Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-04

amendment, showing that the proposed
amendment would vtiate the object of
the bill. The amendment was lost and
the bill, with slight minor amendments,
was ordered to a third reading.
The Senate refused third reading to
the bill granting relief to the town of
Mendon and the House killed a similar
bill appropriating 81 900 for the town of
Gilmore.
REPORT ON DOHERTY.
Senator Greene and Representative Fish
for the legislative committee appointed
to examine into the mental condition of
Charles Doherty and Frederick Eastwood
now under sentence of death in the State
prison at Windsor. submitted the follow
ing report to the two houses which was
referred to the committee on the judiciary.
TO the Hon Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives:
Pursuant to joint resolution the COM
mttee appointed to visit Charles Doherty
| and FIRE derrick Eastwood. now under sem
tence of death in the State prison, and
to examine them In regard to their men
tai condition, performed that duty on
| Tuesday. Nov % and hereby report as
, iollows
Beinr fully aware of the fact that it is
very difficult and in many cases impos-
| sitle to determine the fact of sanity or
| insanity OF person upon one examina-
| lion, nevertheless in the case Of Mr.. Do
| hertY your committee are unanimous OF
| the opinion that he is suffering FROM that
| form of mental alteration known as para
nola. and Ia therefore insare
| Being insane at the present time. and
| the variety of insanity being paranoia,
| we have no doubt OF the fact that he was
| insane at the time he committed the deed
| for which he was convicted. The onset
Of this form or variety of mental disease
| is always gradual and usually it has been
| In progress several years before recoBni-
| ton 1t is an established fact that all
| paranoiacs arc dangerous, and more or
| less prone to homicidal and other Grim
| inal acts. as n result of the systematzed
and fixed dolusion of persecution from
which they suffer.
Your committee found conclusive evil
dence that Mr.. Doherty's condition is as
above described.
In regard to Mr.. Eastwood we are
unanimously of the opinion that he Is
suffering from alcoholic dementia, com
plicated by the degenative disease of the
spinal cord known AZ locomotor ataXia
there being present unmistakable signs
and symptoms of this last named disease
As to his dementia being that known as
alcoholic or the result and a part of gen
oral paresis pnralytic dementia) there /:
some little doubt with the consensus o.
opinion Of the committee in favor of thu
former.
The man is a wreck mentally and ply
sicaly. His weight has dropped from -
, to l47 pounds, since his Imprisonment
, There are progressive degenerativ,
: changes going ON in his brain and spna
cord that are incurable, ana as in all sucl
/ cases will &c on to a fatal termination.
L. NJ. GREENE,
w. &. MAYO,
Senate Committee.
, f j. FISH,
c. w. PECK,
JAMES CONLAND,
House Committee
LEGISLATIVE NOTES.
r Representative Hubbard of Lyndon tool
q his seat for the first time this session OF
| Monday. after the oath of office had beef
9 administered TO him.
I Contrary TO general expectation no nom
y nations were sent to the Senate on Mon
e day and nothing was heard of liquor legs
8 ation on the floor of either house.