The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-28
ANGRY
BUT NOT INSANE
SO Says DR.. Us. De Jarnette,
Expert Alienist for Prose
cution.

Court aid not rcconvene until All
o'clock this evening, for the prosecu'
ion asked time IN which to prepare q
hypothetical question touching tpe in
sanity OF. Judge Loving to ask Its In
sanity experts. The question was pre-
,ared and no objection was made to u
~ the defense.
DR.. ]. 8. De Jarnette,. superintendent
If the Western State Hospital for tn,
at Stanton, Va, was called t
The stand by the Commonwealth. ~
testified that he had made the stud!
le had had experiences In this brancl
IL the medical profession for eighteen
years.
Mr.. Harmon then read the following
hypothetical question:
A young virginian Of more than
ordinary talent and excellent train
Ing. started the practice, Of his
profession as lawyer. With pros
was respected and honored IN his
practice. In 1885 he was, at the
age Of ~, elected to represent his
eoaaS Of anna aa III ae a
1887. He was married in the fall
of 1886 and two children were
born from the marrage-namely.
acs daughter IN lSS7 and and, q. son IN
his canvass Of 1857, he began to
make an intemperate use Of liquor.
The drink habit steadily Increased
Of about eight years he drank to
frmed drunkar ru One ofeam Of the eon III
effects was that he. became almost
while under the influence Of the
liquor. He had sevcTal violent
and extended attacks OF deliriu
tremens,. during which time he was
crazy from drink. During his
or ten days lie would not know
ANYTHING: would lose the day OF
tho week and the day of the
month. Ills business disappeared,
execution. -;
HE went to his fathers house
to live, and his vito to her fathers.
the physical and mental changes
resulting from the continued and
apparent. and some who knew him
recognized that he was no longer
the amiable. agreeable and pleas
ant man he hd once heen. and
had grown irritable disagreeable
and unreasonable. His fac<>S and
general physical appearance alter
ed for the worse. and during this
4. per!od of excessive dissipationsh his
handwriting changed and became
SO poor it was hardly legible. To
ono who had known him In his
early manhood he seemed a physi-
sal wreck. and so changed mental
ly that he feared his mind was
being impaired During this time,
when not actually under the in
fluence of liquor. he was capable
knew what he was doing. In 1893
he moved to Nelson county and
began housekeeping again on n
part of his fathers place there. and
for year or two lived there farm
ing and practicing law in a small
way.
During the latter period no
made every effort to break off the
liquor habit, and while there. was
some Improvement in.s-the habit
unable to overcome it. and finally
realizing this, at the entreaties OF
his wife and friends, he took a
course In a Kelley institute In Oc-
tober. 1895. After that he came
back and lived on his little farm
and practiced law until 1898, when
he was elected judge of the County
Court of Nelson, and held that po-
sition until 1900. when the County
Courts were abolished. He filled
During that period he did not drink
anything except on two occasions
in October, 1905, at the Lynchburg
Fair. he got on spree that lasted
several days, and again on the ED
other spree In Lynchbu rg, which
lasted several days. On the first
occasion he was taken to his home,
where he was III in bed for some
days. with doctor In attendance
While he was drinking he conceiv-
| cd that he was being pursued by
his political enemies. On the Sec
| ond occasion, after he had ceased
drinking. he was oppressed by the
hallucination that n cog had slip.
ped in the bearings Of his brain.
'In a short time, ten or fifteen
said he had never had such an ex.
perience before. In May, 1905, he
was put IN charge Of the large
farm of Mr.. Thomas +. Ryan. II
Nelson county as superintendent
and was In that employment unit
| the homicide hereinafter mentioned
He filled the office Of county Judge
efficiently, and has likewise dis
perintendent for Mr.. Ryan. Sine,
(. his returne from the Kelley insti
tute, in 1896 he has been sober
with the exception OF the two
i sprees referred to, and was regard
/ him as a, man of strong menta
and physical powers. His hand
writing has been strong and leg
i bile and at the time of the homi
( eide he wrote an excellent smooth
bold hand. Physically. he was act
two and strong, and was an eXpeh
I bird shot on the wing" He ha,
good hercdity. there being no evi
dence Of any insanity in his fam
lily. HE children are strong an
healthy. In 1906 he was a candi
date for Congress- During tn
time of his dissipatiOn excent Whe
actually under the influence Q
{ liquor, he knew tho difference be
tween right and wrong, and sub
,, sequent to the period OF his retur
from the Keoley Institute. Their
was no evidence Of lack OF mentf
! power.
con april o2d, 1907, about or
!. O'Clock In the morning, he receive