THE CASE 
OF 
Edward Shannon. 
VERDICT OF INSANITY AFTER SEN- 
TENCE OF DEATH HAD BEEN 
PRONOUNCED. 
BY 
ARTHUR LOEWY, M. D. 
Formerly Superintendent of the Illinois Northern Hospital for 
the Insane, and Chief of the Medical Staff of the 
Cook County Insane Asylum. 
LAW JOURNAL PRINT. 
CHICAGO, 
1898. THK CASK OF EDWARD SHANNON. 
ft; 
Verdict of Insanity after Sentence of 
Death had been'Pronounced. 
- By 
Arthur Loewi, M.D. 
Formerly Superintendent of the Illinois Northern Hospital for 
the Insane, and Chief of the Medical Staff of the 
Cook County Insane Asylum. 
The case of Edward Shannon who was 
found insane after judgment had been pro- 
nounced upon him possesses great medico- 
leghl interest. 
"Edward Shannon killed his wife with a 
pistol shot in a railway carat Belvidere, 111. 
The prisoner on being brought to trial took 
a change of venue from Boone to DuPage 
County, and being without means Messrs. 
Cooper & Goodrich of the DuPage County 
Bar were appointed to defend him. From 
the beginning of their connection with his 
case they were suspicious that the man was 
mentally unbalanced. The indifference of 
manner, his lack of interest as to what might 
befall him, his accusations against the wife 
to whom he had been married for forty years 
aroused doubts’as to his sanity. The Prisoner 
when pressed would tell his Counsel of per- 
sons who might aid him, but when these peo- 4 
Dr. Clevenger makes a similar statement, 
concerning the case of Louis Lingg, in his 
work on Medical Jurisprudence of Insanity. 
Shortly before the trial I enlisted the aid of 
Dr. C. V. Massey of Chicago and Dr. Henry 
J. Gabagan of Elgin, who had been my as- 
sistant during my term of service as Super- 
intendent of the Northern Hospital for the 
Insane at Elgin. Both of these gentlemen at 
separate examinations arrived at the same 
conclusions that I did. 
The trial took place at wheaton, 111., Judge 
C. H. Bishop presiding. The State was rep- 
resented by the State’s Attorney of Du Page 
County and Hon. John Russell of Elgin. 
The Prisoner was represented by the Hon. E. 
H. Gary, Messrs. Cooper & Goodrich having 
retired that they might become witnesses for 
the defense. The evidence introduced in 
behalf of the Prisoner showed the facts as to 
the two head injuries; the irritable and quar- 
relsome temperament; the over-indulgence in 
the use of alcoholics with periodic exacerba- 
tions; his suspicions of his wife’s infidelity; 
an attempt at arson; acts of brutality toward 
his family, etc. The medical testimony on 
the part of the Prisoner was that the man 
was suffering from paranoia following trauma- 
tism. The lay testimony on the part of the 
State established the fact that the man had 
been a drunkard, that his actions had been 
outrageous and that he was known as a “holy 
terror.” 
The expert witnesses on the part of the 
State were Drs. Brooks and Hamilton. They 
had not heard the testimony given on behalf 
of the Prisoner and had never talked with 
the man concerning his family matters. Had 
they examined him thoroughly I do not see how any other conclusion could have been 
reached by them than that the man was in- 
sane. They believed the man was malinger- 
ing, but failed in their evidence to produce 
any symptoms to bear out their contention. 
The jury, in about eight minutes, found 
the prisoner insane, and he was, by order of 
Court, taken to the Asylum for the Criminal 
Insane at Chester. I believe this is the first 
case of the kind in Illinois, in which the 
prisoner was found insane after judgment 
and sentence had been pronounced. The 
provisions of the Statute in question have 
been invoked, as in the Prendergast case, 
but without success. On this account, this 
case, to my mind presents unusual interest, 
In a careful review of the case, we find 
that paranoia may follow traumatism; that 
head injuries are important in their remote, 
as well as in their immediate effect upon the 
system. A fracture, either simple or com- 
pound, receives immediate surgical treat- 
ment, but blows or falls rendering the person 
unconscious, but with slight objective symp- 
toms, are very liable to produce disastrous 
results ultimately. A layman may notice 
the change wrought in a person by injuries 
of this character. The change in tempera- 
ment, the irritability and impatience mani- 
fested, the sluggish mentality and the sus- 
ceptibility of these head injury cases to the 
action of alcohol are all characteristic. 
So, in this case, we have all the elements 
necessary to a disturbance of mental equilib- 
rium. The evidence showed that as the pa- 
tient became more ana more addicted to the 
use of alchol the more outrageous did his ac- 
tions become, and then we notice the suspi- 
cions of marital infidelity always characteris- 
5 tic to the alcoholic being engrafted on his 
mental state. All the time that he was ac- 
cusing his wife of infidelity he was sending 
persons to her asking her to again live with 
him, a separation having taken place some 
time before 
Mickle has referred to the fact that para- 
noia may result from head injury, in an ar- 
ticle appearing in Tuke’s Psychological Dic- 
tionary. He describes patients of this class 
as being moody, unsociable, ill-tempered; he 
further states that the alcoholic complication 
is shown by delusions of conjugal infidelity; 
further: “Brutality to spouse, children or 
friends and homicidal impulses may be mani- 
fested.’'’ 
It would appear, after considering the his- 
tory of this case, together with the symptoms 
manifested, that we have a clinical picture so 
evident of insanity that expert witnesses 
should not disagree. 
The question of simulation of insanity 
as claimed by the State deserves attention. 
Norman states in relation to feigned in- 
sanity: “In cases where simulation is sus- 
pected we are generally told that we ought 
to be on the lookout for a motive. But this 
is hardly the proper attitude for the physi- 
cian, and by attributing too much importance 
to motive, or supposed motive, grave injus- 
tice may be done. A drunken vagabond, 
with, perhaps, a bad family history, with 
probably a bad bringing-up, and with an in- 
famous record, will, after he has ruined him- 
self or incurred the risk of severe punish- 
ment, appear to have a motive for shamming 
insane; but we must also remember that he 
is a person in whom we would have every 
reason to expect the appearance of insanity.” 
6 7 
We must, therefore, put aside the question 
of motive, and determine whether the symp- 
toms present and their mode of onset are 
natural, to arrive at a just and scientific 
opinion. 
Insanity is not easily feigned. Impostors 
will always overdo their part. The person is 
determined that his insanity should not be 
overlooked for want of numerous acts indica- 
tive of mental disease. Paranoia is seldom 
simulated. The fact that there exists a rul- 
ing delusion or delusions which must be dis- 
covered by the interrogator does not suit the 
simulator, whose desire is that no one can 
doubt his insanity for want of insane actions. 
The simulator of paranoia, when his atten- 
tion is called to the absurdity of his delu- 
sions and their inconsistency with other 
statements, will not attempt to reconcile 
them with rational ideas. The paranoiac 
will resent contradiction of his statements, 
even so far as to offer violence to one who 
opposes his ideas. He will never falter in 
his statements, but the more argument to the 
contrary, the longer will he hold to his opin- 
ions. The successful simulator must be 
versed in the symptomatology of the form of 
insanity he attempts to simulate, either by 
an acquaintance with literature on this sub- 
ject or by practical experience with insane 
persons. 
Edward Shannon could neither read nor 
write; he had never been employed in caring 
for an insane person, nor had lie ever been 
employed in a hospital for the insane. 
I must, therefore, conclude that the symp- 
toms which he presented were so character- 
istic and typical, that their onset and course 
were so consistent that he is undoubtedly in- sane. Judge Bishop rightfully and justly 
permitted evidence to be admitted of acts, 
etc., before the commission of the crime 
which had a bearing on his present mental 
condition. 
Every Alienist should rejoice at the out- 
come of this case. It is an indication of an 
advance in the treatment accorded the insane 
who commit crime. The law was not 'vio- 
lated, but vindicated, 
Unsuccessful attempts have been made 
previously to avert the hanging of insane 
men, not that they were not ably defended, 
but, influenced by clamor, the opinions of re- 
nowned Alienists have been brushed aside 
and legal murder committed. 
But, as physicians we owe much to the 
people of DuPage County, who, through 
twelve citizens, turned a deaf ear to the clamor 
for revenge and dealt justly with an insane 
man. 
The conduct of the Prisoner’s case by 
Judge Gary was, as acquainted with 
his abilities knows, most able; added to his 
thorough knowledge of the law. he posseses a 
knowledge of psychological medicine which 
is gained only by patient and conscientious 
study. > 
The outcome of this case should set a pre- 
cedent that cfinnot ,be put aside,vand it is 
hoped that its influence will not only extend 
over Illinois, but to other States, to the end, 
not that anyone should escape just punish- 
ment, but that the law should be supreme, 
and no insane person suffer penalty. 
8