Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-08
MCNAMARA FATALLY Ill
MEDICAL EXPERT in MURDER
TRIAL SAYS DEFENDANTS
END is NEAR.
HAS DIABETES MELLlATUs,
CAN LIVE BUT FEW YEARS.
Disease Is One superinduced by Brain
Disorder-The State Causes Some
Amusement by Disputins County
Records = Physician Says Ed Has
Been Feeble Minded Since Infancy.

Special to Times Republican.
Northwood, April S.-That Ed Nc
Namara is at this time suffering from
diabetes melliatus, an incurable dis
ease, was the testimony given by DIR.
e. r. Young today. 1t is learned fur
ther that medical men do not think he
can live more than few years at the
most, as the malady is far advanced.
1t Is, contrary to the popular idea, a
disease Of a nuerotic or nervous origin,
and its sequelia is any form of brain
disorder up to and including melan-
cholia. He found many stigmata of
degeneration and lack of development
especially about the head, which is not
normal in any particular especially in
the back. He testified that defendant is
and always has been feeble minded.
His examination has not yet been fin
ished.
Disputes County Records.
The audience at the Mcnamara trial
were edited at the opening of the
session, by hearing the state of Iowa
dispute the authenticity of her own
public records for nearly an hour and
This grew out the attempt of the
defense to prove by o. E. Gunderson,
the county SUPERINTENDENT, that a GER
tain book, containing the records Of
the applications of Kate and Ed Nc
Namara for teachers certificates, was
one of the records required by law
to be kept in the superintendent Of
flee.
The book had long ago been filled,
and had been sent downstairs to the
storage room. A few years ago the
stuff which had passed active use was
filed and indexed, in a new storage
vault, and this book was included. At
that time the old papers and books
were in woeful shape, and Frank
Forbes, now one Of the counsel for
the defense, and w. l. Thomson, now
deputy clerk of the courts, were en-
gagged. by the supervisors to attend to
the filing, which required the work of
men accustomed to handling public
records.
The state contended that Gunderson
knew nothing of where the book came
from, except by hearsay, so Mr.. Thorn
(son and Mr.. Forbes had to he sworn
to prove that the book was one which
came from the superintendent office
When finally admitted the record
l'showed that Ed applied for certificates
three times, and was rejected the first
and last times. His sister Kate was
successful each time.
Eds Work in School.
Y IN, rcN J0e
a school mate of Eds at the convent
told the same story that other wit
nesses have, of his slowness, and aver.
sion to association with other boys al
school, at play or in other amusements
He had no particular recollection as tt
FEDS standing in his studies, or the
ease or degree of trouble with which
he assimilated knowledge, but sait
that the general impression left, was
that he was the queerest fellow there
was in school. This was when Ed was
attending the convent school.
Ruling Is Made.
| Mrs. Anne Corcoran was recalled this
afternoon, for the purpose of again of.
fering to prove by her Martin AIcNa-
mara's statements concerning his sons
responsibility. The court ruled in favor
of the state, and she was not allowed
| to testify. She was allowed to say
however, that he was not angry. She
| said that he was solicitous for his
sons welfare, but this was stricken
out.
| II. G. Johannsen, who was one oil
Eds teachers in the business college
at Mason City, was next called He
said that Ed was Very backward, anG
could not remember anything any
| length of time. At that time his con-
versation was very disconnected He
would begin talking on one subject
and before finishing suddenly branch
off onto something else He was study
ing at the business college, mental
arithmetic bookkeeping, Grammar anc
spelling.
First Medical Witness.
The defense began its medical testi-
mony yesterday afternoon a short time
before adjournment. DIR. e. NJ. Young
| of Northwood, who has made the clos
est examination of Ed of any physic-
| ian, was the first medical witness
called. DR.. Young dwelt chiefly upon
the stigmata of degeneration which he
noticed, and found by a thorough
measurement of the defendants head
and other physical examination. He
had prepared charts showing these
measurements and computations in de-
| tail, to graphically illustrate the places
where Eds head is deficient to the
jury 1t seems that that there is a
startling deficiency in the occipital-
bragnatic arc-that is the distance
covered by the parietal bones, from the
soft spot on the top of a baby's head
to the soft spot at the rear. The same
measurements were taken on Pat Nc
Namara's head, and the difference is
startling. AS stated above, DR.. Young