The times., 1899-05-24
HORTON DECLARED
TO Be A PARANOIAC
Testimony of Or. Irving G.
Rosse for the Defence.
A Number of Government Witnesses
Called in Rebuttai.
Arguments Before the Jury to Regia
Today-.JUrors Allowed to See
the City in Jubilee Array.

The trial of George w. Horton, who is
charged with the murder of Mrs. Jane
Nicholson on June "a last, which has been
in progress in Criminal Court No. for
the past week, is drawing TO close. The
testimony for the defence was closed yes
terday morning and the evidence for the
Government viii be all in at an early hour
this morning. Only one witness, DR.. Irv-
ing C. Rosse, was offered by the defence
yesterday He was offered as an expert
and standing alone his testimony was the
most favorable and welghtisst yet given
on behalf of the defendant. This testi-
mony, however, was not in any way cor
roborative of the evidence given by other
physicians who testified to the defendants
insanity, inasmuch as it classified the form
of mental arrangement from which Horton
is suffering as quite different from that
ascribed to him by the others. In fact
so far the physicians who have testified
for the defence do not agree as to the
nature OF the defendants mental derange-
| ment. DR.. Rosse stated that if all he had
heard of Horton and the testimony as TO
his peculiarities were assumed TO be true
he would term his disease ''paranoia,"
while other physicians classified the men
tai malady OF the defendant as love mel
ancholia,'' 'hysterical insanity" and
moral insanity"
AT the conclusion of the case for the
defence the Government called number
of witnesses in rebuttal. Many of these
were members of the Metropolitan Police
force, who knew the defendant intimately
for periods varying from four months to
| fifteen years, and who had done duty with
him. Besides these several of the guards
t,r,lO . toll ttfhn IInr
ton has been confined since June last, and
the physician of the jail testified, that
after watching the subject closely since
that time, they are of the opinion that he
is of sound mind.
At the conclusion of the proceedings Jus
tice Clabaugh, after a brief consultation
with the counsel in the case, decided to
allow the jurors who are considering the
| testimony in the case to be driven about
the city in order that they might have an
opportunity of seeing the National Capital
in its Peace Jubilee garb.
| Dr.. Irving c. Rose, a physician Of thirty
nine years practice, was the first witness
called by the defence. DR.. Rosse
| told of his course OF study in sew
eral prominent medical colleges OF this
country and Europe. He also named the
medical societies of which he is a mem
Der and the medical papers he has written.
| The witness said that there is kind of
mental disease known as "hysterical insan-
| ity' and has one such case under treat
ment at the present time. He described
the different kinds of insanity.
DR.. Rosse said he had heard the tes-
| timony given in the case yesterday, and
read the accounts of the killing. of Jane
'SioholSon hy Horton In a family where
several of the members had snUwH d
dency toward suicide and homicide acts, it
would be natural for the other member
nj hn NM ilIF IN ha of mi faa1a na1
minds.
| From the circumstances connected with
the case, as developed by the testimony,
DR.. Rose classified the form of insanity
under which the defendant is laboring as
! ''poranoia."
In reply to a hypothetical question, by
| the defence, covering all the salient points
of the evidence thus far adduced, the wit
ness said, if the assumptions be true, a
person laboring under such conditions of
mind would be mentally unbalanced.
On cross examination DR.. Rose said that
| II the circumstances as incorporated in the
hypothetical question of the defence were
not proven to be true, he would not con-
cede that the person whose characteristics
they purported to represent was suffering
from ''paranoia." Insane persons, he said,
do not generally act from design. He
knew DR.. Chaplin, who testified on behalf
of the Government He said he regarded
him as RIP Van Wrinkle" not because of
his age, but because he is not up to late.
DR.. Gray, the witness stated, is considered
an expert by the members of the bar
rather than by the members of the medical
profession.
At the conclusion of the testimony OF DR..
Rosse the defence announced its case clos
ed, and the evidence in rebuttal for the
Government was begun.
Lieutenant Hollingberger of the Metro
politan police force, in charge of the South
Washington police station, was called, and
said he had known Horton since 1892.
While the defendant was attached to the
police force the witness said, he conyersed
with him great deal, and never had any
reason to think of him other than 4 nan
of sound mind.
Lieut.. James w Gessford. of the Fifth
precinct said he knows the defendant He
did police duty under him at the Fifth pre-
cinct in 1890 and saw him frequently VI
until about a year ago. He always looked
upon Horton as a man of sound mind He
said Sergeant Mullhall never reported Hor-
ton TO him crazy.
Inspector Isaac Pearson knew Horton
while he was connected with the police
force, and always regarded the defendant
as of sound mind.
Sergt. E. N. Burgess testified that the
defendant served under him for eight
years, and after his dismissal from the
force he saw him about once month
till the time of the murder. He regarded
Horton as a bright man and never saw
anything to lead him to believe that ht
was of unsound mind.
Dr. Percy f. Hickiing who was former
, ly police surgeon, and was member o
the examining board, knew Horton be
: fore he became a member of the polc'
!, force During the three years, lS94-lS97
, the witness stated he visited Horton fou
: different times He also saw the defen
dant last month in the District jail From
what he knows of Horton Dr. HiclSlinl
said it is bis opinion he is of sound mind
Lieut.. F. F. McCathran, OF the Mint
, precinct. said from what he knew OF Hor
ton he believed him to be sane.
John Stewart, w T. Anderson, Georg
G. Augusterben, William L. Nermillion
Charles S. Baum, all members of tn
Metropolitan Police force, who have know
Horton Intimately for peiods ranging frol
four months to fifteen years, We're called
and testified that Horton was of SCUM
= mind.
Reuben Pope, paper-hanger, nea
neighbor of the defendant, said that h
believed Horton was an upright, intelli
gent gentleman, and is of sound mind.
. Frank Hume was called and said he ha
known Horton over fifteen years. He en-
. dorsed his application for membership o
Z the police force The witness stated tina
: he never noticed anything in Horton
. behavior to lead him to believe that h
' was of unsound mind.
II George r. Repetti, a real estate agen
e said he had known Horton since 1891. l
that year, he said, Horton purchased
e hpuca from him From that time mt