The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-03
THE ARGUMENTS BEGUN
MEDICAL EXPERTS ron TIE STATE
IN THE KIPPIE TRIAL,

Rested Their Cases-Opening Argument
for the State-Case win Probably Go to
the Jury To-day.
The examination of witnesses in the
Ripple trial was finished at o'clock
yesterday afternoon and both sides
rested their cases, Attorney A NJ
Wheeler made the opening argument
for the state and court then adjourned
at 4:30 until 10 o'clock this morning,
when Attorney r. II. Tyner will make
the opening argument for the defence
Mr.. Williams will then speak for the
state and will be followed by Mr.. Tut
tie for defence. Mr.. Williams will fol-
low him with the final argument. 1t is
probable that the case will go TO the
jury late this afternoon.
When the case was resumed yester-
day morning Mrs. Tiederman, sister of
Mrs. Ripple resumed her testimony,
which was broken off by the adjourn
ment last Friday.
She told of a time when Tom came
into the house while the witness was
there and he said he wasn't going to
work any more; that he was going to
have good time while his money last
ed and that when that was gone he
would kill himself, but would see her,
Mary, gone first. Mary said that that
was the way he talked all the time;
that he could kill himself If he wanted
to, but that she hoped he would leave
her alone.
She also told of a time when Ripple
went out in the yard and killed dog
and all her puppies because they were
females, He chopped them up with an
axe and then went down cellar and
killed his brothers dog in the same
way. This was when they lived in New
Britain.
Mrs. Tiedemann said that she did not
consider Tom Ripple drunkard and
that for about Ave years he did not
drink.
On her cross-examination she stated
that her sister was quick tempered but
got over it very quickly; did not CON
slider that she had Il sharp tongue; that
Mrs. Ripple was a Roman Catholic an
knew the rules of that church regard
Ing the marriage of divorced people
Sergeant Cowles was next called and
vas asked if there was anything in
Kippie's struggles or conduct on that
day different from that of any other
prisoner or to indicate insanity. He
said there was not
DIR. Francis Bacon was the first medi-
cal expert called by the state. After
| qualifying, he said, in answer to a
| hypothetical question, that in his opin-
ion Ripple was sane at the time OF the
murder.
He stated that when on February 9,
1896, he went to examine the prisoner
there were no indications of decisions
or Authorizations. He spoke with emo
ton and shed tears like a person who
has undergone high degree of excite
ment His language was good and de-
corous. 1t was free from violence and
was civil
When cross-examined by Mr.. futile,
DR.. Bacon stated that the effects of al
cohol in extreme cases closely resemble
insanity.
Doctor, suppose the father and
mother We're drunkards before concep-
ton, what would be the probable effect
upon the children?" asked Attorney
futile.
1T Is impossible to predict with ac-
curacy. 1t is uniformly acknowledged
that certain nervous conditions may be
transmitted from parents who labor
under chronic alcoholism, but it is not
uniformly So
isn't child whose parents have
been suffering from chronic alcoholism
more liable to epilepsy than those
whose parents have not?'
Probably so"
Excessive brutality may be symp-
tom of diseased mind, may it not,
doctor?"
1T may be, but it also may be an in
dication of diseased morals
Nothing inconsistent in the chop
ping up of animals with insanity, is
there?"
IF done without apparent motives it
might not be an indication of insan-
ity."
rs not excessive or abnormal jeal-
ousy an indication Of a disordered
| mind?"
IF 1t is absolutely groundless it may
be an indication of a disordered mind .
DR.. Simon p. Goodhart was the sec
ond expert for the defence After stat
ing that he was a graduate Of the Yale
Sheffield Scientific and Medical schools,
had studied in Heidelberg, Vienna and
Berlin, and was a specialist on nervous
diseases connected with the New York
College of Physicians and Surgeons, he
was asked the hypothetical question
propounded by the state.
His answer was, Il should say that
at the time Ripple committed the MUIR
der he was sane"
He testified that he had examined
Kippie's palate arch, found it within
the range of normal, and had measur-
ed the head which was test of men,
tai degeneracy. He found nothing alb
normal in the measurements.
DR. WEIGH of this city was next call
ed. but his testimony developed moth
ling new.
The last expert called by the state
was DIR. Samuel P. Stern of Hartford
He stated that he had been a physi.
clan for forty years, was a surgeon in
the late war, and after the war prac-
ticed in Hartford for eight years. He
has since been physician and superin.
tendent for the Retreat for the Insane
at Hartford
In reply to the hypothetical question
he stated that he thought that Ljppif