THE HICKMAN TRIAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5256, 26 March 1928, Page 4

THE HICKMAN TRIAL.

A SANITY TEST.

SKIN-WRITING TRIED,

The New York Herald says

An experiment in “dermatographia,” or skin-writing, as a sanity test, was performed on the back and chest of William Edward Hickman ill court before the jury hearing his insanity defence for the slaying of little Marian Parker.

The experiment was performed by Dr. Paul E. Powers, prosecution alienist, during ihis cross-examination. When the defence counsel Cantillon requested Dr. Bowers to give the defendant the test in “dermatographia” the defence held it would be a symptom of insanity if the writing remained legible after three minutes.

After Hickman ihad stripped to the waist the State’s alienist stepped with him in front of the jury, nd with liis thumb-nail the doctor traced an “H” on the youth’s chest and back. As the red marks remained legible for a three-minute period the defence counsel jumped to his feet and demanded if the indication was not evidence of insanity. “Yes,” the prosecution alienist readily admitted, “but,” he added, “it doesn’t mean a thing.” TWO ALIENISTS TESTIFY. . 'Hickman appeared taken aback at the sudden reply of the physician l , and started to sit down on the rail in front of the jury with his back to them. Deputy Sheriff Claude Peters, Hickman’s guard, seized him by the arm and led him back to his chair, where Hickman replaced his clothing. Throughout the lhalf-day session Dr. Bowers and Dr. Ceci/l Reynolds, also regarded as an authority on mental diseases, hurled answer after answer to defence counsel in which they sought to discredit all of Hickraan’o alleged dementia praecox symptoms, and declared that their examination of the youth dsclosed him to be normal in all respects. Dr. Reynolds was. Gross-examined by Jerome Wals.fi, chief of defence eounfsel, and characterised Hickman’s alleged illusions as “pure rot.” “ Is it not a fact, though, that a person suffering illusions can conceal them from those who are examining him ?” Mr Walshy asked Dr. Reynolds. “Yes, for a while,” the alienist answered ; “but .not for long. All that is necessary is to adopt a policy of watchful waiting and they will scon become apparent.” COACHING HICKMAN. Dr. Reynolds, in answer to further questioning, declared: — “I understand, further, that the prisoner was coached in symptoms of one suffering from illusions by one of the defence '.alienists.” . Dr. Bowers condemned the operation in which spinal fluid was, removed from Hickman by order of the defence counsel. “Taking the examination as a whole, there was not one outward indication ’of a necessity to make a spinal puncture to ascertain whether he is suffering any pressure there.” the alienist declared. An attempt to impeach. Dr. Bowers'; testimony on the ground that he had asserted the Parker, slaying was the work of a degenerate caused the physician to challenge the defence l to produce evidence that he had said: Hickman was a degenerate. He admitted that he had declared the slaying had certain phases which indicated that it might have been tlhe work of a degenerate, but said he had Defused to go into the' subjtect further until the slayer was captured and he Had an opporttrr L ity to examine him.

Hickman’s courtroom attitulde, one of stoic indifference', which the defence attempted to show indicated an infeane streak, was. described by botn Dr,s. Reynolds and J lowers as “studied self-control.”