A MURDERERS PLEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8842, 2 April 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

A MURDERERS PLEA.

INSANITY ATTRIBUTED TO THE

KEELEY CURE. Aurora (III.), March 2.—The trial of George Mears, of this city, for the murder of Harry Wormley, which will come up at this terra of the Circuit Court, will furnish the first test case that has been made in tho courts as to whether or not insanity is caused by the bichloride of gold treatment for drunkenness.

Mears was a tinner by trade, and became addicted to ths drink habit so that his wifo was com{>elled to leave him and go to work for tho family of George Wormley, near Oswego. Meantime, Mears took tho bichloride of gold treatment from a doctor in this city, who claimed to bo a specialist in that line and a disciple of Dr. Keeley. Clears was finally pronounced cured, and he then began to make frequent visits to the Wormley house, and importuned his wife to come back and live with him. This she refused to do.

Mimrs was Angry at her, and on the evening of December 21, 1891, while at tho Wormley home sitting down to' supper, Mears suddenly pulled out a revolver and shot at his wifo, but misssd her. Then he shot Mrs. Wormley in the neck and fired at young Harry Wormley. The bullet ontorod tho latter's bowels and he died the following night. Mears escaped and went to Aurora, where he was captured and turned over to the officers. Counsel for Mears will set up in defence tho plea that Mears was insane from the bichloride of told treatment. The State will summon tho celebrated Dr. Keeley as an expert witness on the question of insanity as the result of his bichloride of gold treatment.