The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-27
.LARK|N USED HIS CANE
In a Singular and Very Peculiar
Manner.
WAS EVIDENTLY INSANE
Mrs. Duncan McRae Gives Her Opinion.
Heard Larkin Talk to Himself.
He Had Seen the Worse
for Liquor.

for Liquor.
Several old acquaintance Of the late
| DOC" Larkin testified yesterday be-
fore Examiner Blake in the case of the
B. G. M. VS.. J. +. Forbis and others,
in which F. Aug. Heinze, administra-
tor of the Larkin estate, is intervenor.
Mrs. Duncan McRae first met Lar
| kin about IL years ago. She had no
| ticed one dominant popularity in
Docs" manner-he used to talk to
| himself and swing his cane. She had
seen him stand alone for an hour at
a time and talk to an imaginary person
| all the while gesticulating with his
cane Witness said that she never
talked to him much merely bidding
the time of day whenever he bowed"
She noticed that at times he dressed
| better than at others. I'm my opinion
the man was insane in the latter part
of 1922
Cross-examined by Attorney Howell,
Mrs McRae said that she and her
husband were living in a house on
! Larkin's ground.
Did you base your opinion as to his
| insanity on the fact of his swinging
his cane?"
Somewhat"
Mrs. McRae, did you ever talk to
yourself?"
IF 1 did I didn't act like Larkin
did"
"You wouldn't think you were insane
if you talked to yourself?"
IT would if I talked like Larkin
did"
did you ever hear what Larkin said
when he was talking to himself?'
mo; couldn't hear him. I know he
was talking, though, by the way he
| swung his cane"
| Never took steps to have him COM
| mitted for insanity?'
| mo, SIR
Ever have any business dealings
with him.
mo, sir
Did you have any knowledge of his
business affairs?"
Il did not
when you babe him the time of
day, how did he act?"
He always answered me all right
| Isn't it a fact that he talked to him
| self down there because there was no
one else to talk top
| Attorney Leonard, for Heinze, OBJ
| jected, stating that he did not know
just what ground he should base his
| objection on. The question was with
| drawn.
Did you ever see Larkin under the
influence of liquor?
| Il have seen him so drunk that it
| took two men to carry him home"
Ferdinand Pohl, bartender for Paul
| Davis from 1891 up to the time Davis
| quit the business. testified. ''Larkin
introduced himself to me in rather
novel way. He came into the saloon
| shortly after I started to work and
| ordered a drink. l gave it to him. 1t
didn't suit him and he began to call
me names. finally hauling off and at
| tempting to strike me with his cane.
| l ducked and grabbed a bottle with
which to defend myself and was pre-
vented by Mr.. Davis from striking
him. That's how I got acquainted with
Larkin. After that we got along very
| we'll"
Pohl was anxious to give his opinion
as to Larkin's insanity. and after be-
ing admonished several times to not
go too fast he managed to get in> with 4:
Il think he was insane, all right"
why do you think SOP asked Mr..
| Howell.
well. in the first place. he tried to
hit me with his cane. And again. one
| day he came into the saloon, went into
| the water closet and took off his shoes
| and put them into the water box over
head, you know. He came back into
the saloon in his stocking feet and
took a chair by the stove.
| "'Whare are your shoes?' I asked
him.
" Put them in soak he replied
L went into the closet and pulled
his shoes out of the water box and
placed them under the stove.'
Then they were in soak literally?"
| ri
Literally, yes" replied the witness
with a smile.
What else?" asked Mr.. Howell.
'Then I think I went to the world S
| fair
Did any one else ever strike at you
while you were tending barr"
Yes; lots of EN-"
"Were they insane?"
Did you ever hold any conversa-
tons with him?"
mo"
"Only what was necessary in the
bargaining for drinks over the bar.
| I formed my opinion regarding his
| sanity from what l observed and was
| told
Albert NJ Carr, % years old. born in
Butte, son of T. M Carr. liveryman,
| testified. He knew Larkin and noted
what he considered peculiarities found
| only in insane mems characters He
had seen Larlzin standing on his back
| door without stitch of clothing on
his back" and had seen him chasing
the "Walkerville kids" away from his
house. He had also heard Larkin deny
the truth of these and occasionally
saw him in a drunken condition.