The Jasper news., 1906-03-08

While we believe that all three of
these patients told us the truth as th ey
saw it, and while we are conv need that
each of them is in such condition of
mind as to be competent witness, we
deem it our duty to indicate to you
what we think Of them as witnesses: wa
regard Mr.. Baker as being tho clearest
Of tho three, possessing the best grasp
Of the facts, and having the clearest
manner of expressing them. We believe
that he could tell connected story, and
would impress jury that he was telling
the truth, and would be able to stand
fairly successfully Cross examination.
The witness Duckering we believe al
so told the truth; his character we do
not regard as SO strong as that..of Baker;
his story would not be told as
impressvely:, neither would it carry the
same couviction. Neither do we think
he wonld be as successful in withstand.
ing the effects of cross examination,
and we believe that his mind is the more
easily impressed, and for that reason he
would more readily succomb to influence:
The witness Joe Fra nklin does not
tell his story without the assistance of
frequent questions; beitg what lis COM
monty known Us a green, uneducated
country boy of about twenty years OF
age, with q very limited education and
a limited experience in and observation
Of the world. He impressed us that
while he was telling the truth that no
would so tell the facts to a jury as to
leave the impression on the mind of a
jury that he did not regard tho matters
about which he was testiying as partic
ularly serious. His mind, like Ducker-
ing's, would be susceptible to influence,
and we doubt his ability to take care of
himself upon rigid cross examination.
We examined the other patieuts who
witnessed The treatment Of Seaman Hin
tho dining room, and who was regarded
by the institution Us possibly being able
to detail us the facts: This witness was
Mr.. Jansen. After very full and care
full examination of Mr.. Jansen we
doubted his ability as .. competent wit
ness; we were not convinced that his wes
q sane mind, but whether sane or not
we were convinced that he would sub
serve no good purpose as witness for
the State, for the reason that he wholly
failed 10 our Judgment, to detail facts
so as to impress one that they wero true
or told connectodly. For this reason we
attached no importance to his testimony
in arriving at our conclusion. The
autopsy which, in our judgement, was
fair one, disclosed no bruises according
to our information, which wo think is
reliable, upon the body Ct Mr. Seaman
1T did disclose however that Mr.,
Seaman had no organic heart trouble; it
further disclosed that the sack or cover
ing of the brain had adhered to the
front portion Of the braic on the left
side OF the medium line OF the brain
little to the front Of the centsr OF the
brain from front to back, 80 as to OBJ
struct the free action OF the brain at tho
point of adherence, and that also it had
begun to adhere at point opposite on
the righ. lobe Of the brain. This we
know by our own examination of the
brain. Our conclusion from the facts,
coupled with our examination Of the law
we believe, without any evidence from
an attend,ut or other person other than
an inmate OF an asylum, corroborating
the three witnesses, Baker Duckering
and Franklin, and that no bruises of
any character couI / be found upon his
body, and that the desaased condition
of his brain existed, with the positive