable.
"He hopes TO get me out of the way"
she said, "but he Will not succeed now
that Judge Hebbard has given me my lib
erty and L shall prosecute the case against
him in the Police Court to the last limit.