Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-11-15

retrospective. 1t could not be seen
easily unless, perchance, it was
brought out by something. who can
best testify then on this. casual ac-
unaintanccS ard traders who only saw
him as he came into their stores, or
members Of his own household; his
family; those who saw him behind the
scenes; those who knew him by night
and by day and had suffered and en-
dured on account Of his deceased mind?
You saw his Wife on the stand. frank
to admit what was against him and
, herself. 50 We're his brothers frank to
admit everything. The State has
drawn out as much truth about
his general saundncss of mind from
them rs it has after summoning
t}rec-fourihs Of the vt;inE population
Of the towns Of the lower kcnnebec
They have shown that he was able to
labor. carry on the hay pressing bust
ness. buy and sell. and direct the work
he had been accustomed to do all his
life. Ordinarily this man was all right
except in connection with the deluSions
to which he was subject. The man
was all right in most things The
State went on to prove this again and
them in order for man to be insane
he must be an idiot on the one side or
4 maniac on the other He could tran
sact business. make Wills even, and do
everything outside Of his special form
OF insanity. There have been cases
like this before His general conference,
intelligence, knowledge Of his relations
with other people are matters to be
considered on another issue, that of the
degree and extent of the mental dis
ease This man was intelligent, and
coherent. He could reason. He was
not an idiot or a Wild lunatic as the
State seems to have considered it nee
cSsary to prove.
The State failed to bring in the eX-
pert testimony to which you and the
prisoner are entitled. We don't even
know their names. Whatever his in
telligencc and coherence may have
been the fact stands abmdantIy proven
ana has been traced back 10 years that
this man was insane II is for YOU 70
say whether his family was telling the
truth and YOU are better able to judge
than either of the counsel We are
preiudiced ana think that every Wit
ness on tho opposite side may be con
cealng something from us which We
want brought out There has not been
anything il the appearance Of the Wit
nrSscs t. make you believe that they
We're classifying. It would have been
Impossible to have told tn" story as
Mrs. Knight told it if it had not been
true.
Here is the story Of a man Of an in
sane race. Whether insanity can be
hereditary or not is Il much disputed
question in science. His mother was
insane tWn weeks after his birth. His
father, uncle aunt. sister, brother ana
cousin have all hepN insane. The stat
says that disease proceeded the insan-
ity in each case. What matters il
what lighted thr fame NJ insanity;
whether il was childbirth in one ease.
u love affair in another or Il family
trnUhl. IN another? If it We're ever
before 4 fair jury ~ their fair salts
faction that there was ever family
Tainted through ard through with in
sanity il is that out of which was
horn this man who is now 4 mental
ana moral wreck. Tho harvest is VIVA
N,l might expect ont of the soil In
tn, first case Of his insanity there was
excitement Tho power OF the sun
Il
second case WAS thlt of the whole fam
nv. Whether ii is An injury a. the
brain or anything els that causes tn"
mold on the mind to relax il is rarely
raeHinrl. From ~ III 2? this man ha-
tossed arm rolled night after night in
his sIrcplosSncss. He has fed on brom |
iIas. suifoual and other less powerful
drug in constantly increasing doses.
out Of This soil would YOU not expect
that there would come the listening to
imagined voices and the seeing in the
picture net face. rs the county attpt
ucv unfairly intimated in his examina-
ton ~ Dr. Bancroft. but light? If
you. gentlemen. ever see Il Strang" rae
in picture You can comfort yourselves
with the thought that it has been
painted there by the cunning hand Of
some artist, The crying, the days "
melancholy. the gloomy days, and the
strange sights all have started from his
brain without cause. Where did Mrs
Knight study insanity that she might
tan hrr story? Til my Office perhaps il
may he intimated. She learned it in
10 years Of trial with that man. Mo-
only has he wrecked her happiness,
nut has also wrecked himself morally
ana mentally. She suffered with him.
but he was the father of her children.
It is impossible in the nature of things
that she has been able to invent the
long ana consistent story of her hus-
bands insanity.
He came out Of the hospital with
horror Of returning. He was sensitive
about it. You have seen how a LITTLE
laugh from his crew sent him home
CRYING lie was then feigninS. OF
course, Getting ready for this trial 10
wears hence, He tries to work on tn"
press He gives it up and goes to work
in the shoe factory. RE X too nervous
for the work. With tie assistance Of
his strong minded brother Quin and
his wife he is assisted and kept along.
You are fathers ana brothers. You
have hearts and 50 have II The law
presumes that every emotion shall be
suppressed by You. There is not
man on the panel who can weigh
the evidence ana keep his mind
4 cold clear. philosophical, thinking ma
chine. Because Of the yelling M in your
heart of creditablc emotions You cannot
weigh the facts cn!Gly. You can't forgive
this man his great crime. You can't for