The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-12-02
DIR. M'LEOD
IS ACQUITTED
Dramatic Climax in Boston
Tragedy.
DIR. M'LEOD ON STAND
Accused Denied all the Charges Of
wronsdoins-Said He Tried to
Save Girls Life.

poslo1. De. . Dc Pe.ey ;elNvd
acquitted.
Wan 4 Hunt and Lowis W Cra~ford
guilty.
such vcrr the ycrdicis returned by
the jury today in the trial OF the alleg.
I'd participants In the dress suit ease
mystery, one OF the mos, sensational
criminal cases tried 10 New England
N years.
Hunt aud Crawford we're each sem
tcnced to six wears In prison.
BOSTON. Dec. The jury wnicn
has been hearing the evidence nc the
trial Of Dr. Percy De Mile Mcleod.
the Back Bay physician who II charged
with being an accessory 10 the per.
Torrance 81 an Illegal operation upon
Susanna A. Gcary. ihs dress suit case
victim. have retired 20 consider their
verdict. Judge Stevens instructed the
Jury at some length before they re-
tired.
The proceedings furnished a draInat.
ic climax to an already sensational
case. DIR. Mcleod testified In bis own
defense and stated emphntically that
he had not dismembercd the body Of
the chorus girl. He denied that he had
ever had any connection with the Mrs.
DR. Bishop" Offices. where the illegal
operation Ia alleged 20 have been per.
formed. and swore that he had never
been inside the Winthrop street house.
where the girl died. until summoned 70
perform an operation 10 save Miss
Geary's life.
According TO Dr. McIeod's testi-
mony. he WIS called Ia the Winthrop
street house by Dr John II. Pettee.
who few days ago testified that he
was summoned there by DIR. Mcleod.
DIR. McLeod's testimony was a general
denial OF all The charges against him.
lie testified that his only connection
with the case was the performing Of
an operation known as laparOtomy. the
only hope, he claimed. Of saving the
woman's life
While the trial Of DIR. Mcleod was In
progress William II. Stanford. one OF
the witnesses for the defense. was ar
rested on the charge Of being fugi-
tive of justice from Philadelphia. II IL
alleged that under the name OF Reagan
the man was arrested in connection
with ballot box frauds in the Thirteenth
ward of Philadelphia and was held in
bonds of $1,000 for trial. The case was
called last Tuesday, and Stanford, or
Reagan, Is alleged to have defaulted.
Stanford Is the husband of Mrs. Grace
Ashmead Stanford, who also testified
here in DR.. McLeod's defense.
After DR.. Mcleod had completed his
testimony few witnesses were called
in rebuttal, and then counsel proceeded
with their arguments.
Attorney James II. Vahey, of counsel
for the defense. argued that DIR. Nc
Leod was an innocent participant in
the case; that his only connection with
It was actuated by the highest motives.
the desire to save human life. Mr..
Valley declared that the dismember-
ment was the work of William How
ard, or Hunt, as he is known, and that
Hunt was also the person who perform
ed the first operation on the victim of
the tragedy. Mr.. Valley also charged
that DR.. ]. ii. Pettee had called upon
DR.. Mcleod for assistance and then
had incriminated the latter In the de-
sire to save his own reputation.
District Attorney Sughrue, in sum
ming up for the government, charged
that DIR. Mcleod was intimately asso-
ciated with notorious band Of ille-
gal practitioners" He said that the
testimony of Louis Crawford and
Howard, upon which the defense had
attempted to cast discredit, must be
accepted. He characterized DR.. Nc
Leod as a cool, phlegmatic person,
skilled in surgery and dissection, and
said that he was the only kind Of per-
son who could have dismembered the
body in so skillful manner
The case was then given to the jury
by Judge Stevens.
u.--a-a.. NJ ~ Ar0oAfa Rurnad.