Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-31
DOCTOR SAYS
MRS. COR WELL
WAS INSANE
EXPERT TESTIMONY MAY FREE
ACCUSED WOMAN
COURTROOM HAS APPEARANCE
OF MATINEE DAY
FashionabIy Dressed Women Hear
Pathetic TaIe-Attorney Asks
Question That Takes
More Than Hour


appearance of the large gathering of
spectators at the trial of Mrs. Estelle
| Corwell yesterday more realistic. AL
most every seat was occupied by wo-
wen, dressed in fashionable apparel and
with hats removed. The conceit was
carried out further by an occasional
| burst of merriment or expressions of
| fearful sympathy while the mother of
| the defendant was on the stand, and
when the prisoner herself broke down
as on the previous day and sobbed in
the most pathetic manner.
But two witnesses testified yesterday.
The mother of the defendant told of her
illness prior to the birth of her un-
fortunate child and related instances in
| the life of the prisoner to the time of
| the tragedy last July. The other wit
ness was DR.. Joseph Kurtz, and he oc-
| cupied the stand almost three hours,
! listening to and answering hypotheti-
| cal questions concerning the condition
| of the defendant, on the assumption
that the facts brought out in the testi-
mony were true.
Question Takes Hour
| Attorney Appel for the defense began
| the reading of the main hypothetical
| question at 10:30 o'clock and finished
an hour later, when q recess was taken
until o'clock to give Frank G. Blair,
| deputy district attorney, in charge of
| the prosecution, time in which to pre-
pare a detailed objection.
The question propounded to the wit
ness concerning the mental condition
of Mrs. Corwell, based on the testimony
| given in the trial. contained 5000 words
| and was read by Appel with pathos
| that brought tears to the eyes of many
of the women present.
| AT the beginning of the afternoon
| session Blair began the reading of his
| objection, which covered almost every
paragraph in the question. With the
| exception of a few minor changes here
| and there agreed to be made by APP
| pei, the question following the rulings
of the court remained as at first put
to the witness. the objections being
overruled one by one.
That Estelle Corwell was insane at
the time of the killing of George T..
Bennett was declared to be the opinion
of DR.. Kurtz, who said he believed the
woman to be suffering from compound
psychosis, a mental arrangement in
which a number of disease elements
were present, the principal ones being
hysteria and epilepsy, the first itself
being mild form of insanity, and the
latter leading to it.
Adjourns Until Monday
line ueISnS6 IldQ NOT COnCluQeu lLS
| testimony when court adjourned yester-
| dya until Monday, and it is expected
another full day will be taken up in
presenting further medical testimony.
| DIR. Kurtz will again take the stand
next week and will be followed by
| DR.. w. Fl. Booth. Both are regarded as
experts in nervous diseases and insan-
| ity and their opinions will naturally
| have an especially strong bearing on
| tha case
Mrs. Helen Welch, mother of tho de-
fendant, was the first witness yester-
day. Mrs Welch has for two days
been suffering from an attack of neu-
ralgia and had not fully recovered
when she appeared In court.
During her testimony she broke down
twice and it was necessary to suspend
the proceedings on each occasion. Mrs.
Welch said that prior to the birth of
Mrs. Corwell, her third daughter, she
suffered greatly from neuralgia, and
the child tecame subject to fainting
spells when she was seven years old,
these spells continuing until she reach
ed the age of IA. She retold the story
of the prisoners life to the time she
was placed in the city jail following
Benefits death.
81 visited Estelle at the JAIL" said the
mother, "and found her wringing her
hands and acting strangely. She said:
oh, mamma, where am I? What is
the matter? Where is George? 1 told
her George was here"
Mother Overcome
Mrs. Welch was overcome at this
point and was led into an adjoining
room, where she was attended by DR..
Booth. She returned to the witness
chair ten minutes later, and testified
she had told her daughter of Benefits
i l. .Sff ffrsNe L
the witness.
DR.. Joseph Kurtz, a specialist in
nervous diseases, then took the stand
and Appel began the reading of the hy-
pothetical question, beginning with a
reference to the health of Mrs. Welch
prior to the birth of her daughter.
The question was based on the as
sumption that the testimony introduced
by the defense was true, and had its
beginning in the probable effect upon
the child of the mothers condition
prior to its birth. The story told in the
evidence of the young girls fainting
spells; the influence of George T. Ben
nett over her; attacks of epilepsy or
falling fits; the meeting of Bennett
with Male Bennett on Hollywood car;
the administration of Opiates to relieve
her pain following serious complications
as result of cruelty; the cruelty it,
self the belief that poison had been
administered to her by rival; the
letters in which she declared her inten-
tion to destroy herself; the introduction
of the defendant as Benefits wife;
their life together as husband and wife;
her delicate condition last May; an at
tack of epilepsy at that time; the be-
lief that her rival laughed at her; her
severe illness at certain periods, and
in fact, almost every part of the de-
fense's testimony was recited.
Defendant Weeps
At that point in the questioning
where reference was made to the sup
posed visit that her rival visited her
In her apartments, Mrs. Corwell cried
out and for five minutes her form was
shaken by sobs. 1t was five minutes
before quiet was restored and the at
torney was able to resume his reading.
Before the witness could answer APP
pels question concerning Mrs. Corwell's $
mental condition at the time of the
shooting, assuming the testimony to be
true. Mr.. Blair entered an objection,
stating his belief that no foundation
had been laid, and that the question
was not based on the evidence.
ut is your duty said Judge Will
bur, ''to point out where it does not
conform to the evidence. l do not wish
to rule on a general objection
Appel stated the question was as near
perfect as he could make it, consistent
with the evidence, and the court de- |
clared recess until 2 o'clock to give