The Washington herald., 1919-04-24
JACKSON SANE
SAYS ALIENIST
IN MURDER CASE
Girls Slayer Cunning De-
generate, Declares Johns
Hopkins Expert.
DISCONCERTS DEFENSE
St. Elizabeth's Head Also
Questioned on Prisoners
Mentality.

The attempt to prove James Henry
jackson, the alleged murderer Of Miss
Lillian Hood. Is insane yesterday re-
suited in a bareback" In the first day
Of skir1nishes with experts.
DIR. Charles B. Hill. OF Johns Hop
kins. Baltimore. in summarizing his
examination of the prisoner, said he
could not say he was insane at the
time the crime was committed. Under
cross-examination DR.. Hill also said:
He was more cunning and less in
telligent than the ordinary man"
The direct examination Of Dr. Will
lam A. White, superintendent OF the
| Government Hospital for the Insane,
was not completed when the court
adjourned until tomorrow. DR.. Whites
definition of the condition of jackson
was:
''He belongs to a class of psychopathic
ndividuals-abnormal in the emotional
nature"
The evidence OF DR.. Hill, because of
his reputation as an alienist, was the
crest of the skirrnish over the admis-
sion OF evidence and the form in
which 1t should be given to the Jury.
DIR. Hill saw Jackson. he stated, at
the District Jail. where he interviewed
| MN Tor Two hours.
Object to Hypothetical Question.
| The defense propounded hypo-
thetical question, reciting the move
ments of Jackson, and asked DIR. Hill
whether. from them. he would Judge
the prisoner to be sane or insane
! The question comprised about 100
words and was objected to by the
prosecution. Justice Siddons ruled
parts of 1t out as being presumptive
and others rs stating evidence which
had not been given to the Jury.
DIR. Hill also was given a letter
written by Jackson while In the I>eay-
enworth prison to a fellow prisoner.
In answer to a question from Dis
trict Attorney Laskey he stated that
assuming that an uncle Of the prisoner
committed suicide would not prove
the prisoner to be insane. but would
be strong corroborative evidence. He
classed Jackson then as a degenerate
capable of committing any sort OF
crime when under the influence of in
toxicants.
Thinks He Did Not Plan Killing.
Assuming his condition at the time
he killed Miss Hood" Mr.. Laskey
asked DIR. Hill. you think he meant
to kill woman?"
Eo.'' DIR. Hill answered.
DO you mean to say that he did
not know 1t was wrong?"
He knew II was wrong"
Did he know II was wrong but
had not the appreciation which a
normal man has?" Mr.. Iasky asked.
"A dishonest man may be accepted
as a normal man."
Did you find anything else except
an abnormal desire to break into a
house?"
That is ALL
Explains Emotional Mature.
DR.. White said he went to the Jail
on the arrest Of Jackson and made
an examination which lasted more
than two hours. He did not use the
words sanity and insanity. he said,
because 1t implied criticism. At this
Mr.. Laskey asked that the witness
be excused as he said he had been
called to say whether or not jackson
was insane at the time the crime was
committed. Justice Siddons ruled
that DR.. White might proceed In his
own terms
DIR. White then explained the emo
tonal nature of the prisoner might
be affected by liquor or narcotics
so he could not control his acts. He
stated that Jackson was of a type
that rarely INDUCED in stimulants.
The hypothetical question was about
to be propounded to DR.. White when
the hour for adjournment arrived.
Several witnesses, including the
sister of Jackson, were examined
earlier in the day on the actions of
the prisoner at the time of the COM
mission of the crime.