The Greene Affair
In Justices' Court, Befroe E.C. Kattle, Esq.
Binghamton Courier, December 17, 1845
The People vs. John Johnson, Examination of Witnesses, Nov. 24 [1845]
Testimony of Pulaski Burdick
Pulaski Burdick, sworn, testified that he is the husband of Ann Augusta Burdick, was married on the 24th of August, 1845. Am 18 years of age, was married at Mrs. Baxter's in the red house spoken of. After we were married, my wife lived at Mrs. Baxter's two weeks, and then I took her to Smithville to be doctored. She was at Smithville one week, on her return from Smithville she stayed at Hammond's one night, and then went to her mother's.
She returned from Smithville on Sunday, came back from Mrs. Baxter's to Hammond's on Wednesday, the week previous to her abduction There is a cellar under the red house. Testified as to the occurrences of Monday evening, saw his wife stoop to pick up the cape, it lay near the foot of the bed on the floor, has seen Mrs. Baxter wear the cape. Also testified as to Mrs. Hammond giving the alarm and searching until he had the fit. Saw Johnson on Sunday afternoon previous, talking to Mrs. Baxter. Johnson came to Hammond's about dark that evening (Sunday) and spoke to Hammond about fixing the fence, and Van Ostrum would help him, On Monday went to husking corn till about 10 o'clock and then went to Mrs. Baxter's.
Also testified as to the quarrel between Mrs. Baxter and Mrs. Burdick, that they quarreled about everything which Mrs. Burdick brought from her mother's, also as to having found his wife on the bed crying on Tuesday after they returned from Smithville, and further testified as to Augusta's having a fit on the Monday afternoon previous to the attempted abduction on the evening of that day. That three weeks after the abduction he started for the lunatic asylum at Utica, that she was sane a part of the way, and that just before she reached Utica, during one of her sane intervals, after much persuasion, she told him about overhearing the conversation between her mother and Johnson, that he left her at the asylum under the charge of Dr. Brigham. she was there about 3 weeks. Witness went for her to bring her back, that on the first night at Clinton upon their return home he asked her if she remembered telling him about the conversation, that she replied that that was not a beginning to what she knew, and then told him about the bones.
Pulaski Burdick testified to seeing a piece of paper found in the swamp near where his wife was laid in the swamp--that it was found in the ground where a horse or other animal had stepped.
Testimony of Dr. Augustus Willard
November 25.
Dr. Augustus Willard, sworn, testified to seeing Mrs. Burdick after she was brought back on the 30th of September, she was insensible and in strong convulsions, she was in the kitchen when we first saw her, after she began to come to she was removed to her bedroom; the first thing she said was, she screamed pretty loud "There they come--there they come--don't let them carry me off." There was a window by the bedside which we were obliged to cover with a quilt, after which she became more quiet; observed two bruises upon the right side of the forehead and another upon the throat, such as might be made with the pressure of your finger or thumb. I think the right arm was bruised some. The next morning while she was sane for a short time, she gave me a connected description of how she was carried off. That she was deranged most of the time as long as witness saw her till she went to Utica.
Cross Examination: Testified to having paid some attention to the subject of insanity; that an insane person may have lucid intervals form time to time; it depends upon the causes that produced the insanity, somewhat. It is not so difficult to ascertain whether the patient has a settled aberration of mind, as in a fixed monomania. When a person is crazy upon one subject and sane upon others, in such cases it is difficult to detect it, because such patients are apt to conceal their diseased state themselves. Saw Mrs. Burdick a moment last evening she was decidedly insane then.
Re-examination: Testified that in his judgment, the cause of Mrs. Burdick's derangement was fright and fear, together with the exposure and outrage she had suffered. In derangement of a person produced by such causes, in my opinion the mind of such person would be upon the cause which produced it, while in a state of derangement.
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