The San Francisco call., 1909-11-30
EXPERTS CLASH
ON SANITY OF
CUNNINGHAM
Dr.. Stones Statement That
SLAYER Is Sane Creates Issue
With Noted Alienists
State Lunacy Board Members
Reiterate Belief That MUIR
derer Is Unbalanced

With the assertion yesterday by Dr.
Elmer f. Stone, superintendent of the
Napa state insane asylum. that James
Edward Cunningham, slayer of Caro-
ina Brasch. the book keeper for Gray
Brothers. killed in the Office last June,
is sane. the question of the murderer's
mental condition was made a direct
issue between the state physician and
the two alienists Of the state lunacy
board. who pronounced the laborer a
hopeless paranoiac. DR.. Stone, how
ever qualified his statement with the
assurance that he had not finished his
examination of the murderer's mind,
but he was final in saying that so far
as his months investigation had pro-
gressed. his opinion in regard to Gun
ningham's mental condition was firmly
fixed. He made it clear. too. that his
examination had. covered every point
that an expert alienist could raise.
RESULT AWAITED WITH INTEREST
Meanwhile the officials delegated
with the enforcement of the law and
Cameron II. King. Cunningham's at
torney, are awaiting the result of the
physicians deliberations with great in
terest- District Attorney Langdon and
Sheriff Dolan have been notified by DIR.
Stone that he has become convinced, by
hls examination of Cunningham to date,
that the murderer is sane, and as
sured by the head of the state asylum
that he viii send immediate notice as
soon as he decides finally upon the
point Attorney King will get into
Communication with his client at once.
A remarkable feature of the present
lnvesti cation, commented upon by all
those OF this city interested in the mat
ter, is that Cunningham is now said by
Doctor Stone TO insist that he is insane.
This the, state alienist believes is an
Indication that the murderer is sham
ming insanity. for insane people in
vsriably declare with all vehemence
hat they are as sane as any one can
De. But during his trial here Cum
1ingham was highly displeased when
The experts declared him insane
I have taken up a considera BILE pc
riod of time with my investigation Of
Cunningham" Doctor Stone said yes
serday. and I have gone into the mat
ter fully. The patient has been ques-
toned thoroughly regarding the perse-
cution by Gray Brothers. the murder
Of the Brasch girl, all events surround
mans past life. At all times and un-
der all conditions Cunningham has
seemed perfectly sane. I want further
time TO study the man, of course. Ny
formal opinion of the case will not be
given out until I have satisfied myself,
Dy further searching examina tions and
4 close personal observa tion of the
man and his life. that Cunningham is
sane. or until ! have reached the con-
he SC
SAYS SLAYER Is INSANE
DR.. c. d. McGettigan, one of the
state sanity board examiners, who. with
Or. .. d. Lustig, forms the local mem
bership OF the board, reiterated yester-
day his opinion that Cunningham was
insane
L simply state that my former esti-
mate of the condition Of the mans mind
is my estimate now," the physician
said. The man is insane. OF course.
alienists sometimes disagree on a mat
ter of this kind, and, while several
may become convinced that man is
insane, one may be found who believes
the man quite sane"
I have read Doctor Stones opinion
Of Cunningham with much interest. !"
Doctor Lustig said yesterday. and 1
note that the doctor says that he has
not yet finished his Investigations of
ment is, and has been, is insane He
is afflicted with a type of paranoia,
something which il is sometimes very
difficult to show to jury. The man has
one system of ideas that form a mania
with him, and about them his whole
life is built. Everything he thinks of
is colored and affected by those ideas,
which in Cunningham case are that
be believes himself prosecuted. and un-
Ger hynpOfic coptro1
Doctor Lustig is an eminent alienist.
and his fame as such extends beyond
this state.
WILL BE TRIED H SANE
If the man is adjudged insane he
will remain in the asylum. but if he is
turned over TO US as sane he will stand
trial for his life" District ATTORNEY
Langdon declared. His first trial. Of
course, was merely to discover whether
or not the man was sane, and the Jury
after hearing the testimony of state
experts and others. decided he was not" :"
Assistant District Attorney William
Hoh Cook, who prosecuted the insanity
hearing for the state professed himself
60 be little surprised at the statement
from Doctor Stone, but admitted that
there were features of Cunningham S
actions that puzzled him.
The most significant thing about the
mans actions" Cook said, seemed to
me to be the fact that he believed the
Shirley girl to be present when he shot
Carolina Brasch- This girl he knew at
cragmont. That delusion seemed to
show a disordered mind"
i would welcome the decision that
Cunningham is not insane" Cameron H.
King, the murderer's attorney, said.
for il would seem TO show that while
he was insane at the time the murder
was commmited he now is cured"