Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-15
TRYING TO SHOW
MRS. FINN INSANE
SEVERAL WITNESSES TESTIFY
SHE ACTED STRANGELY
Justice Chambers Declares He Will
Dismiss Case Unless the Cause
for Mahaffey's Death Is
Determined

Testimony of several witnesses tend
ing to show that Mrs. Margaret Finn
was insane at the time she is alleged
to have shot J. e. Mahaffey, was IN
troduced during the afternoon session
at the preliminary examination or the
defendant in Police Justice Chambers
court yesterday.
Several new phases in the case were
brought out yesterday. When the
prosecution rested yesterday morning
Attorney Fred Thompson, for the de-
tense. moved for dismissal on the
ground that the fact had not been
proved that Mahaffey came to his
death as the result of gunshot
wound.
DR.. Sumner ]. Quint was put on the
witness stand by the prosecution and
hypothetical questions were put to
him for the purpose of showing that
such q wound was the cause of death.
This procedure was resorted to after
the case had been reopened when the
question arose whether the fatal wound
was a gunshot wound.
The prosecutions request for con-
tinuance until the return of Surgeon
Campbell, who made the autopsy, from
Canada, was denied, and Justice
Chambers declared he would dismiss
the case unless the cause of Mahaf-
In order to give the attorney for
| the prosecution time to secure addi-
tional evidence, the hearing was post
poned at 1880 o'clock a. m. until
o'clock in the afternoon.
The attorneys say If the case is
dismissed by Justice Chambers they
will file a new complaint in another
court.
Bernard Masterson, who testified for
the prosecution, was placed on the
stand by the defense and testified he
believed Mrs. Finn was insane at the
time of the shooting. His opinion was
based, he said, on the wild-eyed ap-
pearance of the woman and because
of her actions.
W. H. Mahaffey brother or the DEAD
man, was recalled and the testimony
he offered Tuesday to the effect that
his brother had died as a result of
a gunshot wound, was disqualified.
The court room was well filled at
2 o'clock when 1.-The hearing was re-
suned. Mrs. Finn, attired in black
and wearing a. veil of the same color,
occupied a chair by the side Of
woman companion. She still had the
appearance Of being nervous, but was
more composed than on the previous
day. She observed what was going
on in the court room, but in ltstless
manner. When Deputy District At
torney Pearson attempted to Introduce
in evidence the pistol with which the
shooting Is said to have been done,
she displayed no emotion, but merely
glanced at the weapon In a. casual
way.
M. e. Noteworthy, 1415 Vermont ave-
nue.. an employe of Bresee Brothers
undertaking firm, was closely cross
examined by Attorney Thompson as
to the character of the wound. His
persistency irritated the witness, VINO
became tangled up and displayed an
ger when the attorney asked him to
describe accurately a bullet hole. He
seemed at loss to tell the exact ap-
pearance of a puncture caused by
leaden missile, and was confused In
explaining the difference between a
hole made by a bullet and one made
by a piece of round steel. He said
he was present when the autopsy was
performed and the course of the bullet
was pointed out.
He declared the bullet punctured the
pulmonary artery. When asked IL
there was a hole in the artery he re-
piled that the blood vessel had been
ruptured. Then followed a long line
of questioning concerning healthy and
diseased pulmonary arteries, and the
location of such blood vessels in the
human body. The examination was
minute and every minor detail was
gone into. p.
Detective Joe Ritch testified con-
cerning the wounds and general ap-
pearance of the body after the shoot
ing.
DR.. H. M. Rooney, 3036 West Pico
street, testified he had attended Mrs.
Finn previous to the tragedy and said
she was nervous and irritable. He
said he had been acquainted with her
for a long time and had treated her
husband in his lifetime.
DR.. Sumner J. Quint, police surgeon,
stated he examined Mrs. Finn the
night after the shooting and that
she was nervous and appeared to be
irresponsible.
Matron McPeek said she thought
Mrs. Finn was insane.
Daniel w. Green, newspaper man,
testified he was at the police station
when Mrs. Finn was taken to jail. and
he said she was wild-eyed and did
not appear to be rational.
Mrs. E. r. Thompson, living at Ver-
mont avenue and Pico street, stated
she had known Mrs. Finn long time
and the woman was nervous and
seemed to be irrational at times.
Patrolman Brven said Mrs. Finn
acted uueerly after the shooting. "She
asked me what the crowd had gathered
for and what they wanted. Then she
said: Did 1 shoot?'" said the officer.
The officer also stated Mrs. Finn
was bareheaded and did not want to
'ee-. to the station until she had Sc
cured her hat.
Court was adjourned shortly after
o'clock and the hearing will be re-
sumed at 10 o'clock this morning.