The Loeb-Leopold case - The Clarence Darrow Collection

The Loeb-Leopold Case
whether these boys were mentally right; both admitted
that the conditions surrounding them made
the right kind of examination impossible; both ad-
mitted that they needed a better chance to form a
reliable opinion. The most they said was that at
this time they saw no evidence of insanity.
Singer did a thing more marvelous still. He never
saw these boys until he came into this court, ex-
cepting when they were brought down in violation
of their constitutional rights to the office of Judge
Crowe, after they had been turned over to the jailer,
and there various questions were asked them, and
to all of these the boys replied that they respectfully
refused to answer on advice of counsel. And
yet that was enough for Singer.
First of all, we called Dr. William A. White. And
who is he? For many years he has been superin-
tendent of the Government Hospital for the Insane
in Washington; a man who has written more books,
delivered more lectures and had more honors and
knows this subject better than all their alienists put
together; a man who knows his subject, and whose
ability and truthfulness must have impressed this
court.
Whom else did we get? Do I need to say any-
thing about Dr. Healy? Is there any question about
his integrity? A man who seldom goes into court
except upon the order of the court. No man stands
higher in Chicago than Dr. Healy. No man has
done as much work in the study of adolescence.
193