The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-03
DIR. WHITE TOTESTIFY
WILL EXAMINE ALEXANDER CHIs-
 HOLM AT BIRMINGHAM.
Insanity Expert of Washington Who Was a Witness For Jerome In Thaw
 Case Reaches Magic

Birmingham. May 2.-(Special. 1.-The sanity of Alexander R. Chisholm, the late paying teller of tAe First Nation al Bank of this city. who Is on trial in the federal court on a charge of embedding and misappropriating funds of the bank, to the amount of $l00.- 900. is now under consideration be- fore the jury trying the cause.
 After the government and the coun- sel had agreed on admissions of cer- tain testimony this morning in regard to the credit slips that the defendant is said to have made out against cor porations which did business at the bank, the object being to account of any shortage that might have been found in the reserve box, several witt nesses were placed on the stand among them Walker Percy. attorney and director in the bank which suffered the loss. and the government closed for the prosecution.
 Mir. Percy told of the time when Chisholm returned from his vacation to Atlantic City and how he was charged with the dedication and how he finally made confession. MT. Percy was on the stand for two hours He expressed the opinion that Chis- holm was sane at that time. The wit ness stated that he had every con- fidence in the defendant up to the time of the discovery of the shortage and considered him one of the finest youn gmen of the city. When the govern ment announced closed. the defense put on the stand. Mrs. R. L. Chisholm mother of the defendant. She tremb- led some as she made a statement, In reply to the questions that were pliea by Captain Frank S. White, counsel for the defense. She told Of insanity that existed in the Chisholm family. She stated that Chief Justice John Rut- ledge, of the United States supreme Court, was her great-grea grand fath- CT and that he had become insane.
 She testified that he had a grand son who was insane and who had a mania for burning down houses, at one time attempting to burn the Astoria Hotel In New York. She testified TUT ther that she had a cousin in Char leston, s. C., who was reputed to pc insane, "AlexS she said, was a bright cherry, willing, obliging boy until he was taken down with 1ever in August, 1905. He was away rom his work about two weeks ana alter the spell of fever he was a changed boy"
 She stated that he was morose and silent and when he came to the home he would sit alone and take no inter est in family affairs. He would slt around by himself and suddenly pick up his hat and go down town: She said that she had heard him discuss money affairs with his father and was constantly talking of speculation. lie did not care for the society of ladies any longer and when he left for the east on his vacation did not even tell his mother good bye.
 Since returning from Tuscaloosa where he was under treatment he has remained quiet at home and has taken no interest in anything When asked whether he had ever expressed any re- gret for his action, Mrs. Chrisholm said that he had expressed an opinion that he would like to go out into the world again and he could make for- tune speculating in cotton.
 A number of physicians have been summoned and are on nand to give tes- timony in the case as alienists. pr White, superintendent of the Eliza- beth Hospital for the Insane at Wash ington, was in court today and the government asked permission Of the counsel for the defense to be permitted to make an examination of the defend- ant, Dr. White was one of the in- sanity expert who testified in the mo- torious Thaw case in New York City recently. This expert will give his
 
 testimony just as soon as his inVestl- cations are completed.
 The case gives promise of being completed by Friday night or Satur- day at the latest.
 Dr. Searcy of the Tuscaloosa Insane Asylum testified to the defendant be- ing in the asylum and showing signs of delusions of grandeur.
 Dr. Rosser. of Birmingham. stated that he visited the defendant three times in jail and thought that there were indications of insanity. Robert Chrisholm, father of the defendant. went on the stand and stated that his grand father was crazy and committed suicide and that he has brother In the insane asylum inN Texas.
 He told of his wife's great grand father going crazy. and of a grand son who imagined himself a clock and stood in a corner and ticked and at one time thought himself a grain of corn and the people were chickens af- ter him. He told of another son who at the age of fifteen years had an at- tack of fever and for a year was not himself. Dr. White will testify to- morrow.