The herald., 1896-12-17
THE CURIOUS EXPERIENCE
OF the Manager of an lne-
briates' Refuge
He had 4 Bad FILL FROM GRACE
And Wandered About and Forged
Checks Unconsciously
SOME INSIDE PARTICULARS
The Village Blacksmith Again Gets Into
Trouble
The Complicated Barre viii Contest Again
Looms Up
SOME INSIDE PARTICULARS
The Village Blacksmith Again Gets Into
Trouble
The Complicated Barre Will Contest Again
Looms Up
R. A. Taylor, of Smith Divorce Case
Fame, Arrested for Perjury-A Su-
preme Court Decision in the Street
Railway Case-Miscellaneous

A most extraordinary state of affairs
developed yesterday when H. j. Butler
was brought to trial in department one
on the charge of having forged check
for $50.
The accused is q man Of good appear
ance and middle age. and the check he
is charged with having forged and at
tempted to pass upon the Cass & Smuri
company was made out on one of the
blanks of the Anglo California bank and
purported to have been drawn on March
9th by Jos. Wilkinson. Since the time
of his arrest last August he has been
in the county jail.
When the case was called yesterday
morning Attorneys Blakeley and ]. D
Beggs, the latter of Los Gatos, appeared
in defense of the accused, and Assistant
District Attorney Williams for the pros
ecution.
without much difficulty jury was en-
paneled to try the case, and then cur
ious phase of the case was entered upoE
1t being represented by Mr.. Williams
that the defendant did not deny the
facts in connection with the offering OF
the check, but contended that he was not
of sound mind at that time, that fact
was really all there was to go to the
jury Upon this representation, and un-
der instruction from the court, defend
ants counsel proceeded to show not
alone that their client had been of un-
sound mind at the time he forged this
particular check. but that for some time
previous he had suffered from mental
and physical disturbance.
The defendant himself went upon the
stand and told his story in a very
Straightforward manner.
AN INEBRIATE'S STORY
IT have resided at Los Gatos for four
years." he began, "as the manager of
the American Institute company. That
company was formed for the purpose
of treating patients suffering from ine-
briefly and various forms of nervous dis
orders. I left Los Gatos-so far as I
can remember-at the latter part of last
February. I had been under treatment
for seven weeks for taking certain
drugs, and was intending to go upon the
road in the interests of the company
The president had somewhat doubted my
ability in that direction, but after a stay
at Capitola I felt that I was strong
enough and fully competent. I have
no TecOuectiOH OIL the various places l
visited and only know through being
told. I was informed that 1 came to
Los Angeles on March 25th last"
What drug had you been taking?" in
quired Attorney Blakeley.
"Sulphonel. 1t has exhilarating
properties and is taken to produce sleep.
used to take from twenty to thirty
grains"
rs it not given to patients when they
are convalescing?"
Yes, sir, for quieting their nerves and
to induce sleep
WAS it prescribed first for you by a
physician?"
Yes, sir: when I was taking treat
ment in July, 1894, previous to the time
of acting as manager of the institute"
'And later you continued it yourself?"
yes. when overworked 1 took it with
out letting any one know"
What were your duties as manager
of the institute?"
I'VE had from seventy to eighty pa
tients. and had to supervise their treat
ment attend to the books and the stock
of the company and also make trips in
the interest of the company soliciting
patronage. Each trip made I brought
back usually from six to eight patients
per month"
Had all this an effect upon your phys
ical condtion?"
Yes, sir. I suffered from sleepless-
ness and pains in the back of my head.
The latter became so acute that a n light
l used to put my head on the wirdow-sili
to let the cool air blow upon my head.
Ever since being at Huachuca, Ariz., I
have been badly troubled. Ofttimes a
craving came upon me for stimulan
and 1 would sometimes wander away.
Many times in the last ten years l have
wandered in this seni-conscious condi-
ton
The last attack ascribe to overwork.
When / became manager of the insti-
tute it was saddled with an Indebtedness
of $4,000, but l paid that off and put the
company into good financial condition.
The work told upon me and in, think
November, 1895. began taking absinthe
in conjunction with sulphonel, and con-
tinued that until July
When were you arrested?" inquired
MI. Williams, in cross-examination
Il didn't remember any thing about my
arrest until l awakened up in prison.
why did you give wrong name?"
Il gave my mothers maiden name be-
cause I felt badly at being advertised
in the papers as being guilty of offense." "
do you remember being arrested at
Santa Monica?"
L KNOW L was dTTeSl6Q ana lrleQ IOT
misdemeanor and served a short term in
the county Jail. / don't remember any
of the circumstances in the saloon until
l read it in the papers. have no recol-
lection of this check except what have
been told, nor do I remember conversine
with any officers OF the Cass & Smuri
company. ] have been in jail since Aug
ust 10Th and have been deprived, Of ali
drugs, and fee! no desire for any have
taken drugs since about 81 years of age
but it is only in recent years that the
habit has assumed proportions. My
father was an inebriate but l can't say
how it affected him, but he lived to be
so years of age
HOW THE TREATMENT WORKS.
Several witnesses were put forward tc
prove that the defendant was in a mos
irrational state of mind when he left
Los Gatos, and among these was on,
named o. F. Barclay. This gentlema n
like most of the other witnesses from the
north. had been an inmate of the Amer
ican institute at Los Gatos, and some O
his remarks were both interesting ant
funny.
After telling what he knew regardin1
the mental condition Of the defendant