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(Testimony of Dr. William Robert Beavers)
Mr. Tonahill.
amount of premeditation--this would not be the actions of a wise and prudent man in my opinion. I think it does fit more clearly with his previously stated delusional material to me, that in fact there is a considerable body of people, the district attorney's office and district attorneys included, who do feel that he is a part of a conspiracy, and that in fact either past, present and/or future actions toward loved ones and toward members of his race are going to be taken against these people because of this presumed conspiracy. If this were the case, then it would make extremely good sense that he would want Mr. Alexander here, and he would want him here very definitely because he, instead of being wise and prudent in the defense of his presumed safety and welfare at a future trial, he is much more concerned with getting the truth out so that a whole host of terrible things won't happen.
Now, in reference to his activities toward you [referring to Mr. Tonahill], the ambivalence we talked about was beautifully illustrated. He begins by reading you out, by firing you in a sense, and then later on in the middle of the activities he begins to have a markedly warm attitude toward you and begins to refer to you as, I think, "Joe," once again. A reverse I may have noticed of this, Of two or three changes back and forth, but they were both distinctly and clearly expressed, which has been my experience and also my opinion based on working with people who have this kind of a delusional system, that they show consistently, that is, with. somebody who is related to them very closely--you're going to catch hell and then you're going to be responded to in an effort of bringing you back. In other words, I think there is a probability that the reasons for relating warmly to the district attorney's representative and ambivalently toward you are as I have stated, and very slightly different from one another.
Mr. Tonahill.
In his present mental state, do you feel he is capable of conferring with Mr. Fowler and me and Mr. Burleson and aiding and assisting us in an appellate effort in his behalf in reference to his mental capacity?
Dr. BEAVERS. This entails two questions--one, his mental state, and two, how much in fact is involved in aiding you in this appeal.
Now, to the first one, I hope and am reasonably confident of the opinion I have given of this present mental illness at this time. As to the latter, I have sort of opinions off-the-cuff from everything that he needs to be pretty savvy and help you out, to the fact that it doesn't make any difference at all as to whether he can talk or not in terms of an appeal, so I don't know, because I don't know No. 2.
Mr. Tonahill.
You and Dr. Holbrook, Dr. John Holbrook, who has examined him, and Dr. Stubblefield who has examined him, and Dr. West who has examined him, all four psychiatrists and outstanding men----
Dr. BEAVERS. And Dr. Tanay.
Mr. Tonahill.
And Dr. Tanay--five. Is it uniform agreement among you five gentlemen that Jack Ruby is mentally ill and suffers with psychotic delusions?
Dr. BEAVERS. The last time I talked to the other four gentlemen you have Just mentioned, their opinion was the same as my own. I couldn't state if anybody changed their mind. Dr. Tanay, following his visit here, and I had lunch together and discussed the case. At the time that we talked to the judge, Dr. Stubblefield and I, and then some 2 weeks later, shared our views, and they were in reasonably consistent agreement There was no disparity to speak of. Dr. West, I talked to by telephone about 2 weeks ago, I believe. Do you remember when that was, Mr. Fowler?
Mr. Fowler.
I think perhaps that would be a month ago, Dr. Beavers, or somewhere thereabouts.
Dr. BEAVERS. Well, it was after I came back from vacation. At any rate, between 2 weeks and a month ago, I believe, and his view was that this man was mentally ill, and further than that, that he was pretty much as I have described him here.
Mr. Tonahill.
And there have been instances where he rammed his head into the wall and' then tried to get his finger up in the light socket, and then tried to rip the seam out of his trousers to kill himself, you felt he was suicidal and should be protected from that effort, and all of you agreed on that, I believe?
Dr. BEAVERS. Yes. It really wasn't based on those actions as much as, I think,
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