The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-29
Letter From Supt. Lockhart Of
Medical Lake Asylum.
ASKS JUDGE JACOBS ADVICE.
Says Acquitted King County Homh-
eide II OnSy Bsd-Tempered ana
shOuId He In Penttenttary-Thfs-
IL Yelled Criticism Of seattle
Criminal Cousts-Slayer May so
Free--yo Law Caa Held Hin.

singing and but thinIy velied crit'-
cism apof the court OF criminal justice
In King county Is contained In letter re-
ee4yed by Superior Judge Orange jacops
yesterday from Supf, Wilson Lockbarf, oil
the Medical Lake insane asylum
The letter deals with the case OF Isadore
Sehopps. acquitted Of murder a Few
months ago on the ground OF insanity.
and afterwards committed to the asylum
BY Judge Jacobs II is dated June %.
and In IL Supt. Lockhart expresses his
opinion that Schopps IL entirely sane in
the following concise language. being the
text of the letter:
.neas SIR I do not regard the pa
tlenf Isadore schOpps - insane. He
Has = very baA temDer ana ought
to be IN the DenIaentlasy. when
released fFon here Ne will Ne = free
nan. IL that the legal aspect Of
the cases~
Judge Jacobs handed the Iettsr to Deputy
Prosecuting Attorney Fulton yesterday
morning IN open court. with the remark
tina; II was a matter In which. in his opin-
Ion. the prosecuting attorneys Office
should give advice. But Prosecuting At
torney McErroy has no Intention OF inter-
feYing. He yesterday stated that his con-
the 5ury's verdict was returned, and that
the superintendent would have TO use his
discretion In the matter OF Bchopps' GUS
tody-
II he felt inclined tn meddie In the case.
he would do without authority, an the
law expressly provides that the superin-
tendent Of the asylum shall be the sole
Judge of the mental condition OF any pa
fient under his charge. and may discharge
any such patient whenever In his judgment
ut may be expedient."
Court Has No JuFisaicsion.
Under this section OF the law 1t seems
that even the committing Judge has no
Jurisdiction 10 dictate what disposition
shalt be made OF an insane patient, and
that Il the asylum authorities are con-
their duty to discharges him without con-
suiting anyone. This duty the prosecuting
attorneys Office thinks. Schopcs' friends
and lawyers could compel the asylurii SUI
r.rintsident TO perform In such case
by habeas corpus or q special proceeding,
such as mandamlls
superintendent Lockharts official con-
nectlon with the asylum having been sew
cred since the writing or the letter TO
Judge Jacobs alters the situation, how
ever. II 10 a question whether the new
superintendent viii regard Schopps' case
course II will be useless for Sehopps 10
attesnps through outside help TO regain his
freedom.
echcpps was represented AT hts trial las,
winter by Attorneys Melvin q. Winstock.
Of Seattle. and George G. Israel, Of Oiym-
pin- No harder fight for the life of man
almost universally condemned b. public
darer was ever made In King county. The
Gaze was plain one. Schopps. who was
a iourneyman tailor. roomed at the resi-
tence of Otto prumm. on Fourth avenue
near Spring street. His friend. Gustav
HaGer ruoned at the same house. Last
November Schopps was drinking heavily.
strafed with him. Mrs. Drumm told
Sehopps he wauid have TO leave her house
Hchopps blamed her action to tales told her
BY lager One Saturday night the two
together. They drank and quarreled In
their cups.
schopps In = Rage.
The next morning the quarrel was re-
sumed in Hager's room, and Hager called
Sehopps hard names. Schopps new into a
fage and. running 20 hts own room. grab
bid up his revolver and. returning. fired
II full N Iager's face. The ball pierced
HIS brain and he sank dead on the fioor.
Drumm called out from below. asking
what was the matter, "Ieh hahs 80 ge~
than q sssd ID. wac Schopps' reaFr The
saw, himss,f up with the cool remark, II
slsst better than thought I could
Sehopps' lawyers went back twenty
hood. 20 oseain evidence Of his insanity
from suastrok. N tina; time. They traced
his life step by step. showing his mental
pes-ssliarities. his eorentrscisies. his saiien.
moross temper and his domestic troubles,
ard argued 10 the court and jury that all
these things tended To prove that Schoprs
had been insaue FOR years.
AT every step Prosecuting Attorney Me-
Eiruy and his assistant. John T. Hart. ep-
posed tho proving of faF-away occurrences
and otjerted In tho Hypothetical, questions
asked the medical experts called by tire
dsEenSsS And whom the case was presented
"a tho jury they asked strlngen. insirue-
tiens nn the question Of insanity. tsu, they
claim Judge Jacobs refused To Civ. mast
OF these inssrustsns and aiiovet the case
to so to~he jury almost on the evidence
alone
AT any rate. The trlai was marked by
more or ieaa ciashng between cnurf and
prosecutors. ard when the verdict was rem
dsrs<i she latter went from tn. court room
la disgust, saying that another murderer
had been freed through naawkisa sentiment
tally.
On receiving the verdict, Judge Jacobs