The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-06

b0iSC 4NOlIEll 4DI several QdyS past
created CONSERVATION in court yester-
day by an exhibition of conduct which
tended to convey the impression that
Bhe is not person of sound mind.
1t was shortly after the opening of
court that she was brought in by the
Sheriff. At the time it was noted that
her face wore an expression of Wild
ness; that her eyes were glazing and
her entire expression one strange in
the extreme.
After she sat down in her chair she
picked up a portiere, and handing it
towards her counsel, Grant H. Smith,
she remarked, somewhat wildly, Here,
this is to put over her coffin" The
bailiff opened court a moment later,
and the names of several witnesses
We're called. None of them responding,
Mr.. Critchlow requested the defendant
to take the stand. Instead of comply
ing with the request, she arose, and,
pointing her finger at Mr. Van Cotl,
exclaimed in a very loud tone: Il tell
you she is dead, and that man killed
her" Then facing the audience in the
court room and the witnesses inside the
bar, she continued: Il tell you all he's
going to send me to the asylum" She
Then made a rush as if to get to Mr..
Van Colt, but was caught by Bailiff
OUADE3AlS6n dllu ll6E CUQltSCis MI. Ol1tAttts
and held while she grated her teeth
and talked incoherently for several
minutes. Catching sight of Mrs. and
Miss Mathis. she would have made a
rush at them, but was restrained.
This bit of conduct was followed by
fit of weeping. The incident caused sew
eral of the ladies who were within the
bar to retire to the outside, and caused
quite a. sensation in court.
The SIGHT of the articles taken from
the different places by her seemed to
cause her much annoyance, and she
demanded they be taken out Of her
sight. This request was complied with,
and, seeing she was in no condition to
go on the stand the defense called DR..
Root, who testified as to her physical
condition since he had known her. He
asserted he had known her for two
years, and while she was a proficient
nurse, she was woman with an eX-
ceedingly nervous temperament. He
had treated her for blood poisoning and
a septic Giarrhoea, caused by the same.
and she had always been regarded by
him as a person with an unsound mind,
On crosS-examination the witness adj
mitted that he did not consider her in
sane until after he had heard of the
arrest, and the circumstances leading
up to ii fixed the conclusion in his mind.
DR.. Beatty was recalled, and testi-
fed as to meeting the defendant up
town at one time, and she failed to
recognize him when he spoke to her.
DR. o. B. Hewlett was examined, and
said he had always regarded the de-
PENDANT as a person with an unsound
mind, because she was so erratic. She
never kept an appointment, always be-
ing either too early or too late. He
and his wife had concluded she was
mentally unbalanced.
Ct tod he would like RI
TASK the defendant a few questions, if
5ashe cared to answer them, and, after
consultation with her counsel, she stag
gered over to the witness chair.
Counsel for the state asked her if she
went to Mrs. Burfind's the morning af-
ter Detective Gillespie's visit, to borrow
a pair of shoes, and she left her own
there. to which she answered in the
affirmative.
Whose feathers are these?" inquired
Mr.. Van Colt, holding up three large
blue ostrich feathers.
The answer was not what was eX-
pected, for she replied: They are for
the coffin, and were intended for fu-
neral feathers"
This completed her examination.
Mr.. Critchlow had a little tilt with
r B. Houghton, who was on the stand
during the afternoon. Witness stated,
during the direct examination that he
had known Mrs. Hutchinson for two
years, and at no time had he ever re-
garded her as being insane.
On the cross eXamination. Mr.. Critch-
low asked him: You knew that she
was in ill-health most of the timer
Yes, sir
What was the uL-ter with herr"
"She had an abscess under the arm,
and was afflicted with bowel complaint,
l understood"
During the time you knew her, what
was her disposiuon?"
"She was lively and chatty. and of a
cheerful disposition.
Mr.. Critchlow had evidently struck a
lead. for he followed this with: yes,
she was chatty and lively. You never
saw her morose and melancholy dur
ing the time you knew her. did you?"
mo. sir
Now. as a matter of fact, you have
done all you could to assist in convict
king this woman, have you not, and you
Nave aided the chief of police in his ef-
1Srts to convict her?'
No, sir
Didn't you tell the chief of police
that the lewelry she took was in the
house next door?"
y refuse to answer the question:
ooh, you refuse to answer the ques-
tion?"
Mr.. Putnam then took the witness,
and asked him question to which the
gentleman replied that he had believed
the defendant thief.
. Critchlow again took him a few min
utes. and handed him the following:
You We're prejudiced against her,
then. and, Notwithstanding the fact
that her friends claimed she was of
unsound mind, you made yourself a
Judge and jury, and convicted her with
cut a hearing; in other words, you
abandoned the principle which holds
every person innocent until proven
guilty?"
The reply was an affirmative one
you did not think that perhaps she
might be insane, and, therefore, inno-
cent?"
Il did not know what the defense
would be; how could ] tell.
"Then you believe your friends guilty
until they are proven innocent?"
1t was evident the witness did not
like the position he was being placed
in, for his answer was: 'She had con-
fessed, and I believed she was crimi-
nally hardened"
You still stick by that?'
yes"
The witness then stated he did not
tell Pratt the jewelry was next door,
although he admitted having telephon-
ed it to Sheets. On cross-examination
he said the package was opened when
he saw it, although he did not open 1t.
Critchiow had some more fun with
the next witness, a Miss Baird, who is
a professional nurse. and who said she
had known the defendant for two
years. Each had nursed the other.
Nursing seems 10 be hard business, as
every nurse on the stand thus far has
been i'll within the last two years.
Miss Baird did not think defendant
insane. although she was very erratic.
She believed she was a hoity-toity Eng
lfeb - oil fc1,