The Washington herald., 1907-11-26

According 10 DR. Wilifred NJ Barton.
professor Of gynecology and neurology. Of
Georgetown University Medical School.
Mrs. Annie NJ. Bradley was suffering
from a species of insanity known as
''pucrperal' on the afternoon OF December
last when she entered the room Of Sen
ator Brown. at the Raleigh Hotel. and
shot him, and from the wounds Of which
he died five days later at the Emergency
Hospital
This form of insanity often aflicts
women suffering from the effects OF Ger
tain operations. and lasts from two OF
three weeks 20 several months. DR.. Bar
ton stated and the person so afflicted is
unable To distinguish right from wrong.
In other cases. he said. they may be
able to distinguish right from wrong. but
would be unable to control themselves
DR.. Barton is the first expert witness
to be placed on the stand during the trial
of Mrs Bradley He testified yesterday
afternoon following the reading by Judge
Powers of a hypothetical question which
covers ffty-six typewrltten pages. and
contains more than 1900 words II took
almost three hours 10 read it. and il is
a narrative Of Mrs. Bradleys life down
10 December s II details first that she
was struck on the head by a hoe i'm the
hands Of a playmate at an early age, the
different operations that were performed
upon her during the past six years re-
sulting each time in blood poisoning. the
fact that two OF her aunts upon the
al cid Of
died in that condition. while the other
now is living and is much improved mem
tally. The question, If il may be called
SUCH contains recital Of the interviews
that Mrs. Bradley had with the dead
man in the course Of which ne either
abused her. or made demonstrations of
affection for her and reiterated his Oft
repeated promise 90 marry her. and give
her children a name. In brief. il is a
comprehensive narrative of practically all
the testimony taken during the past two
weeks.
Testimony Unshaken.
Dr. Barton made "A splendid witness for
the defense. and explained In detail 70
the jury I'm response to District Attorney
Bakers cross-examination, the natural
result from a medical standpoint Of Ger
tain abnormal conditions brought about
by certain operations. District Attorney
Baker cornered tie doctor on several oc-
casions, but on the whole he proved a
good witness for the defense IN establish
ing the base Tor the opinion Of the two
distinguished alieniSts who viii take the
stand this moruing-Dr Britton D. Evans,
OF the New Jersey State Asylum for the
Insane, and Dr. Charles S. Hll, of Balti-
more.
Both Of these sat in the courtroom dur
ing all Of yesterdays proceedings and
took notes. To each will be read the
same hypothetical question. II has not
been decided which Of the two VIII take
the stand first but whichever does, 1t is
more than probable that the examination
will take all day.
That the District attorney is making "A
determined effort to convict Mrs. Bradley
was made certain yesterday. when he an
nounced that he would call thirty-eight
witnesses in rcbuttal- In view of this and
the fact that the examination Of the
alienists will take much more time than
originally supposed, the trial may last two
weeks longer.
On Verge of Collapse.
Mrs Bradley left the courtroom yester-
day at adjournment on the verge Of col
lapse and was hardly able 10 walk down
the steps leading to the prisoners pen
below. There is a probability that her
physical condition may become such that
the trial may have to be postponed for
several days. I'm order for her to recuper-
ate her strength.
The proceedings opened yesterday with
Attorneys Powers ard Hoover making a
demand for the torn fragments Of letters
which the government claims were found
in Mrs Bradley's room following the
shooting, and which she identified as be
ing in her handwriting. These fragments.
pasted together with transparent cloth.
according TO the government. constitute
the most important piece Of evidence to-
ward supporting the governments posi-
tion that Mrs Bradleys act was planned
and premeditated. Without argument the
District attorney placed i'm evidence three
sections of a related or unrelated letter
On one is written the following.
About one week ego Sunday and Mon
day you could not love me
- don't see why and how yOu-so-in-
constant
Il am sending letters written TO Sen
ator Brown by Mrs. Annie Adams, mother
Of Maude Adams, the actress Please
preserve them. If any defense should he
necessary on account of my rashness,
publish them. Mrs. Lufkin. - s. = West
or Mrs. Corey would see that they are
published
Identify Scraps Of Pnper.
The defense placed on the stand sew
cral witnesses TO prove how these scraps
of paper found their way into the hands
of the prosecution Clayton W. Holtz-
claw a clerk AT the Raleigh Hotel. testi-
fed to having found them in "a waste
paper basket i'm the room occupied by
Mrs. Bradley. just after the shooting
and turned them over to Detective Chas.
Mulln. and the latter testified TO taking
them and handing them over TO Lieut..
Hartley. Of the First precinct Lieut.
Hartley then took the stand and stated
that he carried them TO police headquar-
ters. where they We're assembled by E. L.
Phillips. i'm charge of the identification
system there. Mr. Phillips identified the
scraps. and testified that he pasted them
together in their present form.
Before the reading Of the hypothetical
question. Dr. Barton was examined by
Judge Powers as 10 his experience as a
physician. He stated that he had been
for fifteen years practiciug physician
and for the past seven or eight years he
had devoted special attention to the sub
ject OF neurology and synecology. He
said that he was familiar with tine action
OF sepsis. OF blood poisoning, upon the
nervous system, and that he had been
seFsiS had on the nerves and brain of
rOIueu Hn Cfafad flog a., n,,iDfo1