The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-08
May CASE NEARS END
Assistant District Attorney
Turner Opens Argument.
ATTACKS THE INSANITY PLEA
Charges Defendant Knew COnse-
queRees of Her Acf-Says Husban nd
Did Not Tell the Truth in TeEtI-
flying for Wife-WOmRn's Letters
to COnen Read in Court.

At , o'clock yesterday afternoon District
Attorney Baker informed Justice Stafford
that the governments case against Mrs.
Jennie L. May, charged with intent to
kill. in connection with the shooting Of
Lucien Conen, a member of the Marine
Band, was before the jury. Justice
Stafford then took up the question Of
prayers for instruction to the jury re-
garding the problem Of the sanity or
insanity Of the accused woman, and other
points OF Importance in the case.
Assistant United States District Attor-
ney Charles Turner made the opening
address to the jury, and said, in part:
so far as the fact goes and has been
brought out in evidence, # is not denied
that Jennie May came up behind young
Conen as he was walking peacefully with
his mother and shot him down, that the
mother. with a mothers love that knew
no fear OF weapon. thrust her back; that
she pushed around that mother and
pointed the pistol at Conen's head. when
the weapon WAS struck from her hand
Did she intend TO kill? We judge what
is in the brain by acts and the way it
speaks through the lips.
Knew Consequences of Crime.
''On the way 10 the station house she
said, Why didn't you let me kill him.?
Why had she armed herself? Why the
parting message 10 her child Beatrice to
take care of her children? She knew she
had broken the law She knew the con-
sequences of her act AT the station house
she said He got just what ne deserved.
Here was Il judgment of the crime. ap-
peal to your common sense. This is no
place for fancifui theory. no place for emo
ton is there anything in that record
that would suggest anything else than the
vengeful act of an angry woman? The
issue is-and there is but one-whether
this woman is insane No question OF her
prOvOcation or whether she had been
Wronged-and I don't admit that she was
is before you for consideration The law
does not recognize vendettas or private
vengeance. The defense has urged that
Mrs. May was insane al times. And these
times would occur at certain periods. Who
could know when she was 10 be insane
except her husband and herseIf2
This ease rests on the testimony of her
husband. He has said that she was de
voted, except for four or FIVE DAYS at
time, when she was insane. No one can
doubt her husbands devotion 10 his chill
dren. Yet during those days when She
was supposed 10 be q maniac he trusted
his jewels. his children TO her. Can YOU
take any stock IN testimony OF such a ma
ture2 He played every night at Chew
Chase, and left this maniac. with loaded
revolver. alone in her house with his
dearly beloved children. After she had
shot down this man Conen that loaded
pistol was still kept by her And that
devoted husband Of hers can't believe the
story he himself told. Ole ]. May did not
tell the truth.
Letters Written 30 a Boy.
Take those letters. They were written
by a married woman with many children
TO boy nineteen years old when he came
into the family, and twonty-One when she
shot him down. Who was pursued? Who
was fleeing? / have my opinion. the gem
temen Of the jury must have theirs The
defense Of insanity can be attributed
only 10 the splendid audacity Of her coun-
sci. But il does not matter whether she
had hysteria or epilepsy If she was sane
on the day Of the shooting Nobody has
ever treated her, cared for her. watched
over her as one would over an insane
woman. And Mays devotion to her, so
beautifully shown in this trial. would
have led him 10 safeguard her instead Of
having INDUCED I'm recrimination and
charges and accusation"
The feature Of the session Yesterday.
second 70 the address of Mr.. Turner, was
the reading Of d long series Of letters. said
to have been written by Mrs. May TO
Conen. Justice Stafford overruled Obiec-
tons Of counsel for the defense to the
reading Of the letters. and he allowed an
exception to them. The letters were
CouChed in terms OF intimacy
After the reading OF the letters, DR.. Ed
ward \. Brush. an alienist. was called by
the prosecution He stated that all the at
tacks TO which Mrs. May had been subject
seemed TO be characteristic of hysteria.
and not Of epilepsy. as claimed by the de-
Tense. Dr. Brush thought Mrs MAY
bright alert. and intelligent woman.
The defense viii follow with addresses
to the jury this morning, and District At
tOTney Baker will close for the govern
ment It is expected that the case will 90
to the jury shortly after the noon recess.