Omaha daily bee., 1907-11-26
WOMAN'S MIND IN QUESTION
Insanity Experts Testify as to Her
Probable Condition.
LETTERS FROM WASTE BASKET
Detectives DiE Up Scraps which,
Pieced Together, show She Con-
tempIated Trouble with
Senator Brown.

atOr Arthur NJ Brown, was resumed today
a number of insanity experts were in
court. II was believed that the hearing of
evidence would be concluded this week.
The arguments will begin next week and
the indcs tions now are that the case will
20 to the jury not later than December 5.
Mrs. Bradley came into court very quietly,
appearing depressed and paler than usual
She took a seat behind her lawyers with
eyes cast down. At times she closed her
eyes, black rings around them, showing
plainly, and remained for several minutes
as if in a stupor. Occasionally she caught
her breath quickly as II on the verge OF
fainting She was attired in the dark
gown she has worn since the beginning Of
her trial, with a fur collar thrown care
1essly ove- her shoulders. She talked to
one Of hci lawyers and bent forward when
! he spoke as If she heard with difficulty
Tho audience included many women, all
slowing intense eagerness.
Scraps from Waste Basket.
! Detective Charles Mullen, the first wit
ness was asked to identify scraps of torn
letters found in a waste basket in Mrs.
| Brddiey's room at the hotel where the
snuoting took place. One OF these referred
to other letters written by the prisoner.
"Wn you kindly keep these" she wrote,
Il have written you? l may need them,
and in case there is need for defense of
any rashness publish them. Mrs Luton,
% South Second street, or Mrs, Cary could
! see that they were published
Everett l.. Phillips, policeman in charge
of the Bertillon records Of the police de-
partment, said that 1t was he who had
pasted together the scraps of paper found
in the waste paper basket. He identified
all the letters which he said had been
handed him by the police property clerk.
DR.. wilfred l.. Barton, sanity expert,
called by the defense, said he had made
speciality of neurology and is now MEM
ber of the medical faculty Of Georgetown
university. During the last few years he
conducted a private sanitarium in this city
for the treatment of nervous and mental
Diseases but was never connected with
any hospital for the cure of insanity.
witness Qualified to Answer.
He had been house physician for CO.
lumba hospital for women in this city
and had oficiated in 1000 confinement cases
there and had observed the connection be-
tween sepsis and nervous diseases. Sepsis,
in females especially, he considered as
| closely connected with nervous diseases
lie had been so strongly impressed by
literature on the subject very extensively
when he began to give the result OF his
efforts into this subject counsel for the
defense objected and he was instructed by
Judge Stafford to confine his testimony to
his own experience.
He declared that the direct connection is
found in persons who have a prcdisposi-
tion to insanity and whose Organization is
generally regarded as unstable, and the
constant assaults which are made on the
central nervous system by the continual
absorption Of septic material in the sexual
organs of the febalc were sufficient to
supply the necessary mental stress or
strain to bring about a arrangement of
the mind.
us that regarded as a causation OF in
sarity?"
without any question"
without any doubt?'
without any doubt" was the reply
The witness also declared that heredity
is one OF the necessary factors in the de-
velopment Of insanity
Asked regarding the effect of frequent
preenancies and abortions on the nervous
system, the witness said they had-a tre-
mendous effect and often produced insan-
, ity.
1T is generally accepted that repeated
miscarriage tends to produce nervous
troubles and to induce insanity" he added.
The long hypothetical question prepared
: by the defense was then read to the wit
ness There were three questions which
wore only prspounded after Judge Powers
had presented a complete analysis of the
case bringing out essentially the points
indicative OF mental unsoundness on the
part of the defendant. The questions were
as follows:
Assuming all these facts to be true
what do you say as to whether or not at
| the time the fatal shot was hred the pa
: tient understood the nature of her act
was able TO choose and distinguish right
from wrong and was able TO control her
self TO choose the right and avoid the
wrong?
what do you say as to whether, when the
fatal shot was fired, the patient was men
tally responsible for what she dldy
> what do YOU say as to whether, when the
fatal shot was fred, the patient was sane
Z or insane?
s During the reading Mrs Bradley CLOSED
< her eyes and bowed her head, breathing
o heavily at times, as II suffering deep emo
a ton. She perceptibly grew more pale, and
, as the reading Of the question referred t.
e her close relations with the late Senator
= Brown and his declaration of love for her
$ she raised her handkerchief to her eyes
3 Many of the jurors observed her closely
but she appeared to be oblivious TO every
thing about her
I Counsel for the government objected e
having Mrs. Bradley referred to in a par
Of the question as the patient" and in in
stances concerning her confinement in
sisted that the word person" should b,
used in all such cases.
During the morning Representative Scot
Of Kansas sat on the right OF Judge Stat
y ford.
Judge Powers read the long document
with great deliberation. The ordeal wal
evidently very trying on Mrs Bradley.
The Hypothetical question was still being
read when at l2:SO the luncheon recess wa
taken.
DIR. Barton Says She Was Insane.
:. Court reoonvened at l 35 o'clock. Dr
8 Barton again took the stand and the read
I ing OF the hypothetical question was re
i | sumed.
e The reading OF the hypothetical question
e was concluded at 2 o'clock. DR.. Barton de
clared that after hearing It he conclude,
that Mrs. Bradley was insane at the tim
she committed the act Her particular all
2 ment ne said, was puerpural insanity.