The Detroit times., 1911-03-24
B0YAJIAN SANE AT
TIME OF TRAGEDY


recounted, the details OF the shooting
being graphically poined out. The
excitement OF the doctor In court and
I'm the county jail Immediately after
the shooting was also referred TO.
Mr.. Hunt drew the attention OF the
court TO he fact that the prosecutor
failed 10 incorporate In his question
the testimony In regard TO the doctors
falling from a chair and OF his being
somewhat hysterical In the county
jail right after the shooting.
Judge Connolly said he didn't think
| that the prosecutor was obliged 10 put
In all the details OF the testimony. In
asmuch as the jury would pass on
the expert opinion OF the witness
| The court also pointed out that the
defense, In It's hypothetical question
| didn't use all the testimony.
Mr.. Bumps replied that. In fairness
| to the defendant, his condition imme
diately after the shooting ought 70 be
| told to the witness, IL he were ex
pected TO give an expert medical opin'
ion In regard, to the defendants men
tai condition.
Judge Connolly said he disagreed
| with the defense.
The statement then went on TO tell
of the doctors family history. declar
ing that there was no faint OF mental
trouble In his life.
Mr. Hunt objected to the statement
pointing out that DR.. Boya1ian was
subject to fits; also that an aunt, who
ran TO the home OF his fathers house
In the dead OF night, fearing she was
pursued by Turkish soldiers, and that
she died, two weeks later, IN a state
OF mental collapse.
The prosecutor contended that there
was no testimony from persons com
petent to Judge OF her mental condi-
ton at the time Of her death.
The court decided that the prose
cutor should mention that the aunt
died as a result Of the illness from
which she was suffering at the time
of her visiting the Boyajian home.
In view of the circumstances point.
ed out, the prosecutor then asked the
witness what opinion he held In re-
gard to DR.. Boyajian's mental condi'
| ton at the time Of the shooting.
Before the witness had a chance to
answer, Mr. Hunt asked that no reply
be made until some changes in the
question were made. Mr.. Hunt want.
ed the defendants mental condition
| Immediately following the shooting in.
corporated In the question.
The court held that no amendments
| were necessary. but granted the de-
tense an exception.
DR.. Hitchcock was then again asked
for his opinion.
Mr.. Hunt here made another objec-
ton, saying the whole hypothetical
question was incompetent and irrele'
want He was again overruled. where
upon the witness replied:
Il think the defendant was sane"
The prosecutor then proceeded to
read to Or. Hitchcock the hypotheti-
cal question propounded by the de-
| tense.
In response to this question and in
view of his own observations, DR..
Hitchcock answered that he believed
| the defendant was rational at the
time of the shooting. The witness
said further that he believed that the
defendant had control OF himself al
the time or the shooting, and also re
garded him as being sane.
ross-examined by Mr.. Bumps, DR.
| Hitchcock said he had no other &C
uuaintance with DR.. Boyajian thar
meeting him in the Detroit Medical
college, where the defendant was g
student and the witness a professor
a member OF the faculty. Boyajiar
! was the only Armenian student In the
school and DR.. Hitchcock said he
made a greater impression on him
than the other students After the
defendant left school, the witness
| didn't meet him again to talk with
| him until he met him In the Wayne
county Jail TO examine him as to his
+, sanity, for the prosecution.
At this point court was adjourned
until Saturday morning.
In an effort to impeach her testi-
| mony, the prosecution recalled the
| wife of the defendant to the
stand, Thursday afternoon. Three
women acquaintances. living in I'm
| lay City, Mich, Mrs. Boyajian' .
former home, and Detective Cornelius
Sullivan were also examined by the
prosecution.
Mr.. Hunt, for the defense. objected
to the testimony, but was overruled.
Assistant Prosecutor Jasnowski. In
his examination, evidently planned to
bring out that Mrs. Boyajian was
friendly toward Gostanian and had
none too much regard for her hus-
band. She admitted that Gostanian
often stayed In her home over night
while the doctor was away, but ex.
planned, when cross-examined, that
Miss Edith Winchester, who lived with
her, was always present when Cos
tanian was there.
Mrs. Boyajian repeated that she
didn't love Gostanian, simply liked
him, and admitted the correctness of
her testimony In the first trial, when
she explained to Gostanian, in Chief
McDonnells Office, the day previous to
the tragedy. that she told OF her rela
lions with Gostanian because the doc
tor found out and she had to tell
Mrs. Alma Barringer, Mrs. Kittie
Dawson and Miss Belle Mitchell, the
Inlay City witnesses. testified that
Mrs. Boyajian had told them the doc
tor had choked her until she con
fessed, although she was innocent
Mrs. Dawson, white-haired and ap-
| parently possessed of a kindly dis
position, proved somewhat helpful to
the defense, for she said that she
had known Mrs. Boyajian for many
years and never knew her to tell an
untruth.
Mrs. Boyajian denied telling the