The San Francisco call., 1899-11-18
MRS. GRIFFIN WAS
OF UNSOUND MIND
Testimony of DR.. Steph-
ems and Others.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SAN RAFAEL. Nov. 17.-"You can't
bulldoze me. sir. and you might as well
cease trying l have been on the witness
stand too many times not to know what l
am doing. The woman was crazy, and
her own relatives knew IL better than
anybody else
These angry and emphatic words were
spoken by Dr. J. l. Stephens to-day while
testifving in the Griffin will contest, In re-
sponse 10 an attempt of Attorney Mullany
TO browbeat him into an admission thar
certain statements the physician nad Just
made were not supported py Iacts. me ne
answer OF DR. Stephens, which provoked
the scene was given TO question incau-
tiously asked by the lawyer for the de-
fendant. Mrs. O'Connor. and was OF sIch
a vital nature that CONSERVATION pre-
vailed among the cohorts for the defense.
Attorney Mullany tried hard TO rectity
his error. hut merely succeeded IN arous-
ing the ire of the witness Dy ms savage
verbal assaults.
Or. stephens is an assistant Police Sur
geon OF San Francisco. a member or the
Sonoma County Insanity Commission and
an assistant in the medical clinic Of the
University of California. on account OF
his high professional standing the de-
fendant's attorneys endeavored to DIS
credit his testimony, an endeavor that
ended disastrously. The query OF Null
lany was hypothetical. the lawyer wish
ing TO know II Mrs. Grifiin deluslon that
she saw the visions Of her deceased nus
band and daughter tended TO show that
she was insane.
without a doubt" was the ready an
suer. Everybody knew Mrs. Griffin was
mentally unbalanced, and her relatives
best of all
As MuiIany had asked the question
for the defense and there mad been no
answer had to stand. There were other
sensations sprung during the Last day OF
the plaintiffs inning and Dr. Winn OF
Tomales again made himself consptcu-
ous by his failure TO appear in court.
Dr Winn was arrested last evening at
Tiburon by officer Cottinghar on a
bench warrant issued by Judge Angel
iotti and N being hailed before his Honor
promised 10 appear I'm court as witness
for the plaintiff at o'clock this morn
ing. but failed to keep his promise Af-
LAWYERS II was decided TO carry on the
case without Winn's evidence.
DIT Jules Simon, the well known lnsdn-
itv EXPERT was placed on the stand. and
IN reply 10 hypothetical questions gave
II as his opinion that the actions OF Mrs.
Griffin proved she was mentally uni al
anced Dr. c. c. Wadsworte OF the San
Francisco Lunacy Commission testified
TO the same effect. William Vanderbilt
also gave 4 as his opinion hat Mrs. Grif-
fln was not Of sound mind.
Cashier Thomas Ables OF the Toma ies
Bank testified that the deceased woman
was feebc-minded and that the bank
treated her and looked out for her inter
ests the same as il she had been child.
/ He start I'd TO mention the fact that three
years ago the relatives had petitioned
that a guardian be appointed for ner
when he was stopped by an objection
Mrs O'Connor was then sworn and de-
| clared that all she knew Of the existence
OF a will had been told her by a female
acquaintance She had taken no interest
/ in the will whatever. The case was ac-
/ cordingly closed for the plaintiff and the
/ defendant will begin the Introduction II
evidence IN rebuttal next Tuesday. The
way the case looks now the general trend
I OF opinion is that the testament will bt
set aside.