The Detroit times., 1911-03-27

DR.. c. W. Hitchcock, alienist, who.
on Friday. testified In answer to hypo-
thetical questions In the case OF Df.
G. X. Boyajian, charged with the muir
der of his nephew, Hartoon Gostan-
ian, that the defendant was sane at
the time OF the tragedy, took the wit
ness stand Saturday morning. for the
purpose OF being further cross-exam-
ined by the defense.
F. F. Bumps, reading from cop.
of the minutes made by the witness
on examining DR., Boyajian In the jail,
asked DR.. Hitchcock IL Boyajian didn't
advise him and the other doctors pres
ent that a sister of his father died OF
softening OF the brain, that his father
was subject to fits for 25 years prior
TO and after the birth of the doctor,
and that he was always an emotional
man.
DR.. Hitchcock answered In the ar
hrmative.
DR.. Hitchcock also admitted that DR..
Boyajian had told him that his wife
had said TO him that Gostanian had
threatened to kill her and himself IL
she told of her relations with Cos
tanian. Boyajian also told DR.. Hitch
cock that he failed to remember
where he bought the revolver with
which he killed Gostanian or seeing
his wife In court or anything about the
tragedy, the first knowledge he got OF
the murder being when he read Of 1t
few days later In the Detroit news
papers.
In view of the answer the witness
70
Mr.. Bumps asked him IL he didn't
leave out In his recital of his findings
of his examination Of DR.. Boyajian TO
the jury the passages referred to in
the notes.
swer, saying he had incorporated the
passages, In substance, in his testi-
mony.
Mr.. Bump then asked DR.. Hitchcock
II he based his conclusion, that Boya-
jian was sane, on what he learned In
his examination OF the defendant and
on the hypothetical question of the
prosecution.
Yes" the witness answered.
DR.. Hitchcock also said he consid-
cred carefully the hypothetical ques-
tion OF the defense before answering
that he thought Boyajian sane at the
time OF the shooting.
Mr. Bumps then drew the attention
OF the witness to the condition OF DR..
Boyajian's mind when he saw imag.
mary objects In his cell In the coun-
~ jail, and asked IL that wasn't an
epileptic At.
DR.. Hitchcock said he didn't think
the defendant had At; that IL was
just hysteria, although the defendant
was unconscious at the time. His
condition had all the ear.marks OF
hysteria. the witness added.
Mr.. Bumps went into the marked
features Of two kinds OF epilepsy, but
Dr. Hitchcock stuck TO his conclu-
sions that the defendant was not in
an epileptic At OF any kind In the Jail.
He was sure he could positively dag.
nose epilepsy. When a man Is In an
epileptic At he usually falls and hurts
himself In some way, generally biting
his tongue, whereas hysterical pa
tients seldom suffer an injury, the
witness explained
The witness didn't think that a per
son In an epileptic delirium could
carry out complicated plan. The
patient. under such conditions, usual.
ly has no memory. The doctor admit
ted, however. that a man in An "au-
tomato" condition might, with ap-
parent purpose, do many things, such
as working about his Office and doing
outside work, and not have any knowl-
edge OF his actions and movements
Asked what were the mental re-
actions OF an epileptic delirlum, DR..
Hitchcock said that a confused mind
was one OF the characteristics.
Mr.. Bumps asked the witness how
be would diagnose the case of
young man. 20 years Of age, who was
periodically afflicted with epilepsy.
The prosecutor objected to the
question and the court ruled IL out.
giving the defense an exception.
Mr. Bumps then related the case OF
DIR. Boyajian's father, pointing out his
epilepsy and the way IL affected him,
and asked the witness what diagnosis
he would make In regard to the
patient
DR. Hitchcock said he would call
" sort OF epilepsy.
The doctor was next asked II he
would have any hesitancy in saying
the son, DR.. Boyajian. whose seizures
were reviewed, had inherited epilepsy.
DR., Hitchcock said he would have
hesitancy In diagnosing the sons
case as epilepsy. as he had symptoms,
such as locking of the jaws, which
didn't characterize epilepsy. !.
The witness admitted that the at
tack OF DR.. Boyajian In the Jail, when
DIR. Kllngman was examining him for
the defense, was an epileptic At, all
the symptoms pointing to IL. The wit
ness would not admit that the de-