The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-14
SUFFERS NO PAIN.
Clifford Is Unconscious Of
Prick of a Sharp In
strument.
COULDN'T SHAM THAT
He Is Also Afflicted With
Disease of the Spinal Cord
and Bright's.

today. The star experts for the ueIen'
dant, Dr.. Britton d. Evans, superintend'
emit of the Morris Plains Asylum, and Or
Thomas P. Prout, his assistant, gave
their testimony yesterday afternoon. Dr
J.. Leonard Corning, of New York, tnt
States expert, was the last witness called
yesterday afternoon and his examination
had not been concluded when the cour'
adjourned.
DR.. James B. W. Lansing testified thai
he had examined Clifford and found him
positively insane. He is suffering from
paretic dementia. Some of the symptoms
were that he imagined that he could heal
conversations over the telephone and ina
he walked with his legs wide apart.
HE could not walk very well if he KEPT
his legs close together, could hep asked
Prosecutor Erwin.
mot very WELL replied the witness.
.sYou testified that the pupils of his
eyes were sluggish. indicating mental dis
order. Couldn't the nerve controlling the
pupil be affected and the patient be
sane?'
Il believe So"
James Nugent, the halter on Mont
gomery street, produced three conforms
he had taken of Clifford's head.
DR.. Talbot r. Chambers eorroborated
the testimony of the previous medical ex-
perts. He believes Clifford to be a paretic
and unable to distinguish between right
and wrong.
DR.. Prout testified that he had made
several tests and the result convinced him
thai Clifford is a paretic. In the textile
tests he found that the defendant Is
devoid of sensitiveness, that is the prick
of a sharp instrument does not affect even
the most sensitive parts of the body and
he is unable to distinguish heat from
cold. The witness declared positively that
Clifford could not have slammed the
symptoms developed in the tests. A
micoscropical examination of his blood
and urine had been made and they con-
clusively indicated mental arrangement
resulting from physical causes.
DIR. Britton D. Evans was the next wit
ness. He stated that he is Medical Super
intendent of the Morris Plains Asylum and
told of the number of years he has had
l~unatics under his observation and care.
DIR. Evans affirmed instead of taking the
oath and explained that he did SO for
hygienic reason only. He believes in God
and in the Divine Word.
The witness testified that he had visit
ed Clifford six times and made a thorough
examination, both mental and physical.
He found the defendant afflicted with dis
ease of the spinal cord and Brights dis
ease. in fact he was in a very bad
physical condition.
This" said the Witness together
with the fact that when asked how he
felt he raD1iod spauor faIf haitian in N
life is a symptom of paresis. All
paretics believe that they are well. They
have no sense of pain and have an
exalted opinion of passing things"
The witness corroborated the testimony
of DR.. Prout as to the tests. No matter
what area of sensitiveness was touched
the result was the same. He gave the
same replies and was invariably correct.
Gould he simulate these sensational? %
asked Mr.. Dixon.
Il do not believe that any living man
could do it," replied the witness.
DR.. Evans described several other symp-
toms indicating that Clifford is a paretic.
His gait when he walks is hating, he
walks with his legs wide apart, and he
seems to be always in danger of FALLING.
His face is devoid of expression, mask
like. petrified, showing blunted emotion,
and altogether indicating paresis. The
epileptic commissions, which previous wit
ness had described, Indicate insanity.
do not understand me as saying that
epilepsy is a sure Indication of insanity
said Dr.. Evans, as he saw his expert an
tagonist whispering to Mr.. Erwin. Il
merely say that it is ore of the symptoms
and goes to make up the diagnosis. There
can be epilepsy without insanity, but when
1t is accompanied by the other symptoms
j find in Clifford, it may be used in a
diagnosis. There may be cases of paresis
without epilepsy, but at least ninety per
cent. of paretics have those symptoms.
DR.. Evans gave an elaborate description
of the tests he had made and which had
convinced that Clifford is insane. In an
swer to a question by Mr.. Dixon the wit
ness saidsi was absolutely impossible for
Clifford to simulate the symptoms.
Have you formed any opinion as to his
mental condition? ?" asked Mr.. Dixon.
He is of unsound mind"
rs he capable of forming a judgment
as to right or wrong?"
81 am inclined to think that he could
not intelligently determine right from
wrong. except in very elementary ways
rs there any doubt in you mind about
it?"
None whatever. In a few years the
disease will have progressed SO far that
a schoolboy win be able to determine his
condition"
Mr.. Dixon asked the witness if the Pros
ecutor had not tried to procure his SER
vices for the State. but Mr.. Erwin OBJ
jected and the objection was sustained.
you are pretty positive about your
o~pinion?" asked Mr.. Erwin, on cross-ex-
animation
II am always positive when I find suffi-
cient data" replied DIR. Evans. :" first
try to get my conscience right"
Mr.. Erwin tried to make the witness
admit that a man., if he were a good
actor, could simulate the symptoms tes-
titled to but DR.. Evans insisted that it
was. impossible. The witness said he did
not claim to be infallible but that any
man with his experience could have done
as well as he.
rs it not possible that a man could