The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-10
SISTERS ARE INSANE
so DECLARED JURY IN THE CASE
OF THE MISSES HARTMAN.
SCENE ENACTED IN CELL.
YOUNGER SISTER LASHED THE
JURORS WITH HER TONGUE.


Would Make Peace With the Pts
tOI-TOId the Ordinary He Was
Crazy and Declined to Recognize
Her AttOrney-TriaI Was RepIete
With PathOs, Though There Was
Some Element of HumOr.
After less than two minutes consul
tation the jury empanelled to
pass upon the sanity of Grace and
Belle Hartman, returned a verdict de-
claring them both insane and recon-
mending that they be sent to the State
Sanitarium at Milledgeville, at the
trial which took place at the county
Jail yesterday afternoon.
The trial of the case was intensely
interesting. At no stage of the trial,
after the introduction of the first one
or two witnesses, was there any doubt
in the minds of the jurors that the
younger of the two sisters, Miss Belle,
was a fit subject for the asylum, the
weight of the testimony was to the
effect that the elder sister was the
less crazy. A visit to the ward where
Ln6y were COIlllIl6u NeIlllGu ILLS COll-
clusion.
1t took less than a minute to con-
vince every member of the commission
that the younger sister was non compos
mentis. The elder sister, however,
though extremely nervous, talked
nationally. There was no doubt
of the fact that she was in the COM
plete possession of her mental facul-
ties at that time. She understood the
mission of the commission, and took it
in a most philosophical manner. She
discussed the question with the jurors
and requested them, if they de-
cided to send her sister to the asylum,
to send her also that she might care
for her.
Elements of PathOs.
The proceedings were marked by
intermingled elements of pathos and
humor. Without a dissenting opinion
the experts expressed it as their belief
that the elder sister was insane, and
that while she was at times apparently
rational, she was often more violent
and ungovernable than her younger
sister Her condition, they said, was
at times, deceptive. These facts,
coupled with the urgent request of the
elder sister to accompany her sister,
induced the verdict of the jury. =
When after the introduction of all
of the testimony, except that of the
experts, the jury repaired to the up
per story of the Jail, where the sisters
were confined, a scene ensued The
jurors first visited the apartments of
xOi1n The door
closed, but a view of the quarters
could be easily had through the
wicker-work. Not once could she be
induced to come near the door, but
stood off at a distance, and voiced her
grievances to the jury.
When the jurors crowded about the
door, they beheld the form Of the frail
and peculiarly clad woman outlined in
the open window behind her. She
stood for few minutes gazing at
them, her large eyes, peering through
her glasses, wearing an Enthusiastically
wild look. For a moment she said
nothing; then suddenly, before she was
addressed by any member of the COM
mission, she called out:
Called Them Devils.
open this door, at once" This re-
mark was addressed to the Ordinary
who stood close by. IF you do not
open it, l will have the military to
break it down. I'll have you know 1
am civil Grace Hartman. and l will
not be so mistreated. Get from my
door, you devils"
The Ordinary explained to her that
the purpose of the visit of the gentle
men was to ascertain whether or not
she was insane.
"I'H have you to know I am civil
Grace Hartman" she said, as she passed
her hand in peculiar fashion over her
temples. Yes, I'm crazy. 1 am crazy
to fight; and 1 wish some good man
would make peace for me with pistols
Shots The whole lot of you are crazy,
get from my door, you =
devils"
Mr.. Saussy then addressed her,
thinking to pacify her. But she did
not regain her composure. She said
that she did not recognize him, nor
did she ever have any dealing with
men. Again and again she said that
she was civil Grace Hartman.
II want gentleman good man
will fire a pistol at a devil. 1 wish
some of you had brains. God bless
good man, but a devil. OF
course 1 object to man. Am 1 not
civil Grace Hartman? Send me a lady"
And she named one or two ladies of
acquaintance
willing to talk to. Just as the jurors
were about to leave the door, she
caught sight of a representative of the
Morning News, who was a member of
the commission. as he was taking
notes.
Don't you dare write me up, you
devil You will please excuse civil
Grace Hartman from the honor you de-
sire to visit her with. You and your
pencil are wrong In the head"
, Elder Sister Visited.
The jurors then repaired to the
quarters of the elder sister, across the
hall. They found her in company with
another sister, who has but recently
returned to the city She stood near
the door, and though her lips were
continually quivering from the ner-
vous strain, she talked most ration
ally She was clad in a neat white
waist and black skirt, and her hair
was neatly dressed. Her sister, dress
ed in black, stood close by. Both
of them seemed to fully realize what
the visit meant. Indeed, it seemed
that the elder sister was making an
effort to make the best impression
possible.
my sister is even more nervous
than usual this evening, but 1 think
that as soon as this nervous spell
passes away she will be perfectly
rational. She feels that she has been
mistreated, and 1t is uppermost in her
mind. I feel the same way, but I
don't suppose we have any recourse
However, if you gentlemen decide that
my sister should be sent to the sani-
tarium I would ask you to send me