The Third Day's Proceedings.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5100, 10 August 1895, Page 3

The Third Day's Proceedings.

By Tckqmk.—Speeiul Correspondent. Wellington, Saturday. The third day sees the same crowd in the public pit. Perhaps lihey aro glad of sholtor, as it is ■showory and unpleasant outside. ™ The parson lias just come in and taken his seat, Who is the parson ? Ho has attended tho trial from the beginning; he is on familiar terms with prisoner's counsel, Tho parson is tho Rev. J. K, Elliott, of Kent Terrace Presbyterian Church, and he lias befriended Somerville, raised subscriptions for his defence, and gcneially interested himself iu seeing to thoenso. It is live past 10: Somerville is in dock; jurymen in their places, lookj ing flabby after the two day's hearW Counsel aro seated, bonding over their briefs and books. We wait His Honor's adyent. Ho comes at the announcement of the Court crier. Wo soon get to business; Dr Pollen the tenth witness for the defence is in the box. The first question put to him is us to his experience of insanity, and we learn that the doctor has Imd no experience, beyond thai Kiovitablc during a twenty years' "practice. " Take absence of self-control; add to that congenital imbecility and what is the result ?' asks Mr Jellicoe,

" A form of insanity," says Dr. Pollen, " and if violence be added, a certilirate of lunacy would lie obtained." Still another set of facts, in which prisoner's conduct from November to the present time, together with the history of his boyhood, arc joined together and placed before the Doctor. We learn that it is a record of a typical case of impulsive insanity. Mr Jellicoe turns to the jury, and repeats the Doctor's reply slowly bul. impressively—" The record of a typical case of impulsive insanity." " The Crown Prosecutor has taken the Doctor in hand, and gives him a poser to start with, " Does not Somervillo's remarks at the time of arrest and after, indictate a consciousness of the fcterime, and that it was wrong to anything as to insanity; and do not the remarks have some significance speaking generally." The doctor replies that they do.

Later on we get a startling admission from the doctor. It is this: ; That taking all circumstances into consideration, lie was of opinion that , Soincrville did not understand what he said at the time of arrest aijd ' and for four hours afterwards! It has taken a long time to get over ' this point-over fen minutes. It is ever and naturally Mr Jellicoe is pleiused, It is sufficient for Mr Jellicoe, who plunges into the question of insanity, and as usual hammers away at it with vigour. We learn that in some eases of idiotcy and imbecility, irresistible homicide impulses are developed, and are the sole symptoms. The doctor examined the prisoner on three separate occasions within tttho last three weeks, and found him 'Tsn excellent health, and with a good appetite, and sleeping well. His appearance indicated a feeble intellectual development. A smallish head, the lower jaw is slightly protruded, the eyes are restless and the palate ■ highly arched, The prisoner took some time to understand the drift of questions or the object of the examination. Heremembered what occurred years ago, but forgot events of recent data. Mr Gully is driving away in every direction.' The consistency and inconsistency of the symptoms and wo still bear of impulsive insanity and impulsive suicide. " Is not this deliberate act of the prisoner's against the assumption of insanity r 1 " asks Mr Gully. "It is both consistent and inconsistent with insanity " is the reply, and the Crown Prosecutor cannot understand it. Dr. Chappie gave him the same answer yesterday. It is mid-day before the Crown Prosecutor finishes with Or Pollen, who again conies under the care of counsel. W " I think you told my friend, says Jellicoe, that prisoner was a good specimen of an imbecile." " Yes," replies the Doctor, " he shows all the symptoms laid down in text books." The Doctor's evidence litis been most important. His Honor, too, questions the doctor more than he has done other witnesses. I'be evidence is weighty and we all feel it is to be so. We get a change. Medical evidence gives way, and we have James JlcCausland, of Hastings, a doctor's coachman. Ho knew prisoner in the Old Country; went to school with him for about fivo years. This McCausland, like the other McCauslands who were up yesterday—gives us the early history of prisoner, We have beard it all before, but a little incident, not before related, is that on one occasion when prisoner was about sixteen, he attacked his idiot brother, threw him down and was choking liini when witness and k/zoma other boys separated them, M [Left Sirrixc.l