Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-07
IS
DEFENSE IN
MURDER CASE
ALBERT RYAN'S MENTALITY
BEING EXAMINED
MAN is CHARGED WITH KILLING
OF TWO
Expert Opinions Differ in Regard to
the Status of the Mind
of Man Now on
Trial


whether or not Albert Ryan, former
organizer for the Federation of Miners,
is insane was begun before jury in
Judge Davis department Of the Grim
inal court yesterday, and the verdict
probably will be rendered come time
today, as it is expected the case will
go to the jury before noon.
Ryan is charged with the killing of
Otto Miller and Harry e. Snyder, two
hotel employees, at the United States
hotel July IS last His attorneys, Fred
w. Morrison and +. J. Spring, have
searched the middle west and western
states for information concerning his
past, and this information appeared
yesterday in a number of deposition5,
in all of which it was stated Ryan for
many years has been noticeable be-
cause of his peculiar actions and his
expressions of fear that enemies seek
ing his life surrounded him wherever
he went.
Supporting this evidence was the oral
testimony of Mrs. Mamie Shea of Man
haitian Beach, who said she met Ryan
on two occasions and his actions had
impressed her as those of an insane
person. Five physicians were also
called to give expert testimony, stat
ing they had examined the accused
man and believe him to be mentally
unbalanced at the present time
Believes Ryan Is Feigning
Only one witness, DR.. Charles B.
Nichols, testified for the prosecution
before court adjourned yesterday. He
said he made two examinations of
Ryan in the county jail and believed
the man was feigning insanity.
Throughout the day Ryan sat ap-
parently unmindfu of what was going
on around him, incessantly chewing
gum, and never once addressing a re-
mark to his attorneys or other per-
sons in the courtroom. There seemed
to be some fear that he would make
break for liberty or create disturb
ance of some kind, and for this reason
a deputy sheriff sat by his side during
the session, while three or four other
officers occupied nearby seats.
Ryan is a man of powerful physique.
He is more than six feet in height,
weighs close to 200 pounds, and ac-
cording to the testimony of DR.. Mich
OILS has the largest lung capacity of any
man examined by him in many years.
The twelve men to try the question
of Ryan's mental condition were VIII
liam Holgate, George b. Griswold, II.
r. Crowell, w. w. Lowe, Ephraim
Hatch, w. L. Conrad, L. S. Tomblin,
Thomas Crew, George B. De Sellem, G.
r. C. Twycross, Lewis Landreth and
William A. Walls
Arizona Deposition Received
A deposition signed by j. j. Harring-
ton of Jerome, Ariz., was read, in which
Harrington stated that Ryan had on
one occasion two years ago left his bed
and crawling to the roof of an adjoin-
ing house, talked to an imaginary
comet. j. NJ. Sutherland, also of Jer-
ONE, deposed that Ryan in 1906 dashed
out of Sutherland's saloon and dis
charged his revolver. He said his en-
emes We're following him, but when l
went to the door 1 saw only butter
fly futtering against the window" says
Sutherland.
Other dispositions contained similar
statements. Mrs. Mamie Shea of Man
haitian Beach said Ryan stayed at her
bath house June last and in his con-
versations declared he was going to
take his own life. When she met him
later in Los Angeles he indicated two
boys some distance away and said they
were bounding him.
Physicians who examined Ryan and
testified they believed him to be in
sane were Drs. James T. Fischer, Fl.
G. Brainerd, John b. Adams, Warren
NJ. Horton and Fred c. Shurtleff. The
latter said his examination disclosed
a depression on Ryan's head, the re-
suit, Ryan told him, of an injury sus-
tanned when rock fell and struck him
in q mine shaft
DR.. Charles B. Nichols, called by
District Attorney Fredericks, said he
had examined Ryan twice during the
past two days and believed he was
insanity. Other medical tes-
timony will be introduced by the pros
ecution today.