The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-11-14
FOR THE SHOOTING
Of US. SENATOR
BROWN
Mrs. Annie M. Bradley on Trial
for Murder
INSANITY WILL BE HER PLEA
Defendant Shows Much Emotion While
Prosecuting Attorney Describes
the Alleged Crime.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.-THE trial
Of Mrs. Annie NJ. Bradley, charged
with the murder of former United
States Senator Brown of Utah. opened
in the District criminal court here,
having been postponed from Monday
on account of the death of Judge Nc
Comas.
Mrs. Bradley promptly followed
Judge Stafford into the courtroom and,
taking her seat just back of her coun-
sci, faced the court squarely.>
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Tur-
ner opened the trial with brief state
ment concerning the crime with which
Mrs. Bradley is charged. He merely
said that the charge was that of muir
der in the first degree in shooting zone
Arthur Brown at the Raleigh hotel in
this city on the Sth of last December"
The statement embarrassed the de-
PENDANT to considerable degree. She
placed her gloved hand TO her face, and
her head shook perceptibly. She was
apparently much relieved when Mr.
Turner concluded, and the court turn
ed TO the duty of selecting jury.
Twelve men of the regular panel
were called to the box, and James L..
Feeney, native Of New York, passed
through the ordeal of questions with
out provoking a challenge.
IIa had farrnaH no nAtuin, hoI mn
prejudice against capital punishment.
no predictions in favor Of women
charged with capital offense and did
not believe any person has right TO
take the law into his own hands TO
avenge a personal wrong
Chris Herzog, a native of SwitZer-
land, also passed at least temporarily,
and he was Immediately followed by
David NJ. Lee, Il native of Richmond
Va, whose reply TO the questions ask
ed supplied the first stumbling block
in the selection of jurymen.
Asked If he could render a fair and
impartial verdict. he replied. Il am
from a section of the country that be-
lieves in the higher law and am an ad-
vocate of it. ! approve of what was
done in the Culpeper case. believe
there are certain circumstances that
Justify persons in taking the law into
their own hands,
He pleased the defense, but was not
accepted. &,
Mr.. Hoover questioned all the tales
men on the point of insanity, with the
view of learning whether the plea of
dementia would encounter prejudice in
their minds.
II is admitted that Mrs. Bradley shot
Senator Brown, but there was no eye
witness.
Mrs. Bradley's attorneys, however,
have reached the conclusion that when
she went to the senator's room. which
she did Immediately upon her arrival
from Salt Lake City, her home, she
found there certain letters from Mrs.
Annie Adams, the actress, the reading
Of which greatly incensed her she
seemed then to have disappeared and
not to have returned until the after
noon, when, finding Mr.. Brown there,
she upbraided him and, finding him
unwilling to marry her, fred the shots
which ended his life.
The attorneys for Mrs. Bradley win
depend upon the plea of insanity as
their only prOfessed defense. If there
was any confidence In the plea Of justi-
fcation 1t was not expressed.
On the other hand, the prosecution
manifested apprehension that the jury
would be inclined to consider the case
under the unwrltten law and to shield
the defendant from possible capital
punishment on account of her sex.