Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-03
STRONG EVIDENCE
Continued from page ~

| they have not only had the most nar-
| lect knowledge and recollectionS ~ Al
the relations they stood in To o,ba,s
but have in general been remark,b,a
for subtlety and acuteness.
Delusion is true characteristic Of
insanity. Ii is difficult to define tha IN
visible line which divides tota, fror,
| partial insanity"
| me hrSt witness called by the do
fence was Prof. Leverett Mears broth
er-in-law of Brainerd. Prof Maars
mas been instructor in chemistry in
Williams College 20 years, and hafora
| that time taught in Amherst Co1,a.,a
In answer TO questions addressed to
him by Mr.. Greenleaf, Prof. Mears soia
| that Rrainerd was born in nottingham
n. H., 80 Years ago. In 1879 Brainerd
went South to look after an estate left
by his father. The next year he Went
To Boston and engaged in electrical
WORK Tor various companies until 1884.
III the latter Year he was sent to South
America to take charge of electrical
construction. remaining there five
years.
during the first four years of his
stay IN South America Brainerd corre-
sponded quite regularly with his moth
er. who resides at Prof Mears' home
bat in the last nine months Of his stay
they heard nothing from him. He re-
turned in October. 1889. went to New
York, and in 1890 entered the emplov
| OF the New England Telephone and
Telegraph Co., continuing until the
| time of the shooting.
Prot. Mears said a number of times
| In his presence Brainerd had acted De-
cullariy. On one occasion, when he
visited Prof. MearS' home in Williams
town. Brainerd was morbid, quiet, talk
Ell or troubles and talked of people
looking in through the windows at him.
| lie accompanied Prof. Mears to the
laboratory Office in the college build
| ing, and while there pointed
at the window and said: Don't you
see those men looking N here at me-"
Not being able to convince him that
there was no one at the window, the
brother in-law took him home.
In February. 1900. Brainerd telephon-
cd to Prof. Mears to meet him ut the
railroad station at Williamstown on
The arrival of the midnight train. on
the mile drive from the station TO the
house Brainerd said: DO you see those
men following me?"
Those men are college students. re-
turning from North Adams and have
nothing to do with YOU" Prof Mears
replied, but Brainerd said: They have
followed me all the way out from Bos-
ton" He kept reaching out from the
side of the carriage and looking back.
AT one time when he was sick several
weeks at the home of his sister. Brain
erd insisted on having the shutters
closed and a lamp kept burning in his
room.
Judge Foster, addressing the court.
said the defence desired to Introduce
testimony as to what Brainerd said. on
his return from South America. about
having been confined in n hospital
there, and also to introduce n receipt
from Il Valparaiso hospital.
The States attorneys objected to the
| admission of this evidence, and Judge
Bonney ruled that it would not be ad-
visabe. An exception to this ruling
was noted.
Continuing his testimony, Prof.
Mears said Brainerds father, in his
last years. was insane.
Cross-eXamned by Attorney General
Seiders, Prof. Mears was asked if Mt
the time of the interview with the
| doctors. in the presence of the county
attorney, he mentioned that Brainerd's
father was insane. and said business
troubles was the cause.
Prof Mears said Brainerd had eX
pressed dislike of Chief Electrician
fEarnham. and had complained that the