The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-07
BUTTE News.
EXPERTS ON THE STAND
Interesting Session of the Lar
kin Hearing.
TO PROVE HIS SANITY
Impossible That Larkin Could Have
Been Suffering From Dementia
at the Time the Sale
Was Made.
TO PROVE HIS SANITY

There was an interesting session of
the Larkin insanity examination be-
fore Examiner Blake yesterday. sew
erai noted experts and authorities on
mental and nervous diseases having
been summoned as witnesses by the
Butte & Boston people for the purpose
of proving that Larlin was sane and
perfectly competent to manage his BUS
iress affairs on May 4, 1898, when he
sold his interests in the Snohomsh and
Tramway lode claims to the Butte Il
Boston company. The evidence intro
duced by the parties who are attempt
ing to have that sale set aside has been
offered for the purpose of showing that
at the time of the sale and for long
time prior thereto Larkin was suffer
ing from dementia and was mentally in
competent
The eminent specialists who were
summoned to refute that theory were
DIR. J. T, Eskridge, at present located at
Denver, and man with an internal
tional reputation as an authority on
mental and nervous diseases; DR.. H. t.
Persking, also of Denver, and a rec
ognized expert on diseases of the mind,
and DR.. o. Y. Warren of the Warm
. Springs asylum.
Dr.. Eskridge was on the witness
stand nearly all day. His testimony
was based on the facts set forth in the
transcript of the testimony of wit
nesses for the other side and upon hy-
pothetical questions, from which he con-
Guided that 1t was impossible that Lar
kin could have been afflicted with de-
mentia at the time of the sale of the
property, for his acts were incompatible
with those of a dement,.
Dr. o. Y. Warren, one of the physi-
clans at the Warm Springs asylum, was
the first witness. He said he became
acquainted with Doc Larkin in jan
uary, 1895, when he became an inmate
of the asylum. When admitted he was
in fairly good physical condition. but
was listless, very quiet and seldom
spoke unless spoken to. From the his
tory of the case the doctor formed an
opinion that Larkin was suffering from
alcoholic dementia. After being there
a while he had an attack of apopleXy,
which left him paralyzed on one side
and his speech was interfered with In
time he recovered his former physical
health, but some time later he had an
other attack with the same result-par-
recovered again, and. the witness
thought had a third attack. His de-
mentia gradually grew worse until his
death.
On cross examination by Mr.. Leon
ard, the witness was asked if he could
give an opinion of Larkin's mental con-
dition in 1898 If he had a history of the
case from the beginning of that year
up to the time he was admitted to the
1Drtnr NOT
know, and the attorneys on the other
side announced that the witness would
be recalled, at which time he might be
examined on hypothetical questions.
The witness was asked if he was pres
ent at the autopsy on Larkin's brain
and he said he was, In answer to a
few other questions he said the au-
topsy showed a slight rupture of blood
vessel, the rupture being a recent one.
DR.. ]. It. Eskridge of Denver noted
specialist on diseases of the mind, was
the next witness He testified that he
graduated from Jefferson Medical col
Iege of Philadelphia in 1876, and gave ar
account of his connections with and
practice in number of leading hospi,
tails. Since 1879 he has devoted himself
largely to a study of mental and nerv-
Gus diseases. He has written large
numbers of articles on insanity anC
nervous diseases and contributed g
treatise on the same diseases to medica
books. For some years he has been To-
Gated in Colorado and has been an at
tendant upon the insane at Colorado
Springs, and later was with the Arapa
hoe hospital in Denver and is at pres
ent with the ST Luke's hospital HI
has also been dean of the faculty of the
Denver college of medicine. For years