INSANE?

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 258, 31 October 1929, Page 8

INSANE?

DEFENCE OF BRAUMAN.

MEDICAL WITNESS POSITIVE,

"CERTIFIABLE" BEFORE

CRIME.

ABNOKMAL JEALOUSY,

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, this day. Counsel for William Henry Brauman, •who is standing his trial on a charge of murdering his, wife, is seeking to prove that accused was insane and did not know the nature and quality of his act and that he was doing wrong. Dr. Stuart Moore; the first witness for the defence, said he had made a special study for 20 years of cases of abnormal psychology, cases of nervousness and cases of delusions such as were said to be found in this case. Witness dealt exhaustively with the actions of a man suffering from mental disease and said accused was brooding over_ a sense of persecution by his mother-in-law and also over the conduct of his wife. Witness maintained that the real grievance by accused was against his mother-in-law, who was predetermined to take from him his wife. After giving an account of the mentality of accused as he judged it, witness, said that although accused had killed his wife it was his mother-in-law. he should have killed. Mr. Justice Kennedy: Are you prepared to swear that when accused killed his wife he did not know he was doing wrong? Witness: I am prepared to do so. Accused's Threats. This morning Emily. Mitchell, who was unable to appear previously, was called by . the Crown. She said Mrs. Brauman stayed with her for six,weeks in.March. Once Brauman called and saw his wife. When a job at Brosnan's was mentioned he said: "If you go to Brosnan's I will fix the two of you." He further said: "If you get this separation there is no law on the face of God's earth to separate a man and his wife. You know what I intend doing." "A Blow at Mother-in-Law." The cross-examination of Dr. Moore, witness for the defence, was continued. He said accused was "certifiable" before the tragedy, as he was abnormally jealous. Witness foresaw, in the letter left by accused at Invercargill, that the death of his wife was in some way a blow at his mother-in-law. Before he saw that letter witness did not consider Brauman was certifiable, though he had no doubt he was insane. ' "Not Insane," Say Three Doctors.' Dr. Moore's evidence closed the case for the defence, and the Crown proceeded to call rebutting medical evidence. Dr. Marshall MacDbnald said that after an examination of accused in the hospital he concluded he was. not insane. He based his opinion on the fact that instead of justifying' his act accused made absolutely untrue statements about the revolver and his movements. Cross-examined, witness said there were some indications of abnormality, but he could not testify that Brauman was insane of delusional jealousy. . Dr. K. Boss, with considerable experience of the insane, stated that he had examined accused on Tuesday., From information acquired and his examination he found symptoms suggesting insanity or an unstable mind, chiefly delusions about his wife's unfaithfulness. That was a common delusion amcmg the insane. Accused was not certifiably insane when witness saw him, witness thought he "understood the reality cf his act and knew he was doing wrong. "Man' Would Do Anything." Witness agreed with the defence counsel that a man who said what accused said, and had his ideas, was dangerous and would, do anything at any time. Accused was not insane in the legal sense, and it was doubtful Jf he was insane in the medical sense. Dr. James Huntei*, acting-superintend-ent of Seacliff Mental Hospital, stated that in his opinion accused, was not certifiable. His actions were not consistent with paranoia. Cross-examined', witness said accuMd ' was unstable. He would not suggest accused was simulating insanity. 1 Counsel addressed the jury this after- ' noon.