Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-10-10
COUNTY COURT.
CONTINUED from last week.

Continued from last week.
DIR. Lawton, superintendent Of the
Brattleboro Insane Retreat, was call
ed and in answer to questions to his
preparations and his present occupa-
ton, said he graduated from Burling-
ton medical school, and then attend
ed and graduated at the school of
Physicians and Surgeons in New York,
was at the Hartford Asylum about one
year, and afterward took post grad
uate at the school from which he
graduated in New York. He also spent
considerable time at the asYlums in
New York city, and on BlackwelPs is
land. He then went to Brattleboro
where he served as first assistant sup
erintendent for about ten years. Dur
ing this time he spent one year in
study in London, Paris and Berlin tax
ing special lines and investigation.
The superintendent at Brattleboro dy-
ing soon after his return he was given
en- the position and had since held it.
The doctor was given hypothetical
question embracing the main facts
which the contestants tend to prove,
and was then asked, "taking this
statement as true what was the men
tai condition of Mr.. Nelson in August
of '96?'' The doctor replied that he
should consider him insane. He was
then asked a large number of specific
questions as to the various points in
ho md ~ Hn what nonh in6iRat-
ed end the Importance of each in max
ing up his conclusion.
DIR. Gaines of Newport was called
Tuesday morning and was asked the
same hopothetical'questi as was DR..
Lawton and replied to the same effect.
He was then asked specific questions
and gave views in the main in har-
mony with those expressed by DR..
Lawton. The doctor was given
thorough cross examination which
brought out the fact that he had used
the two words, 'delusion and hallucin-
ation,' without proper distinction of
the two terms. He was then asked to
state what the different points which
had been brought up would indicate
in regard to the condition of Mr.. Mel
son, leaving the question of alcoholism
entirely out of the case. He stated in
reply to those questions that he still
found things indicating delusions.
Gen. Grout and Amory Dawson
were the first witnesses called in re-
buttal and testified to the presence of
Mr.. Nelson at certain meetings of the
bank directors in Aug, '96. They tes-
titled that they had not noticed, ex
cept in a few instances, the smell of
liquor on his breath, nor ceen him
drink liquor; nor noticed certain pc
culiarities in his gait or the appear
ance of his face and eyes as claimed by
the the other side.
Mr.. Colby was sworn and testified
that while away with Nelson once he
offered Nelson some liquor but he re-
fused it. Testified further that he new
er saw Nelson drink liquor. Also said
he was in Seaver's block one time
when Mr.. Nelson and Davis were talk
ing in an angry manner and that Mr.
Nelson did not make any loud talk.
Fred Williamson was called and re-
We'd the circumstances which brought
him into business relations with Mr..
Nelson; stated that he never noticed
the smell of liquor on Nelson's breath.
nor had he ever seen him drink liquor.
In his cross examination Mr.. William
son by inadvertence represented him
self as doing business with Mr.. Nelson
after his death.
There were several other witnesses
called in rebuttal but we failed to get
their testimony.
Wednesday morning Damon Scott
was called. He testified that he had
been acquainted with Nelson for a long
time; heard William Brown speak of
Mr.. Nelson, after his death, in very
uncomplimeDtary terms.
H. A. Folsom was the next witness
and said in part: Mr.. Nelson was in my
meat market often; I did not notice
any great change in him during the