Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1919-10-09

charge against him was for steal
ing the Ford. 1t was rot then
known that the negro had been
made away with. He was
brought to Hamlet and bound
over to court under $500 bond
by the Hamlet Recorder and
lodged in Jail at Rockingham.
The dead body of the last named
man was found next day, and de-
velopments followed rapidly I'M
til confronted by the facts in the
jail by Chief Braswell on Friday
following, he confessed)
The foregoing in substance is story
of the two murders as told DR.. Hall by
Parsons.
DR.. Hall concluded the narration of the
above confession at 6 o'clock Tuesday
afternoon, when Court adjourned for tine
night. On reconvening Wednesday morn
ing he resumed the witness chair and for
two and half hours was examined by
the attorneys for the defense. Attorney
Stack read to him long hypothetical
question, setting forth statements as to
his early life, his more recent manner
of living ETC., winding the question up by
asking IF jury finds these facts are true,
state whether in your opinion he is in
sane" To this DR.. Hall answered Yves,
he is insane"
From then on series of questions was
asked and answered, in substance being
That he believed the man had been fee
bIe-minded since at least the age of Z
that he now has the mind of a 12-year'
old boy. Feeble mindedness in grown
person is one who has mind that be-
longs to childhood. DR.. Hall defined the
difference between insanity and weak
mindedness by saying the latter is where
an individual has never been endowed
with a sound, normal mind; insanity is
disordered mind.-.a mind that has de-
parted from the usual or normal chan
nels.--a mentality that is upset, derangeo
or disturbed. Poor mental heredity is
leading cause of weak mindedness.
Weak minded people are apt to breed
weak minded offspring. That the weak
minded type are more apt to drink whis'
key to excess and this class is more apt
to become insane than normal person.
also that whiskey has worse effect on
this type. A weak minded or feeble
minded person can sometimes have
brief attacks of insanity. A feeble mind
ed person gets on better at home in nor
NAL surroundings than when away
Asked can an insane person know what
he is doing at the time OF doing, DIR
Hall replied Eyes, one can know when
how and why of an act" Insane per
sons often realize the consequences that
may follow the commission of an act,
because they try to cover and conceal
such acts.
DR.. Hall asserted that majority OF
criminals commit crimes because their
minds are unsound. The mere repeated
commission of an unlawful act would
;od;cato ,oeoupdnocS
He stated that in spite of every pre-
caution, thousands of weak minded men
were included in the draft and sent to
camps. That the change of environment
caused insanity to countless numbers OF
these weak minded soldiers. Many be-
came insane simply because their mar
row minds could not become adjusted to
the change in surroundings.
when did the change from feeble
mindedness to insanity take place in
Foster Parsons" asked MIR. Stack. "He
has been becoming slowly insane for a
year, for two causes: the natural result
of his feeble mindedness, and the death
of his father and the change incident to
his going out into the world into new
surroundings and trying to assume the
responsibilities of grown man when
he has but the mind of child" The
effect of marrying last winter caused
another responsibility. Marriage" said
DR.. Hall, increases responsibilities and
depends upon the character of the WON
an person marries."
Excessive drinking would tend to cause
insanity. in this particular case it is q
cause and incident.
Asked to define what is human judg
ment," Dr. Hall said it is that part O.
the mind that guides a person through
life; that Foster has unreliable judgment
and that he himself had rather have NJ
Judgment than to have what judgmen
Foster has.
what particular form has Parsons?
"He has the early stages of dement's
praecox--..a mental disease characterize,
by decreasing loss of mind and loss O
emotions"
Feeble mindedness is not durable, wen
|, m Dr Hall. ire condition tendc IN oa