The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-02
Mrs. Hutchinson'S Explanation of
Her Various TheftS.
DID NOT MEAN TO STEAL
y YIELDED TO AN IMPULsE THAT
WAS UNCOMFORTABLE.
Intended to Return the Articles-The
Nurse Tells Her Story On the
Stand-Insanity In the Family
Her Unhappy Married Life-Ex
pert Testimony Today.


L. Hutchinson yesterday, for the ex-
animation Of the defendant, who was
on the stand during the greater por-
ton CT the day, developed SO many
phases of character, either unconscious
or assumed, that she was an object of
especial interest to any one inclined
to Investigate the natural reasons for
committing crime and the manner of
the coEcealment thereof.
MIR. Mathis and Chief Pratt were on
the stand a short time yesterday morn
ing, and after answering two or three
questions were permitted to so. The
state then rested.
Mrs. Hutchinson was the first witness
called by the defense. Whether she
was placed On the stand first in order
to permit the physicians who have
been summoned to testify to observe
her actions and assist them in forming
q conclusion as to her state of mind or
not is a question which only the coun-
sci conducting the defense can answer.
AT any rate she was sworn and exam
ined.
Her testimony developed the fact that
she was a woman OF education and re-
fInement Her language was excellent
and her resources exceedingly fertile.
t-Some answers to questions propounded
showed acute mental acumen, whether
1t be cunning resulting from any Of the
several forms of insanity or natural
the jury viii decide.
She is not a very ineligible witness,
at distance, for her voice is low anG
she has lisp which makes it exceed
ingly difficult to understand her, even
at distance Of a few feet away
Stenographer Pike found it very hard
work, and once or twice during the ex-
animation stopped in his work to in
form the court that unless the lady
talked louder it would be as well for him
TO quit, as he could not correctly catch
what she had to say.
Even when this was done it was diff
cult to correctly understand what she
was relating and the reporters had to
move very close to the jury box in or
der TO hear distinctly.
Responsive TO questions propounded,
she declared her birthplace was Rhwyl
North Wales and the date of her ad-
vent as Oct. 4, 1863. Her maiden name
was Thompson. Having made this
statement, witness was about to relate
all about her relatives who had died,
and what allied them, when Mr.. Van
Colt objected to the answers. Counsel
for the witness declared the answer
tended to show there was a faint of in
sanity in the family, and that it was
proper to disclose it by evidence, but
the court sustained the objection made
by the state.
Specifically questioned, defendant
stated her father was man who labor
ed under the Authorization that all the
members of his family were in a league
to kill him. This delusion lasted for
many years He would not talk to his
children, and did not want them to
converse with him. Mrs Hutchinson
stated that her brothers and sisters
were also Of a nervous temperament.
At the age of u witness said she lost
y Ehe sight of both her eyes and was
pblind for nearly three years. AT that
time her life was despaired Of
There was a pathos in the story told
concerning her married life. She said
she welded at the age of %, her nus
band being David Joseph Hutchinson,
= lieutenant in the English army. Her
married life was most unhappy one,
for her husband was a wild, disSolute,
Incorporate and dissipated individual
They came to this country landing in
New York in 1891. Her husband, who
had left the army. could find nothing to
do, and abandoned her. Shortly after
ward she gave birth to a child which
died soon after its birth. She managed
to set as far as Dallas Tex, where
she learned of the death of her husband
in a San Francisco hospital She then
ItLUl4leQ 70 EllStdIQ WIN nGT nNlnS
child. and was in the Eastern hospital
there for two and one-half years, grad
uaung as a professional nurse.
Prior to entering she attempted sui
eide by taking chlGidine Witness re-
lated that she had feared insanity sew
eral times before this event.
She returned to this country in 1895.
and came to this city in 1896. The story
of her nursing III several families here
was told at some length. Her counsel
asked concerning the taking of many
articles. which she frankly confessed,
alleging her actions at the time were
from impulse.
In connection with the taking of the
articles from the Mathis house. witness
declared she did it because She wanted
to teach them leSSon-not to leave
the place exposed as it had been. She
lost a watch and chain and a ring
from there because they were careless.
Mr. Van Colt was extremely diligent
op-the denomination. He was not
rAdozing By any means, but persist
EsN. He questioned the witness closely
concerning her alleged impulses.
'No GU assert that you took every one
Of these articles while you were labor
ing under an inlpulse?''
To this the witness answered in the
affirmative.
Now, that being the case, was there
ever a time when you considered the
articles you had taken We're not your
own2"
''Oh. yes; I always knew they We're
not mine"
@sdn you took them?"
Eyes, because / was prompted to do
so under impulse"
when the knowledge came to you
that they were not yours, why did you
not return them?"
IL
impulse TO return them did not govern
as did the impulse for taking them.
You knew as q matter of right they
should be returned?'
Yes I think I had that idea"
Mr.. Van Colt led the witness up to
the time she took the ring from the
home Of Captain La Veille. This article
Of jewelry she had pawned for SO, be
cause she needed only that much.
Counsel for the state asked her why she
did not pawn her watch and she an
SWered she did not need so much money
as she could have obtained on the
watch. Neither could she get what she
exactly needed on her own ring and
pin. She wanted So and no more. and
pawned the ring twice, redeeming ii
the first time in a day or two. It was
in the pawnshop when she was ar
rested.
IN response to another question, she
Declared at the time she was arrested
Sshe was about to receive an appoint
Fnent as a nurse in the army Had she
1eceiy Sd this she intended to leave in
structions to take the clothing and sill
verware back to the Mathis home. She
had no idea of taking them and keep
ing them.
The witness asserted she had been
afflicted with assesses and other all
nsnts, and believed them responsible
in mart for her mental condition Sf~