The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-04-07
LISTENING TO
EXPERT TESTIMONY
DR.. Henry N. Wetherill Called by Defense
in the Dickinson Case.
VISITED HER IN THE ASYLUM
Thought at That Time the Plaintiff
Was Suffering from n Form of In
sanity known as Paranoia-- Be-
Iieves That Her Condition Now Is
About the Same as 1t Was when
She Was in the DanvilIe Asylum.

There was a great crush in the cor
ridor outside of the superior court room
yesterday morning of persons who
wanted to get into the room
| to hear the trial of the An
ma Dickinson case. The tipstaves
were unable to keep the crowd
away from the court room door and
| preserve order and Chief Of Police
Robling was compelled to detail Patrol
men Saul and Block to keep the corrl-
dor cleared.
After court opened in the morning
| the cross mination of George b.
| Thompson, one of the defendants, was
resumed and then DR.. Henry NJ Weth-
| erill. Of Philadelphia, of the lunacy
| committee of the state board of chari-
ties, was called to give expert testi-
mony. He described his visit to Miss
Dickinson at Danville asylum on March
| II, 1891 and said Miss Dickinson told
them in a very exalted way that she
would have nothing to do with them.
| She pointed to the rules on the wall
and said to the witness, DO your duty"
The plaintiff looked pale, sad and
| haggard on the day he visited her.
| There was a dilation of the eyes and
her mouth. chin and hands trembled.
His opinion was that she was suffering
from a form of insanity known as
raranoia, which he described as mania,
melancholia and dementia. Paranoia
was essentially a hereditary failing.
1t might result from eccentricity in a
parent, which would go a step farther
in the child than it had in the parent.
hypothetical question was put to the
witness by Attorney Dawson, of counsel
for the defense, which drew forth a
strong objection from Attorney Hodge.
Court then adjourned for dinner and
when it reconvened at p. m. in the
Federal court room in the postolfce
building Judge ACheson decided to al
low the question.
HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION.
The hypothetical question was then
put to DR.. Wetherlll. 1t embraced
about all of the facts elected from the
witnesses for the defense and he was
asked if assuming that these facts
We're true he would consider such a
person sane or insane
This question was objected to by At
torney Hodge who said the question did
not correspond to the facts and sug-
gested that the jury be taken out of
the room while a proper question was
being framed. Judge Acheson said
that he did not think that it was his
duty to frame a question and he did
not see the necessity of excluding the
Jurors from the room while objections
TO the question were being heard. Mr..
Hodge then made a series of objec-
tions to the statement Of facts in the
hypothetical question and laid particu-
lor ctr IN "a hot faNu lot taS
were mentioned in the question and
there was nothing to indicate whether
the events occurred immediately before
the plaintiff was taken to the asylum
or were spread out over a number of
months.
Judge Acneson suggested some
amendments to the question and told
the attorneys for the defense to frame
another question conforming to the
amendments. This was done and it
was 4.05 when the reading of the
amended question to the jury by the
stenographer was completed.
DID NOT STATE THE FACTS.
Mr.. Hodge also objected to this ques-
tion as not fairly stating the facts
brought out in the case. The objection
were overruled and DIR. Wetherill said
that assuming the facts as stated TO be
correct he believed that the plaintiff
was insane on Feb. 25, 1891. His opin-
ion was that the excessive use of liquor
by a person in an abnormal mental
condition would have a tendency to in
. crease the trouble.
On cross-eXamination Mr.. Hodge ask
! ed Or. Wetherill a hypothetical ques-
/ ton based on the assumption that
Dickinson at the Danville asylum she
) was merely suffering from the excite
ment and disorder incident to her be-
: ing taken to the asylum against her
will and wanted to know if she could
be reasonably considered insane if the
examining physician found nothing else
indicating insanity.
3 Mr.. Dawson objected on the ground
that it was not stating the facts in
the case. Judge Acheson said it would
be allowed if it was merely a hypothet-
! ical question.
Dr. Wetherill answered that a person
might or might not be considered in
sane by a physician in such case.
1t would depend upon his experience
and his intelligence in passing judg-
ment on what he saw.
MI AN ANSWER
That is no answer to the question: y
' said Mr.. Hodge. What 1 wanted to
know is would he not have to discov-
: er greater signs OF disorder and delu-
- sions than those outlined in the ques-
tion of the person was insane"
If the examination was long and
thorough enough, the witness thought
other symptoms would have been dis
covered if the person was insane.
/, What do you think of Miss Anna
Dickinson's condition now?" asked Mr.
Hodge.
: "I believe that it is about the same
as when l saw her in the DanvillC
Insane asylum" replied DR.. Wetherlll
He admitted that pressure alievates
pain and that severe pressure on a
foot in which there was a good dea
of pain would give relief. He has seer
persons suffering from acute stomach
trouble roll about on bed or even or
= the floor when the agony of pain was
upon them similar to the manner in
which Miss Dickinson rolled about the
. floor at her dressmakers house.
9 The sending of a telegram to Cover,
a nor Pattison demanding universal suf
!. frage. he thought, was very peculiar
a under ordinary circumstances but ht
did not consider it peculiar for Miss
Dickinson TO do that.
At 6 O'Clock when court adjourned
DR.. Wetherill was stlll under cross-ex
, animation. 1t will be resumed this morn