Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-29
PLEA OF INSANITY.
Will Be Made in Case of
Murderer Brainerd.
Alleged that He Has Been Acting
Queer|y for Several Years.
Experts Examine Prisoner. Mis- Victims a,
Hospital Doing Nicely.


cutting officers of the county and the
, defending attorneys in the murder case
nave summoned several insanity ex-
pert3 to make preliminary examina
tiol of George II. Eralnerd. They are
expected to come here early this week.
| The prisoner appeared less depressed
Saturday. He hardly touched his
breakfast. but ate hearty dinner and
seemed TO have good appetite at sup
/ per time. His only visitor was his wife.
/ who called in the forenoon and was af-
fectionately greeted by him.
| Soon after his arrest Erainerd sent
kilograms to his friends in different
parts Of New England, asking them
| to come to his assistance The ONLY one
who responded was 4 Boston CONNIE r
cial traveller, who called on him. FRI
/ day This man said Erainerd had sev-
eral times told him tale; about a con-
spiracy OF fellow employees in the tele-
phone offices. ana acted in a manner
indicating a great mental strain.
At the hospital. Saturday night. il
was stated that both Wadaworth and
| Lane had shown some Indications Of
Improvement. Lanes condition is es-
Tecially favora Bile.
Mrs. Reed. who keeps boarding
house on Cumberland street. Saturday.
corroborated in part the statement
made. Friday. by Mrs. Brainerd in re
gard to Brainerd's appearance. She
said:
MI and Mrs. Rr"iBerl bearded here
from the last of January till few
weeks ago. when they moved to Deer
ms. Mr. Brainerd was gentlem1nly and
KIND At times he had odd spells and
would make very little talk with the
bGardera. but | took il for granted tha {
his work WAS worrying him. Sometimes
al the dinner table if things were not
served quite rapidly enough to suit him
he would get nervous and irritable.
Twice Mrs. Brainerd told me that
her husband had queer spells during
the night and had choked her. The
first time was about two or three
weeks after they came to board with
me. In the night heard a noise like
the slammng of n door. In the NOM
ing | asked Mrs. Eraincii If she heard
il. and she replied il was her husband
who made the noise; that he had n vi
olent attack i'm the night and she was
SO afraid of him that sh. was tempted
to call for help. She said he struck
and threatened her.
shortly before the Brainerds left
here | came down stairs one morning
and found her crying. asked her
what the matter was and she said her
husband had another of his spells in
the night and had choked her. | asked
her why she did not leave him if she
was afraid of him. and she replied that
he was kind to her except when he
had those spells and in the morning he
would not remember anything about
having had trouble.
1t is true that Mr.. Braincrd drank
liquor regularly. but l never saw him
intoxicated.
Deputy Marshal Firth issued a state
ment. Saturday. positively declining 10
accept the testimonial purse which is
being raised for him.
County Atty. Whitehouse said. Sat
urday: 1T is probable that Brainer,
will be examined by other experts be
fore he is taken to Augusta. We hope
that they will see him the first of the
| week"
1t is understood that while the for
NAL plea will be insanity, the Specia
defence of persecutory monomania VII
be set up. 1t will be claimed that FOL
years Brainerd believed that he wa:
constantly followed by enemies. Whe1
| i'm good health this deiusion was mani
fest only to a small degree, but witt
| ll-health ii became very strong ana n
times over-mastering. In all other re
spects he was sane. but on that one
point IL will be claimed that he is ant
| has been insane. His deluSion did no
prevent him from giving close atten
tion to business, but it made him Sus
picious and erratic, and given to tn
belief that he was about to lose M
place.
| DR.. Sanborn. the government expert
| declined at the close of his eXamlna
tion of Brainerd. Friday, to give al
oninion even to the officials, as to tn
prisoner's mental condition.
| DR.. Thayer. who is the expert Tor tn
defence. is very strongly of the opih
ion that Rrainerd is insane.
County Attorney Whitehouse is no
certain that the case will be reached
nj the May term. lie hopes to dispos'
of it then.