The Washington times., 1919-03-18

! kill myself" he wrote. but something
| seemed to hold me back. At last ]
realized that the destruction of my
! self could do no good and that it
\ would be better for me to live and do
/ good, to pray for my wife and child
and for DR.. Wolff"
| This startling revelation was inter
woven with an account of what seem
| ed to the prisoner to be a vision in
: which his wife appeared near his
! prison cot, all white and pallid" and
apparently floating in air. This he
( took to be a warning that his wife
had died, probably a suicide and a
willing sacrifice for the crime he had
( committed. In spite OF the fact that
his. friends declared his wife and chill
dren are still living, he continued in
the belief that they were dead and
that the information was being with,
held from him.
From the moment court opened. tbs
defense lawyers bombarded the three
judges with a mass OF documentary
evidence which they consider certain
proof OF his unbalanced condition
for at least a month prior TO th=
shooting and several weeks following
it. g.. s.ss.
Beginning with a series Of postcards
which were sent to japan and which
have come all the way back from
the land of Nippon to contribute their
mite in their writer's defense. At
torneys Halle and Grason. offered let
ter after letter, communications tc
themselves as counsel from Ishida,
and finally a'little notebook in, which
Ishida wrote down his thoughts dur
ing the first few days of his con-
finement in the jaiI-aIl rambling aud
incoherent and all purpoPting to
show that their client was convinced
that he was being prosecuted by the
man he later killed.
Sent Back From Japan.
The postcards were a bit of drama
in themselves. They were forwarded
from Japan and only arrived in this
country on Friday last. They were
written and sent by DR.. Ishida during
the latter part of November and the
first week in December. They were
addressed to various friends and as
sociates in Tokyo. Each card con-
tained some reference to DR.. Wolff,
although none of the persons who re-
ceived them knew DR.. Wolff or had
ever heard of him. Repeatedly lshida
wrote that DR.. WoIf was a paranoiac,
that his mental degeneration was
realized by the superintendent OF the
hospital and that the latter was soon
to send him away from the place.
In each case Ishida expressed his own
that this action was to
be taken, although it came after
months of his own personal suffering
and after Wolf had prosecuted him
almost to the point of mental DEATH"
Not only the wording Of the cards, !
but the fact that DR.. Wolhs sanity |
vas never in question, and that his
dismissal from the hospital was never |
rnder consideration is. according to
the defense, weightily corroborative
evidence that Ishida was hOpelessly |
deluded and under the influence of |
The little notebook also offered in |
evidence showed, apparently, even /
greater mental confusion. On one |
page was an excoriation of DR.. Wolff. |
On another he attempted to set down !
his real attitude toward Nurse Jacobs, |
for whom he believed DR.. Wolff en- |
tertained tender regard and whose |
mind he believed DIR. Wolf was pois- /
Oning against himself.
"Nurse a Fine Grid
Miss Jacobs is a fine and brilliant /
girl" Ishida wrote. Il loved her for |
humanity sake, and she loved me for 4
the sake of justice. and we were !
united against Satan. 1t was not the l
kind of love most people know"
On another page he explained how |
'very, very bad" Wolff was, and that
although he was sorry he had killed /
him, ii was probably all for the best
because he could not bear to see DR..
Wolff continuing in his ways OF
evil and he had killed him for his
own good. -
OF Miss Bonhage. the nurse DR..
Wolff was said TO be practically en-
gagged to, Ishida wrote: Miss Bon
lage is the very worst woman in the
world.
In this notebook ne accused War
len Price Of wanting to kill him, and
Dr.. Brush of wanting him TO burn.
He wrote that the guards at the
hospital were instructed to bother him
and that other prisoners were egged
0n TO say: Japanese gets worse
gets worse" The last phrase is writ
ten over and over again.
Was irresponsible.
With this accumulation Of tangible
.vidence, the defense hopes to con-
'ince the three men who must act