The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-23
EXPERTS TESTIFY.
As to Mental Condition of Mrs.
VOllStedt.
Their Opinions Differ and Ont
come of Case in Doubt.
mo wwry
TO JURY TONIGHT.
Testimony Today Regarding
Ethics of Love and Law.
Lee Daniels Not a Judge OF
Flowers, He Says.

Lee Daniels with intent to kill. Sup
porting their contention of insanity
Waters & Waters placed medical men
and alienists on the stand today. When
the state completes a short rebuttal,
argument by counsel will prepare the
case for the jury and that body may
be sent out tonight.
The defense expects to prove by these
insanity experts that Mary Vollstedt
was insane. The state questions as to
whether the defendant knew what was
right and wrong. If the state proves
she knew she was doing wrong in
shooting Daniels then their prosecu-
ton is successful.
owing to the nature of the questions
contemplated in the examination of the
experts all women were ordered from
the court room with the opening OF
court this morning. For the same red-
son only parts of their testimony can
be printed.
DF. ROby Thinks Defendant Insane.
Dr. Henry Roby occupied the witness
chair nearly two hours. His opinion
was that Mary VOllstedt was of unbal-
anced mind. He based his opinion on
her history as introduced in evidence,
her demeanor on the stand her simple
mindedness in grasping the meaning of
questions He gave it as his opinion
that the girl was of very low average
of vitality both bodily and mentally
This may have been partially due, he
said to her ailments, misfortunes, and
subsequent operations and a severe at
tack of typhoid fever. He explained
further and quite fully that her love
for Daniels, unrequited. had caused her
to lose her balance of mind and shoot
him unknowing or realizing what she
was doing.
And you think that her mind was
unbalanced by love, do you, DR.. Roby?''
cross examined A. ]. Bolinger of the
prosecution.
u think so" answered the doctor
And do you think her mind is I'M
balanced at present."
7 think it is
You have heard her testimony here
covering the entire history of her life,
doctor Do you think there is anything
in her testimony which would indicate
that she does not think and answer
like a sane person."
No, 1 think not
A Matter of Ethics.
Now, doctor, if this woman loved
a man and his love was pleasing to
her. wouldn't she allow him to come
to her home to see herr"
Il think more women would than
would not"
order was restored in the room and
the attorney continued. do you think,
then. that Mary Vollstedt in refusing
to allow Daniels to come down to her
home as he desired, showed herself
to be of pretty good moral stability 2"
That would be a good indication"
DO YOU think that the fact that
she bought this revolver and took it
home. went into the cellar and shot
1t into the ground to see if it would
shoot, is a mark of sanity or insan-
ity?"
7 am not sure of either"
DO you think she knew she was
doing wrong when she shot Daniels
In the back"
Not under the existing conditions"
What were those conditioner"
THE scorn of her affection and the
shock on her emotional system"
The Doctor Is a Pessimist.
Doctor, is it not an unusual thing
for married woman to bestow such
affection upon another woman's hus-
band ?"
Il think not"
How do you account for lido
you think she was looking for some
one to lOve?"
Yes. dissatisfied at home, I think
she was hunting for someone who
would be more pleasing to her"
How do you explain, then, her re-
fusaI of what she was hunting for
is that unusual?"
Il believe it is"
But you do believe she did not
understand the quality of her act
when she shot Daniels broke in
Capt Waters.
THAT is my belief"
That's all"
Iindsay's Testimony Cut Two Ways.
DIR. w. S. Lindsay, who testified in
part yesterday, reached the climax
today in the question of both state
and defense. He gave practical salts
faction to both. He said the girl was
insane, but admitted to Attorney
Schenck that she knew right from
wrong. In his testimony he defined
an insane person as one who suffered
an hallucination. Schenck created a
great deal of amusement with the
question of that definition.
Under your definition, then,
should the tariff of standpatters prove
good one, the Democrats and the in
surgents are all crazy. are they not %
Drs. Lindsay and Roby had made
an examination of the patient, Mary
Volstedt. after her testimony of yester-
day and testified that they found that
her pulse was 40 per cent faster than
the normal of 70 to rs. In spite of the
rapid pulse, the girls color had not
changed from the paleness which she
has worn since arrest and presumably
all her life.
DR.. L. A. Ryder and DR.. S. A. John
son, both of whom were engaged in
her insanit-- trial in the probate court
testified for the state and said as they
did at the time that the girl was. and
is. sane though under the normal de-
velopment. Both testified that she
was better now than at the former
trial.
Waters Asked About Painted Women
Conductor Lee Daniels was recalled
to the chair by the defendants coun-
esI and a matter of receiving flowers
brought to his attention.
The startling testimony was brought
from him that he did not know vio-
let from a rose.
Did not a painted woman on the
Fourth street car hand you a bunch
of violets within the past two weeks p
questioned Waters.
mot f. my recollection
"VitT q the past two weeks did not
an uXs haste woman with painted
cheeks land you a bunch of violets? p
'I n not a judge of those women
do YOU mean to tell this court and