Medical expert testimony in the Kelley murder trial / by Walter Channing.

  • Walter Channing
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical expert testimony in the Kelley murder trial / by Walter Channing. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    1898] like sweat. Then I took my razor out of the case and cut his throat. This description of what would ordinarily be the very climax of horror, and from the narration of which one would suppose almost any criminal, however hardened, would shrink, Kelley delivered with care and deliberation, and with an air of pleased satisfaction, as if he felt sure of the sympathy of his auditors. The cashier being disposed of, he took a little money out of his (the cashier's) pocket-book and the bank keys out of his pocket, and locked the outside door of the bank. Next he pro- ceeded to rifle the safe of the gold and silver, putting all but a few dollars into the stolen pillow-case, also the package of stamps. Then he threw away in the bank two or three of the things he had brought with him, donned his disguise and prepared to leave. At this point he apparently became frightened, and his pres- ence of mind partially deserted him. His own explanation was that he saw through the glass panel of the bank door the face of the devil, who was holding the handle of the door and grin- ning at him. This so upset him that he turned to a window to escape, but looking around again he saw that the devil had gone. Then he went to the door, but was too frightened to unlock it, so he smashed the heavy plate glass with his foot, got through the opening thus made, hurried down the stairs, and made his exit from the building. Such is in brief the account of the crime as given by Kelley up to the time of leaving the bank. His subsequent movements, which are of some medico-legal importance, can best be con- sidered in connection with the evidence. Eighth. A point to which special attention should be called was his conception of the difference between right and wrong, and other moral distinctions. His lack of any feeling of remorse for his crime, or any realization that it was a thing of which he should be ashamed, has already been referred to. He was, perhaps, not proud of it, but he did believe it to be rather a creditable performance. He said himself in detailing his conversation with the devil: I was glad I had killed Mr. Stickney. I felt good and was tickled to death. Then he went on to say: I had no reason for thinking I had done a good thmg. Think (now) I had done wrong. Sometimes not sorry
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