The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-05-25
DRUG DREAM MADE
EXCUSE FOR CRIME
Dr.. J. H. Robinson Says Nor
phine Victims Have Lumps
on Brains.
LAWYER DEFENDS HIS SON
PARENT CONES FROM ILLINOIS
TO RESCUE STAPLETON.

Charging that physicians are directly
4espOnsible for the morphine habit. Dr.
]. Il Robinson, q witness for the de-
tense, added a startling twist to the
trial Of Z. D. StapIeton in the federal
court yesterday. Stapleton IS accused
of the theft and forgery Of pOstOffice
money orders His defense IS insanity
superinduced by the constant use OF
drugs.
I would not prescribe morphine for
any of my PATIENTS for $4,000, de-
clared DR.. Robinson. I would not
treat any one who uses the drug. The
victims lose all sense Of right and
wrong and the constant use produces
q diseased mind 1t impairs the mem
DRY and causes small Jumps to form on
the brain
DR.. Robinson testified that he had
made an examination Of StapletOn g
week ago and that he found him in
good bodily health, but that the CLASSY
appearance Of his eyes indicated that
he had been addicted to an oplate- Ha
questioned the defendant and he ap-
peared to be all right
When asked whether defendant was
insane previous to the alleged crime
DR.. Robinson said that he was Dr.
Robinson did not think, however, that
the defendant had Jumps on his brain
from morphine Dr. Robinson added
that drugs do not have the same effect
on the brain as alcohol
DR.. Lund Differs.
DR.. II. Z. LUnd expressed the opin-
ion that the constant use Of OpiateS
was not sufficient cause to pronounce
& man insane. The disOTdered cOndi-
tiOn of the brain followed the use Of
drugs was, in the opinion Of DIT. Lund,
simply a state or intOXicauOn, some
what similar to the condition produced
b. the OVer-1ndulgenCe IN liquor. DIT.
Lund, who attended StapletOn, said that
when the man was brought to the
county jail he was weak and emaciated
from drugs, but his mind was clear
Brigham Clegg, attorney for the de-
Tense, yesterday sought to prove by
several witnesses that StapletOn was
insane from opiates at the time he IS
charged with having committed the
crime.
With his aged father John StapIeton,
an Illinois attorney directing the cOun-
sci for the defense. defendant was
placed on the witness stand and he
gave a graphic description Of the SEN
satiOnS of one addicted to the use Of
morphine or cocaine Stapleton said
that he was a graduate o. the UnlVer-
sity Of Chicago. In 1903 he underwent
an operation, when he became addicted
TO the use of both cocaine and NOR
phile- He tried 70 overcome the habit,
but could not do SO. His memory was
a total blank for days at a time, while
he was under the influence Of the
drugs He said he had been in the
habit Of using about go grains Of CO
Caine and 90 grains Of morphine daily
for a long period previous to his arrest,
and that on occasions he used as high
as 120 grains Of cocaine a day
Stapleton said that his mind was
blank from the time the crime was
committed until ne was landed in the
county jail He denied the statement
Of Deputy United States Marshal l. H
Smyth, that q sum OF money had been
found in his pockets, after his arrest,
and he also denied that he had made
presence of Marshal Smyth and Post
office Inspector c D. Lowe
The statement he is alleged to have
written was handed to St6DletOn BY
United States Attorney H Z. Booth. AID
StapletOn was asked If he could iden-
tify the writing as his own After sew
eraI minutes StapletOn said that the
handwriting looked like his. but he
did not remember having written the
statement. Questioned regarding the
different events connected with the
commission of the crime, the defend
ant again declared that everything was
a blank. He often had Authorizations
he said. At one time. in HALEY, Ida,
he was lying IN bed when the table be
room" said StapIeton. and I tried to
realize that it was only a table. I
fought off the delusiOn as best I could,
but II came right along. The table
turned into an animal and I secured
gun and shot at It
Describes HaIIucinatiOns.
TT is something a person cannot eZ-
plain, and cannot realize until he has
gone through It. My whole surround
ings would turn black, and I wouIs
see everything Imaginable. I could
never account for my actions after
coming out Of the spell. People would
tell me what 7 had done. but 7 had no
recollection. On the day Of my arrest
I did not remember anything until 7
was taken before United States Com
missioner Charles Baldwin. 1 didn't
know until 7 reached the county jail
what I had done"
As evidence that he has been cured
Of the habit he declared that he has
no more Authorizations. has recovered
from his nervousness. and has gained
Is pounds in weight. These changes
have been wrought since he was ar
rested and placed IN the county jail
Manager 7. s MaTiger Of the Seeing
Salt Lake Automobile company: J. NJ
Lyon, Paul Mariger and Percy 7. Sv-
mons, all testified TO the peculiar ac-
tons Of the prisoner, for some time
prior TO his arrest.
Deputy Sheriff Bert SeaCer testified
that Stapleton acted perfectly rational