Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-05-05

Vi AHA neeler and acknowledged
that no good could come of such an
act. She denied that the homicide
was planned; she bought the revolver
TO Kill herself, as she had often told
Jack Wheeler she would. She did
not know why she did not kill Wheel
er instead of Anna Wheeler; she
never intended to kill either. She
could not remember whether she had
any alteration with Anna Wheeler
On the way to the scene of the trag.
edy or not. He saw her again at TIN
jail November 20. At this examina.
ton she testified that she became en-.
gagged to Jack Wheeler about two
weeks after she met him. She had
asked him il he intended to marry
Anna Wheeler and he said no. Ii
troubled her to think that he was
going with Anna when he was en-
gagged to her. She had little remem-
brance Of the night before the TRACE
dy. She never said she would kill
Jack Wheeler, but did tell him that
she would take her .wn life. She in
tended to shoot herself because she
thought that the surest death.
The hypothetical question Of the
state, which was read by States At
torney Rowland, summing up the
facts as given in the testimony, that
Mildred Brewster was the descendent
of ancestors suffering with various
nervous disorders and of violent
tempers, that she had had intimate
relations with Jack Wheeler, that
during the intimate relations with
Wheeler Mildred Brewster knew that
Wheeler was paying attention to
Anna Wheeler, that the day she pur-
chased the revolver her appearance
was not noticeably strange, that she
recovered consciousness at the time
Anna Wheeler's body was being pre-
pared for burial and talked connect
edly in regard to matters preceding
the tragedy, and various other facts,
ending with, "Assuming the fore
going to be true and including the
facts observed by you, was the said
Mildred Brewster at the time of the
shooting of Anna Wheeler sane or in
sane ?" was answered by DIR. Lawton,
"Sane." States Attorney Rowland
then asked the additional question,
Con the assumption as in the last
question stated, was the said Mildred
Brewster at the time of the shooting
of Anna Wheeler of such mental
soundness as to be able to distinguish
between right and wrong in respect
to the shooting of Anna Wheeler ?"
To this question DIR. Lawton replied,
al think she was" Mr.. Rowland
then asked, "Ilaving in mind your
examinations of Mildred as testified
to here and your presence when she
was being examined by DIR. Fisher,
what do you say AS to whether or not
on all these occasions she was sane or
insane 7, To this DIR. Lawton an
swered, "Sane." DR.. Lawton did not
think Miss Brewster was suffering
from an epileplic form Of insanity,
deneniia or ALCOHOLICS insanity, all of
which caused loss Of memory, when
she did the shooting. In answer to
Mr.. Howland's question whether, as
suming the facts as set forth in the
hypothetical question to be true, and
having in mind his examination OF
Miss Brewster, he thought she, in
fact, did have loss of memory of the
events prior and subsequent TO the
shooting, DIR. Lawton thought she
had memory of events up to the time
of the homicide, but probably there
was loss of memory for a longer or
shorter period following the crime,
though he doubted that the loss Of
memory was continuous. DIR. Law
ton did not think loss of memory for
four weeks could have followed the
injury received by Mildred. He said
that 60 per cent of the murders COM
United were followed by attempted
suicide, and that only some 20 per
cent OF suicides are insane.
In cross-examination DR.. Lawton
said Spitzka is good authority on SAN
ity. but that he differs with DIR.
Spitzka in a good many of his CLASH
fications. DIR. Lawton did not think |
the fact that Miss Brewster was emo
tional, irritable, headstrong and will
full had any bearing in establishing
the question of her sanity or insanity,
but il anything, the doctor thought it
would serve to establish her sanity, as
thew were all natural traits. DIR.
Lawton thought that insanity mani
tested itself in commissions in child.
hood. lie also thought person with
emotional tendencies to hereditary
insanity was more liable to be insane
han another. He did not think that
the photograph of Jack
Wheeler and showing it with pleasure
to the nurse was the natural express
sion of sound mind, but about what
he would expect from nervous, hys-
terical, ill-balanced mind. He did
not think the letters written by Miss
Brewster while she was at the hospi-
tai. after the tragedy, were at all
strange for person with her strong
" marked peculiarities to write. He