Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-21
Arguments Concluded in the Beam
Murder Trial.
R ADY FOR The JURY
A Verdict Looked for This After:
noon.
COUNSEL'S MENTS

The testimony in the case OF Joseph A.
Beam, charged with the murder of Mrs.
Annie L. Leahy. his stepdaughter, on the
cd of last December, was concluded yes
terdny afternoon, and today counsel
argued the case before the jury. A verdict
is expected this afternoon. -r.4nt -
The last witness examined was DR.. John
B. Chaplin Of Philadelphia, the well-known
expert in insanity, who testified on behalf
of the government. DIR. Chaplin stated that
he had listened to the testimony in the
case, and had also examined Beam Tues
day evening at the jail. and was of the
opinion that the man. while erratic, per-
laps. was not insane at the time he shot
the woman to death, nor insane now.
the opening address to the jury was
made this morning by Assistant District
Attorney Jeffords. who contended that the
evidence showed clearly that Beam a
man Of intelligence but of ill temper and
dissolute habits, cruelty and maliciously
murdered a defenseless woman, whom he
dislked. because she had refused him adj
mission to her mothers house. To excuse
such q man, said Mr.. Jeffords, because he
was peculiar or erratic in some things,
would be to make the law a mockery, and
would set a premium on the devilishness
of all like him.
For the Defense.
Mr.. F. B. Cranshaw followed Mr.. Jeffords,
speaking on behalf of the defendant.
Beams act, he aid, was so brutally re-
voting that its very cruelty and brutality
emphasized more than all else the mans
Cnsoundness OF mind. The man, he de-
clared, had been shown to be of a weak
and impaired mind. and the refusal Of
the woman killed to allow him to see his
wife, commended Mr.. Cranshaw, inf1amed
the mans sleeping insanity, and the death
of the woman resulted from Beams sud-
denly aroused insanity.
Insisting Upon Insanity.
Messrs. Duffy ard Truitt followed MI.
Cranshaw. their arguments being that the
many pecul,arities of Beam clearly indicat-
ed the mans insanity. Beam, declared Mr..
Truitt, until the day of the killing, had
been u man of good nature. devoted to his
friends He loved his wife. said Mr.. Truitt,
ard learning that she was i'll he wen. to
the house where she was, not with murder
in his heart. but with love for his wife.
He was denied admission, and then, claim
ed Mr.. Truitt, the mans anguish and anx-
iety for the woman he loved suddenly
turned him into an insane being. and in his
insanity he murdered the poor woman, who
stepped between him and his wife. Mr..
Truitt criticised the testimony Of DR..
Chaplin claiming that the testimony Of the
friends and associates of Beam was more
reliable and should be considered in prefer
ence to expert testimony. $50
The Close OF the Arguments. ~,
Mr.. Truitt closed at 23O with strong
appeal to the jury to send Beam to an In
saEe asylum instead of to the gallows. and
Mr.. Birney then proceeded to make the
closing address to the jury. expecting to
close in about half an hours time when
Judge Cole would charge the jury. MIR.
Birney. in commencing his argument. call
ed attention to the fact that for the past
thirty-five years the defense CT insanity
had invariably been urged when none other
could be found. -,-
The theory of the defense, said Mr.. Biz
ney was that of emotional insanity. That
is, said Mr.. Birney, counsel for Beam would
have the jury believe that up to the very.
instant Beam killed the woman he was
sane, and that he recovered his sanity the
moment he finished firing the fatal shot,
being insane oAly during the time he spent
in pulling the trigger Of his pistol. 1t was
as monstrous as 1t was ridiculous for sem
sible men to 50 believe, and Mr.. Birney de-
clared that the jury's verdict would show
the day Of such absurd reasoning had gone.
The sole. question, said Mr.. Birney, was,
did Beam have reason enough to know the
difference between right and wrong. Beam
undoubtedly did know that he was doing
wrong. and he should be promptly con-
yjctad