The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-03-11
ESTABLISHING
!. INSANITY PLEA
IN MOLINE CASE
Several Witnesses Have Testi.
fed to Former Mental Aber.
ations in Defendant
SEES THINGS NOW AND hAO
SANE TROUBLE YEARS AGO
Father Had Boy Examined by Physi.
clan Who Was Witness for Defense
Attorney and Witness Have Q
Misunderstanding and Words Pass.

Attorney and Witness Have .
Misunderstanding and Words Pass.
Rugby, N. D., March 1.-THE chief
incidents in the trial of Charles Mo-
line today on a charge of patricide
we're the declarations by DR.. c. W..
Collinson, the only witness examined
this morning, that the defendant was
insane at the time of the crime and
that he is now insane, and q near
brawl between Attorney M. A. Chris
tianson for the state and DR.. Collin
son, which came Immediately after the
morning session was adjourned. The
trouble between Chrs,tianson and COL
linson grew out of the last question
asked the witness by the prosecuting
attorney, who asked If Collinson had
not made the statement to him Chris
'tianson) that Moline was not insane,
Collinson replied in the negative.
When court adjourned moment
later the lie was passed and after
| wards, when the men met on the side
walk, Collinson demanded of Chris
tianson that he take back the words
he had spoken. This Christianson re-
fused to do, but before any further
trouble occurred friends interfered.
Moline's Mental Condition.
DR.. Collinson was positive in his
statements on the witness stand that
the defendant was insane at the time
iof the crime, and that he is also in
Fsane at the present time. He had
made examinations of the defendant
/ hot oy1d fNOnth
/ with other physicians. A hypothetical
question was put to the witness by the
attorney for the defendant, E. r. Sink
Ter and in reply the witness stated
that it would be impossible to give the
cause of death. The question pre-
pared conformed to the facts showing
the condition of the body of Frank
Moline as nearly as possible, and from
the physicians answer it was made
to appear that the cause Of Moline 8
death was very vague.
Defendant ''Sees Things"
Seeing things" is one of the pas
times of the defendant, Charles Mo-
lime, according to the evidence of Jack
DAILY and DIR. C. o. Anderson on the
witness stand yesterday afternoon.
The things" in this case are devils,
which perform their mystic feats be-
fore his eyes, and skulls, which ap-
parently float about in the air in an
aimless manner. Furthermore, Moline
! is in the habit of .4earing voices which
he says come from the heavens. DAILY
had heard Moline tell of the devils.
skulls and voices while confined in
the county Jail with him. At night
when it was extremely dark the
things" were especially active.
DIR. Anderson testified that four
years ago young Moline's father had
brought him to his office in Willow
City for an examination. At that time
the father told of the boys stories OF
+, devils, skulls and voices.
Saw Father Afterwards.
Another piece of startling evidence
Yesterday was secured from one of
the children who told of how Charles
had said that he had seen his father
in his room night after the murder
just as plain as in real life.
Easily Influenced.
Jack DAILY also told of how easy it
was to influence Moline one way or
the other, he being able to make him
do almost anything he wanted to. Mo-
line, he said always appeared to be
deep in thought.
Defense's Opening Statement.
The opening statement of the de-
fense made by Attorney E. r. Sink
ler yesterday morning follows:
| The insane are rather to be pit
tied than punished. Time was in
medieval history and reaching down
to the time of the witchcraft prosecu-
tions in Massachusetts. when the in
sane were thought possessed of the
devil, and witchcraft and demon pos
sessed became the pandemonium of
priests and courts in the mad attempt
to stamp out diseases of the mind by
recourse to the torture and stake.
A broader civilization. and more en-
lightened age has viewed with kinder
feelings the horrible afflictions of the
diseased mind, and no one In this age,
who is found not to comprehend the
nature of the act he is committing, Is
held criminally responsible for his
act.
1T is the purpose of the defense
in this case to establish to your salts
fiction beyond all question that at the
time the defendant administered to
his father the fatal poison, he was un-
accountable, to the laws of either God
or man. and was for a long time
prior thereto unaccountable and Is
now. In the great argument made by
Lord Erskine In the defense of Had
field was attempted the life of the
king of England. he said. In other
cases reason is not driven from her
seat. but distraction sits down upon
1t along with her, holds her trembling
upon it and frightens her from her