Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-06-24
mot GUILTY
By Reason of Insanity" Is the
Toppan Verdict.
Miss Toppan Is Then Ordered Com
mitted to Insane Hospital
At Taunton for Balance of Her Natural
Life.
narI-E..

N ~ -
Barnstable, Mass, June 23.-Miss
Jane Toppan, a nurse, was found mot
guilty by reason of insanity" of the
murder by poisoning of Mrs. Mary d.
Gibbs of Cataumet, before a special
sitting of the superior court here, to-
day. The time occupied in the trial of
the woman on such a grave charge was
scarcely six hours from the court open
ing until Miss Toppan had been SEN
fenced to spend the remainder of her
natural life in the Taunton insane hos
pital.
Thus closed a case which had many
remarkable features, and which, look
ing back over the history of murder
trials in Massachusetts, seems to stand
alone The reason for the quick dis
posal of the case was the contention of
counsel for Miss Toppan that she was
insane. The position of the govern
ment was outlined by Attorney Cen
Z eral Parker in his address to the jury
after it had been impanelled, when he
said that it would be shown that Miss
Toppan had confessed that she had ad-
ministered poison to Mrs. Gibbs.
When the government presented it's
case, the sensational incident appeared
in the testimony of DR.. Henry r. Sted-
man of Boston, an alienist, who said
that Jane Toppan told him in the pres
ence of other medical experts, that she
had caused the death of Mrs. Gibbs, by
giving her a poisonous dose of afro
phine and morphine, that she admins
tered the drugs in the form of tablets
or pellets, and that more than one
dozen was given. DR.. Stedman testified
that he understood Miss Toppan to say
that she gave more than one dozen of
the pellets.
When the defence put its medical ex-
perts on the witness stand, the conten-
ton of moral and mental irresponsi-
bility of the defendant was maintained.
DR.. w. H. Lathrop of Lowell, in his
testimony, told of Miss TOppan's at
tempt to commit suicide by use Of
drugs, and of his treatment of her. He
related what she had said to him, how
she had declared she wanted to die.
This suicidal attempt also was re
ferred to by the government in the tes-
timony of State officer JOphanus Whit
ney. He told of a conversation with
Miss Toppan. at Amherst, N. H., in
used at Cataumet were bought by her
at Mrs. Gibbs orders.
Mr. Whitney then told her that the
one thing he did not understand was
that after she, Miss Toppan, had at
tempted suicide, she did not tell the
physician the nature of the drug Miss
Toppan. he said. replied that as she
was unsuccessful she wished to try
it again.
From the outset counsel for Miss
Toppan, Judge BiXby of Brocllton, and
James Stuart Murphy of Lowell, the
latter friend of the woman, did not
cross examine the witnesses, On the
other hand, Acting District Attorney
Swift did put some questions to clear
up certain points, to his own wit
nesses.
Resting as the case did on the tes-
timony of the aliensts as to the de-
PENDANTS mental condition, the testi-
mony of Drs. Jelly, Stedman and
Quimby was of peculiar interest. They
said that in their opinion, based upon
several examinations, Jane Toppan
was insane on August 10, and is now
suffering from a form of degenerative
insanity, having defective control and
an irresistible impulse. she is irrespon-
sible for the crime of which she is
charged
on the conclusion Of the expert evil
dcnce both Attorneys General Parker
and Counsel for Miss Toppan stated to
the court and jury that the brevity of
the case was based on the Importance
of the testimony of he alieniStS.
Mr.. BiXby further asked the court,
Judges Braley and Bell, that it instruct
the jury to report a verdict of not guilty
for reason of insanity. The court did
so and the jury retired. In q minutes
the jury returned with a verdict as or
dered.
Miss Toppan was then called to the
bar and ordered committed TO Taunton
insane hospital for the remaining days
of her life. She will be taken there.
tomorrow. by Deputy Sheriff Bradford
of Hyannis.
A bDI1r before @ court Sphed-