Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-19
Slayer of Lila May SUIT
ties Declared To
Be of Sound
Hind.

AilIarQ Lee Is sane
such IS the verdict OF the jury. returned
Immediately upon the conTening OF court
yesterday afternoon
The trial on the indictment OF murder
viii be taken up this morning az $50
O'Clock. when the question OF Lees sanity
1t the time ne killed Miss Lila May SUIT
ties viii be a feature Of the trial
The verdict OF sane was reached within
Is minutes after the jury retired
The special plea OF present insanity
RannOt be appealed as a separate issue
and the case viii go on. the special plea
being regarded as an integral part Of the
whole trial. In case the final verdict is
lunfavorable TO Lee. then the whole case
may be appealed. and with IL the special
plea OF present insanity.
Lee was not IN court when the verdict
was read. his presence having been
waived
Old man Lee. HIS father. was there.
however, bending HIS gray head forward
10 catch the fateful words. for II looks as
though no mortal power can save Aiiia arc
Lee now. A touching incident was the
fact that the old man could not conpre-
bend the cold verbiage OF the verdict
couched IN its legal terms. and seemed 10
beg pfteously for some one to explain 10
aim what II meant
he knew in an instant, however, for
Judge Gambler satds
lard Lee, charged with murder
Upon representation that Attorney Reu-
zen Arnold was III. the court postponed
4he case until this morning.
At the afternoon session OF the court
Monday the defense continued its Work
shexun In the forenoon, nrst seeking 70
show By the introduction OF testimony
from friends and acquaintances OF Lee
that the man had always been mentally
aflicted The first witness. V. s. Ar
mold. testified that Lee was peculiar IN
his manner and actions. and said he
thought the man lacking perception. al
though he would not positively say that
he was OF unsound mind
william Avery said he had always re-
Farded Lee as a peculiar character. He
rouldn't hold a conversation. We always
treated him like a grown up child he
never laughed-just grinned- He could
never look you in the eye. He would sit
at my house and pull his hair and twist
his handkerchief for hours at a time BIS
mental capacity was limited, but to what
extent couldn't say. He was or a weak
mind. but I couldn't say his mind was
either sound or unsound"
lss-rou know he had aanse enough 20 buy
1and7'' asked Mr. Hill
Eyes. SIR. bought some old wire nom
rim. too" replied the witness.
after the shooting. Lee was crying. ard
told him he had TO kin the girl because
he loved her so. He said he wished he
was dead. too
Tom Lee. a brother OF the prisoner. tes-
tilted that he had always considered
Willard OF a weak mind. an fdiotic kind OF
q boy.
In order to legally establish the fact
OF the murder, the defense then put up
". D. Oliver. an eye witness. who de-
EcrIbed the shooting in much detail. and
concluded by saying that he had never
observed any difference between Lee and
other boys.
The medical experts then took the
stand the first being DR.. Ell Griffin. who
testified that no considered Lee an i'm
hecile. He had examined him three times.
and was OF the opinion that he was at
times ignorant OF what he did The ply
eIclan went on 70 say that he considered
Lee afflicted with a form OF mental
epilepsy.
Dr.. T. V. Hubbard testified that he had
examined the prisoner. and found him TO
be OF weak mind and low intelligence.
DR.. Robert Westmoreland testified that
he considered Lee paranoiac, and con-
Midered him OF very ordinary intelligence.