The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-09-27


or his wife about him being insane,
but said he acted at times peculiar.
On morning of May IL he took load
OF hogs to town; received certificates
for their value; Mr. Person came to
field and told us our hogs were dying.
went with Person to town, fred
went on his wheel; Fred went with
Person to bank and settled matter;
paid for those that didn't die; / re-
ceived the money; saw Fred once
that day after that; Question-"Did
not you say to Fred, in front of
Spencer's barber shop, Erred hadn't
you better go homer" Ans.-"No, sir,
| didn't say that" Was in Ed Car
der's place of business May Ia or
10; said it was bad thing; Question
Did you not say, when Carder
said Why he must have been insanc;;'
you replied, No he was just mad'?"
| Ans.-"No did not"
F. w. Terflinger, physician at
Longcliff, hospitsl for hte insane,
was the next witness.
Am senior physician at that instr
tuition; have met Frederick Rettinger
on two occasions. one on Sept. :,
| again this morning in the county Tail;
represented to Fred Rettinger that
South Bend; was with him two
hours; made cursory examination.
Question-"State, doctor, whether
from your interview with him It Is
your opinion that Fred Rettinger is
insane?"
Question objected to, jury retired
and objection argued before the
court Objection argued on the
ground that witness is not legally
competent to give his opinion. WITH
out knowledge before the jury OF
the examination OF means by which
he based his opinion.
Objection overruled by the cour.
and jury returned.
Question-"Upon your examina-
ton of the prisoner is it your opinion
that he is sane or an insane mani"
Answer-T believe him to be an in
sane man."
Dr. Terflinger, of the Longcliff
hospital at Logansport an expert on
insanity cases, was here Monday af-
ternoon, as witness for the defense
in the Rettinger trial, and was on the
stand for more than two hours, but
had to leave for home before his ex-
animation was finished. He returned
| Tuesday morning. His testimony was
the strongest for the defense yet
produced. His reply to two import
ant questions as to the defendants
insanity put by Mr.. Parker, enc of
which recited all the testimony that
had been brought out by the defense
and the other as to his opinion form
ed after two-hours' interview with
the prisoner at the Jail two weeks
ago, was an unqualified yes" to each
question.
! This was all the information the
defense wanted and he was turned
over to the cross-examiners. Dr.
Terflinger is bright, schola-ly-look
ing man of SO, with penetrating, deep
blue eyes, and has the demeanor of
a specialist. He is the senior assis-
tant physician at the Longcliff hos
pital and is making the study of in
sanity his work He was by far the
most interesting witness that has yet
appeared in this case, and it may al
so be said, with due Difference to the
ability of the resourceful doctor, tina.
to himself it was undoubtedly one of
the most interesting" episodes in
his professional career He was tax
Mr.. Kellison and found it necessary
to shift his position and to modify or
qualify number of his statements
in the analyxation OF insanity.
| Question-"If the mind is diseased
uopn any particular subject, you
would say lie was of unsound mind?"
Answer-"I would say he had par
anoia"
| Q.-"When you say this defendant
is a paranoiac what do you mean?"
A.-"Given to decisions, or hallucin-
ations, or unsoundness upon single
subject"
| Q.-"What do you regard as hal
lucination?" Alt is a false percep-
tion-he sees devil upon the wall
that is not there-a false perception"
Q.-"Do you mean to say that
person that has Authorizations is in
sane?" A-No, sir; but delusion is
trace of insanity
| Q.@"Do you not believe that de-
fusion upon subject may be com
patile with sanity?" A." say
not"
Q.-"Would you not say that
man can have delusion and be
sane?' At is my opinion that a
man that has delus.ons is not sane
man."
Q.-"Are both decisions and hal
fluctuations compatible with sau-
ity?" A.-"Upon certain conditions
mo-"
Let me read from this medical au-
thority upon insanity" Kellison
reads: "A delusion upon single sub
ject is not criterion of insanity"
- "Delusions are faulty ideas, and
are of the commonest kind" =
"A delusion can exist in sane per-
SON."
Q.-"Are you willing to put your
authority against the author of this
book?" Al do not presume to do
that, but have my opinion-that is