The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-27
DIR. JOHNSTON'S TRIAL.
Witnesses for the Insanity Defense Give
Evidence That Prisoner Has Looked
Wild and Has Acted Strangely.

New BlOOmlelu, IA, Jan. ZO'-,l'
Thomas l.. Johnston appeared some
what brighter today, when he was
brought into the court room. than at
any time since the opening of the trial.
He did not seem to be very much wor-
ried about the progress which was be-
ing made by the court in trying him for
numbering DR.. George S. Henry, the
wealthy and popular Duncannon drug
gist, last fall
The court opened at 10 o'clock this
morning w r. Swartz of Penn town
ship, and Joseph Coup, of the same
township, testified to the absent mind
edness of DR.. Johnston and of his pc
culiar actions. Mr.. Coup had Mr.. John
ston as his family physician for many
years, but on account of his apparent
insane conduct he quit him. When they
separated DR.. Johnston and he had
Wordy quarrel.
John w. Snyder. of DunCannon, an at
tendant in the insane hospitals of Tren-
ton, n. j., Warren, and Harrisburg,
Pa, testified that he had experience
with over $500 inmates and he expressed
his belief that DR.. Johnston was OF
unsound mind, he having seen him act
| ing in a very peculiar way upon many
occasions. He cited instances of such
| conduct. Mr. Snyder was to be an eX-
| pert witness, but the defence failed to
| qualify him as such.
William T.. Darby, a lawyer of Steel
| ton, who knew DR.. Johnston for ten
or twelve years, said since the death
of Miss Johnston in 1892, DR.. Johnston
acted very strangely, not at all like
| sane man.
| Miss Florence NJ. Long, at present en-
| ployed at the Johnston residence cor
roborated the testimony concerning her
employers queer actions. on the morn
| ing before the shooting he had a wild
look in his eyes.
Mrs. S. Is. Hiestand, of Newport. and
sister of Mrs. Johnston, DR.. w. 5.
Ruppe, of Duncannon, and DR.. j. c.
! Stevenson, of Harrisburg, each testified
concerning peculiar actions on the part
of DR.. Johnston. This closed the morn
| ing session.
The two most important witnesses
heard since the trial of DR.. Johnston
began We're his wife and DR.. Moulton,
a noted specialist on insanity.
Mrs. Johnston was called and there
was hush in the court room when she
was brought in by DR.. Johnston S
brother The woman looked pale and
she made a heroic fight and passed
through the most rigorous cross-eXam-
ination that has been given any witness
in this case. She said her husband had
been kind and devoted to her. and es-
pecially so since the death of their
daughter in 1892 which seemed to have
affected his mind. He never accused
her of infidelity until within a week of
the tragedy She denied that she had
heen guilty of Illicit relations with
Druggist George S. Henry or any other
man and that for years she had not
spoken to Mr.. Henry or he to her Mrs
Johnston detailed how her husband had
acted queerly upon many occasions ano
how his conduct in that direction grew
worse until the morning of the shooting
when he appeared to be regular mad
man. He only struck her once ana II
cross examination she sWore he never
did her any bodily harm. She was OF
the witness stand for almost two hours
and made strong witness for her nus
band. Her determination that shf
would do all in her power to save hei
husbands life was we'll carried out.
Dr.. Edward r. MoultOn in charge O
the mems department of Kirkbride in
stitute for the insane, in Philadelphia
| apDeared as an expert in mental ulS
eases. Dr. Moulton told how he made
two personal examinations of DR.. John
ston in his cell in the county jail, tn
first time November 10, 1896, and tn
second time the other day. He said IN
physical examination showed many de
fects which always indicate insanity
| DR.. Johnston's pulse was l4O, tempera
| ture less than normal, pupils of eye
a | f,,Fr t. N
fluence of light, saying the iris Shout
expand and contract under the inhuenc
of light and darkness.
2 His blood lacked 80 per cent in color
ing matter and said the impoVerishmen
of the blood might result and indee
1 had tendency to impoverish the brai
4 | and in itself cause the mind to becom
= diseased,
T DR.. Moulton said he had arrived a
r the clear, certain conclusion that ID
Johnston, at the time of the commits
g sion of the crime, September 2S, lSS
a, was crazy. He declared there is n
Y doubt in his mind about this an
- termed it neurasthenia as the cond
+ ton which had caused the prisoner
e insanity, 1t was due to oVerWork an
n brought on by nervous prOstration
( Court adjourned at 515 until $50 tC
o morrow when four experts of natiOns
reputation will be heard. The case wi
: likely last all week.