The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-06-12
DIR. LAYTON A WITNESS.
Continued from Page IL

| by the defense at this point 1t set
forth that Mrs. Brenton wished to en-
| ter the asylum, voluntarily, and that
she would give five days notice when
she determined to leave. DR.. Lawton
said he explained the scope of the pa
per to Mrs. Brenton on Sept. z.
Since the law provides for only As
hours notice Of intention to leave the
| institution, DIR. Lawton was asked why
the paper signed by Mrs Brenton call
ed for five days notice. Mr.. Fitzger
aid objected. He was oyerruled and
| the witness testified that the institu
| ton had required this length of notice
| previous to the 48-hour law going into
| effect, and that Mr.. Brenton had been
| given one, Of the old blanks, through
| oversight. The matter was explained
| to Mrs Brenton at the interview ON
Sept. z, he said.
Mrs. Fitzgerald asked DR.. Lawton if
at the interview in the general office
at which Mr.. Brenton DR. Waterman,
| Dr. Landers and himself were present
he had said that Mrs. Breenton had men
/ tai lapses He answered that he had
| told them she had moral lapses. He
said he was told that they deemed it
| best to put her in the institution
| where she could be observed by him in
order to determine her mental status.
The witness said moral imbecility is
not form nor stage Of insanity, be-
| ing a departure from the normal state
| 1t is not form Of mental disease,
either, he said.
mot Insane" Said Letter
| A letter was introduced by the plain
| tiff which was written by DIR. Lawton
| to Mrs Brenton. Here it is
E'Dear Mrs. Brenton. In reference
| to your note received this morning,
when you were brought to the institu
| tion by Professor Brenton, DR.. Water
| man and Mrs. Bent, the nurse, and
were committed to my care and re-
| straint | certainly understood that YOU
were insane and continued to entertain
| that belief until | had made an eXami-
nation as to your physical and mental
! condition day or two later. l was
satisfied that you were not insane and
wrote Mr.. Brenton to that effect. !
certainly void not have sanctioned
! your goiag to Linden lodge on Sept.
|. p, 1912, if / had cherished any mis-
givings as to your sanity.
Yours sincerely, S. +. Lawton.
You did discharge her, then?' ask
| ed Mr.. Fitzgerald.
s. She went to Linden lodge.
mo Evidence of Degeneracy.''
Another letter written by the witness
on Nov. 20, 1912, to Miss Elizabeth
Schubmehl was read by Mr. Fitzger-
aid as follows:
MY dear Miss Schubmehl In reply
to your communication, / win dc Pro
fesscr Brenton ample ustiee by ack-
nowledging that after listening to his
report of the conduct eff his wife. I
may have remarked that she must be
a moral degenerate. / have no recol-
lection Of making the statement, or if
| ! did il was when | had heard one
! side of the story only. 1t Is now suff-
cient for me to declare that after re-
| peated proof from my interviews with
! Mrs. Brenton, after going into the ease
! carefully and after having her under
! observation for several weeks ] find
no evidence that she is mentally i'm
! paired, shows moral degeneracy, neurot-
! 1c nature, weak control or any vic
! iaus tendencies whatever. / write you
! this in reply to your letter Of in
| quiry. 1t is net for publication but
! merely to absolve Mrs. Brenton from
unwaTanted odium.
Altered His Opinion.
DO YOU mean to say. sir. that in
view of this letter. you say to this jury
| that Mrs. Brentcn was a moral degen-
crate?'
q came into possession of lznoyvI-