The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-01

Below is given the full text of DR..
Wetherill's report on the mental con-
dition of the condemned murderer,
George X. VanHorn, whose attorneys
sought to have his death sentence COM
muted on the ground of insanity. He
says that VanHorn is mentally sound
and gives no indication of ever having
been mentally deranged.
Office of the Board of Public Charities,
State Capital, Harrisburg, Pa.
January, Q, 1899.
To the Honorable the Board of Pardons
| of Pennsylvania
| Gentlemen: On December %, 1898, l was
honored by a direction of your board to
examine in my official capacity into the
mental condition of the prisoner, George
| *. Van Horn, in the Jail of Lackawanna
county, under capital sentence for murder
in the first degree and report the result
of such examination, in writing, at my
earliest convenience.
| l regret that circumstances over which
| had no control prevented me from taxi
ing immediate action upon this direction
but upon January 2, 1899, l was enabled
to go to Scranton and from that date
|
the required investigation Of the said
prisoner at the Jail of Lackawanna.
county.
AS is my Usual practice in such cases,
have relied, in forming an opinion,
largely upon repeated protracted per-
sonal interviews with the prisoner in his
cell and upon direct physical and mental
examination and studies. But ] have
also been careful not to neglect other
means and sources of information, such
as a perusal of the crime and attentive
study OF the entire evidence submitted
at this prisoners trial and Of the judge s
charge to the jury; of the court refus-
ing to grant a new trial; of the paper
books in which the case was appealed to
the Supreme court and of the action of
the latter sustaining that of the court
below. Certain dispositions as to the al
legged mental col dition OF George X. Van
Horn, which have been submitted since
his trial have also been read and con-
sidered by me. together with correspond
ence upon the same subject, addressed
to his counsel by friends of the prisoner.
INTERVIEWS WITH PRISONER.
1 have had interviews with the pris-
oners aged and afflicted mother, with
his counsel, with the sheriff, with the
:, warden and the deputy warden and keep
ers of the Jail who have, and have had
the prisoner in immediate charge and
supervision. The physician Of the prison
and myself have consulted together as
to the prisoners past and present con1i-
ion. L have conferred with the district
attorney and have called upon the Hon
orable r. w. Archibald, president judge
before whom this case was tried, in or
der to acquaint him with my duties
under the direction Of your board. In ad.
diton to this l have patiently heard the
| statements nniniOnS n pth no
who have sought me for the purpose OF
trying to impress me with their views
of the case Having personally exam.
ined the prisoner, George K. Van Horn
a sufficient number of times and for such
a length Of time as to enable me to form
a positive opinion as to his mental ca.
pacity and condition and having as l be-
lieve, exhausted all reliable sources OF
| information, I now have the honor tC
submit the following:
; George X. Van Horn does not show al
the present time a sign, symptom or other
indication that ne is insane, or mentally
disordered or deficient in intellect in thC
! least degree.
Considering the dissipated, intemper
ate and reckless existence that he has
led, l think that his mentality has beer
wonderfully well preserved and / con
, slider 1t to be quite normal. He has &
strong mind in a strong body.
He is a well built, muscular white man
about forty-five years, born in Monroe
! county, Pennsylvania. His mother as
sured me that there had occurred no in,
! stance of insanity nor of idiocy nor OF
imbecility In her family, or in her hus
|, bands.
She makes the same statement as tc
her numerous children, with the single
exception of George X. the prisoner, whc
she says has never been in his right mint
, since he received an injury to his head
some twenty years ago, by being knocked
from freight train by an overhead
bridge.
WAS QUITE SANE.
His mother says that prior to this &C
cident she considered George quite sane
: though Incorporate; but since this acci
dent, from which it took some three ol
four weeks for him to recover and re-
sumo his work, he has complained of pair
in his head, and has often acted very
strangely.
Others have testified to this, and to &
decided change in his disposition, temper
and temperament since the injury anc
all these agree in stating that he begar
to drink much harder, which evil habi
grew upon him rapidly down to the tim,
of his arrest for the killing of Josephine
Wescott.
An impartial study of the prisoner ant
of all the evidence relating to this in
jury to its alleged effects and to hi.
long course of drinking, has failed to IeaC
me to the conclusion that this head in,
jury has caused any insanity in him what
ever; but rather to the belief that al
the manifestations and phenomena, in
Guiding pain in the head alleged to b,
consequent to that injury, were due tc
the excessive and almost daily use of al
, cohol for many years. Insanity of any
degree that had been caused by an in
jury or shock to the head received many
years ago and which 1t is claimed, existed
on August IS. 1896 would be very evi
dent to the expert examiner at the pres
ent time. 1t would be very improper L
, affirm that George X. Van Horn nigh
not have been insane at some period o.
his past life, but when? An attack O.
mental disease or disorder IS such &
, grave event in the life Of any man; rem
ders him so helpless, so utterly unable
: to help himself or to direct his affairs
that even though he be friendless he fl
assisted, protected and his case Is mad,
, q subject of record. There Is no sucl
record, evidence nor allegation that thi!
= prisoner ever had an attack of menta
disorder. 1t is merely claimed that, fol
lowing an injury of u surgical nature, n,
has ever since been insane, or at times
ever since. The clinical picture-the his
tory from a medical Standpoint is VERY
vague and incompleted as indicating In
sanity
: WOULD BE INSANE NOW.
II the alleged insanity has beer
continuous, he would be insane now
which he certainly is not. There are
nDhIN n ppINno pCIICc