The New York herald., 1921-01-08
is SHALLOW AND DULL
Alienist, Questioned by
Lawyer, Gets Low Rating
in Similar Test.
HENRY FORD BROUGHT UP
Yale's Authority Refuses to
Speculate on Motor Makers
Average if Examined.

Special Despatch TO THE New YORK HERALD.
BRIDGEPORT, Jan. 7.-Dr. Arnold l..
Gesen, professor of psychology and
medical science at Yale University,
went on the witness stand here to-
day in the trial of Elwood b. Wade
for the murder of George 3. Mott last
August. and in answer to a hypo-
thetical question put by Wade's at
torneys testified that the defendant
was medically and legally insane when
he beat Mott to death with an iron
bar and then shot and stabbed him.
Similar answers were made to the
question by other noted alienists.
DIR. Gesell said that in examining
Wade and investigating his mental
condition he used the Benet tests, the
same as used on recruits in the United
States Army during the war. These
tests, the alienist said, gave Wade the
rating of a twelve-year-old boy slight
ly below the average for that age. On
cross examination States Attorney
Homer S. Cummings asked if recrui $
for the army were accepted if they
obtained the rating of an eight-year-
old boy.
THAT is So" replied Dr. Gesell.
isn't it true that they were accepted
II they could get rating as a seven
year-old boy?"
II don't know about that"
Judging from Henry Ford's replies TO
tn i'm, in a Ia yg1lif some
time ago." asked Mr.. Cummings, what
rating do you think he would receive On
his so called mental age?"
Won't Give Henry FOrd's Rating.
II could answer that question" said
DIR. Gesel, but l will not do so volun-
tariy.
Mr.. Cummings then asked the alienists
one of the questions in the Benet tests
and held his watch to time the answer
1t required DR.. GeseN two and ha't
minutes, and Mr.. Cummings called the
attention of the jury TO this fact
You would get a pretty low rating
yourself in these tests if you took this
long to answer the questions. wouldn't
your asked Mr.. Cummings.
1t took DR. Gesell thirty seconds tc
frame a reply to this question. This fact
Mr.. Cummings told the jury to note also
The hypothetical question put to Dr..
aGesell required more than half an hou.
= to read and was answered by the direct
statement that the alienists believe that
Wade was insane at the time OF the
murder and that he is insane now. He
told of examining Wade on December
January and January Z. and of putting
him through various physical and me-
chanical tests to determine his mental
age. In a test given ordinarily TO school
children. he said, Wade scored fourteen
points Of a possible thirty-four. d.
Gesell said that Wade could not ads
one-third and one-third and that nc
could not subtract where figures had =
be carried and that he failed in other
simple problems of arithmetic.
"Emotionally." said DR. Gesell "I found
the subject very shallow and dull.
would classify him as mental defective
of the constitutionally inferior type. He
has a subnormal degree Of mentality, a
defective mental constitution and def
Client self-control. He is so deficient
that he cannot meet the reasonable de-
mands Of family and community life"
According to these interesting tests
which you have explained at such
length" said Mr.. Cummings what
mental age would a child have to be In
order to learn a simple little prayer like
| Now / lay me down to sleep?'
II should say about or years.
replied DR.. Gesell.
Thnvv AIienist Calls Wade Insane
DR.. A. r. Diefendorf, former superin.
tendent of the Middletown Asylum and
one of the many alienists who testified
in the trial of Harry K Thaw, followed
Dr. Geseii on the stand. He answered
the hypothetical question in the sam,
had hn
declaring that Wade is insane and unf
to be at large. He said that at the time
of the murder Wade was not In full pos.
session of his mental faculties
He could not distinguish between
right and wrong" he said, land did no
realize the enormity Of his crime"
IF this man were insane you woulC
expect his family to know 1t, wouldn'
your" asked Mr. Cummings.
'T would" said DIR. Diefendorf
'In your opinion, when Wade wa,
striking Mott over the head with ar
iron bar. did he know what he wa'
doingT'
'He had only an insane knowledg,
OF IT,"
when this young man crept up the
stairs In his stoclinged feet and staalth
ily approached Motifs bed and strucl
him over the head. did he know whether
that act would njure NottT'
Il do not believe that he had tht
knowledge Of a normal person." sale
DIR. Diefendorf. HE had the same
knowledge that an insane person NIGH
possess who tries to escape from an In.
sane asylum. He did not know wha
he was doing"
"Do you think he imagined he wal
going up for another purpose?' asked
Mr.. Cummings.
"I 40 not believe he knew what n,
was going upstairs for"
rAnd when he armed himself with .
biudgeon and a revolver. do yo': thinl
no knew for what purpose he was arm
ing himself?"
4 do not believe he had a full ant
substantial knowledge of the purpose.
said DR. Diefendorf.
The trial will continue to-day.