Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 6.djvu/136

 124 FBDBEAL BBPOBTEB. �aggregate his speculations were very considerable, and it is probable that his family became alarmed. A great deal of evidence has been given to show on the one hand the extrav- agant character of these transactions, and on the other that they were not extravagant. The net resuit to his family, I fear, was a great loss. �In July, 1871, he went to Europe and traveled there some months for his health and recreation. In August, for the first time, a physician, expert in insanity, was consulted in JEdinburgh. He pronounced Copelin insane, and in his de- position, (vol. 1, p. 177,) being asked his opinion, formed at the date of that examination, as to the length of time Mr, Copelin had been laboring under the effects of this disease, he says : "It is impossible to answer this question definitely. It may have existed a few months only, or a year or more. My opinion at the time. was that it had existed several months." Whether by several months he meant six months, which would carry it back to about the date of the purchase, I do not know. All the other experts were consulted much later, and the weight of their opihion, so far as they are willing to express it, appears to be that it was possible, but not v^y probable, that the disease had begun as early as February, 1871. �The business of Copelin was conducted as usual until af ter his return from Europe. In December, 1871, and January, 1872, he resigned his several offices as president and director in the companies above mentioned. This may be taken as the time when he was found to be so clearly insane that the family and friends were obliged to make public admission of the fact. The three possible witnesses most competent to fix the exact dates — Copelin's wife, his mother-in-law, and his sister — have net been examined. �Taking these promineiit and admitted facts into considera- tion, and reviewing the voluminous and detailed testimony in the record, I do not find it proved that Copelin was tion com- pas February 10, 1871, nor that he was incapable of ratify- ing a contract after that time, or of making a power of attorney in July, 1871. I think a jury would not be war- ��� �