Evening star., 1909-05-28
JOE FORREST SILENT
Insanity Will Probably Be Plea
of Defense.
HIS CONDITION IMPROVED
Jail Physician Believes Prisoner Is
Clothed in Right Mind.
GENERAL SYMPATHY IS SHOWN
Continues to Deny Any knowledge
Of How Father Came to
His Death.
SYMPATHY IS SHOWN

ready appreciably strengthened IN potn
mind and body by his rest after eighteen
days OF wandering, Joseph P. Morgan
Forrest is making himself comfortable
in a cell in the jail at Leonardtown.
where he awaits the action of the grand
jury on a charge of numbering his ia
ther and mother, Mr.. and Mrs. William
p. Forrest. at Oakville May last.
Beyond reiterating that he shot and
killed his mother by accident the youth
maintains a determined reticence, rein
sion of mental vacuity.
Insanity Probable Defense.
That the youth is more or less insane
is the prevailing belief in st. Mary coun-
ty. In this view DR.. Thomas Lynch, the
Jail physician. by no means comedies.
His answers to my questions were
clear, intelligent and ineligible" said
Or. Lynch after a conversation with the
prisoner. IF he is insane he shows no
signs of it,
The doctor questioned him only on his
physical condition.
On the other hand, friends of the youth
and his counsel. William M. Loker. main
tain that he is mentally unbalanced IN
sanity will probably be the defense should
the prisoner be indicted and placed on
trial
Cautioned by his counsel to remain si-
lent Forrest declined to respond to any
questions put to him by newspaper men.
At the same time he munbled answers
to interrogations interjected by others
in the cell at the interview.
In these replies the prisoner muttered
that he did not remember anything about
his father or his wanderings since the
tragedy. but that he still wore the same
clothes in which he had gone away.
Insistent interposition by Mr.. Loker
nrNCpnfpd nd
the youth was certainly sufficiently sane
to heed the admonitions and to signify
by his eyes that he fully appreciated
their import
Afraid Of Big World.
On the other hand, before being warned
by his counsel, he has talked freely, and
at the time of his arrest made several
statements.
According to these, he had made his
way to the Patuxent river after the trag-
edy and had taken boat bound down the
stream. boarding it near Forests landing
AT M1llstone however. the thought of go
Ing out into the world overcame him and
ne went ashore. took to the woods and
travelled some distance up-country on the
Three Notched road.
Again seeking shelter. he worked north
westward through ST. Mary county to In
dian Town and Budds creek near Chap
the place he had left the steamer. At
Indian Town, he continued, he had seen
the searching parties which had formed
on the report that he had obtained food
from a negro.
Il hid in the woods and watched 'em
look for me- said Forrest land some
times they got pretty close TO me-
Good Clue Passed Up.
The report that Forrest had been seen
in that SpctiOp Ua n1h1ichod of bo
The tale, however. did not appeal to De-
tective Mayer of the Baltimore city force,
while Sheriff Dent, who Investigated later,
pronounced it only one of the many idle
rumOrs current.
During his wanderings. said Forrest, he
had subsisted principally on chestnuts and
acorns dug from the earth. and on the
milk Of COWS, which he milked at night
Although he was we'll supplied with
money, he feared to attempt TO purchase
food. When arrested Forrest had $15 in
his pocket and three-cent piece with
hole in it.
On his arrival in Leonardtown S1.6O of
this sum was spent In the purchase of
hat, shoes and stockings. of which he had
none, and the balance, $13.4O. was turned
over to States Attorney Robert c. Combs.
Despite the storm and his Illness Mr..
Combs came into town yesterday and per-
mitted an interview by the reporter. On
the representation of Forests friends.
Dr. LynCn lSSu6u OTu6TS I'D JdllST Ddnlel
L. Guy not to permit any one to talk to
the prisoner, but after his visit to the Jail
and on the advice of Mr.. Combs the ply
sician rescinded the order.
Interests Carefully Guarded.
From the moment of his arrival at
Leonardtown Forests interests have been
carefully guarded by his counsel and
loyal friend of his father and grand
father, while several residents of the town
have sent him fruit.
Would you like drink of whisky or
brandy" asked Roland Duke. manager
of the Hotel st. Mary, on Forests ar
rival.
NO; but l would like bottle of sarsa-
parilla.' was the answer. and he got the
beverage
Just who has retained him to act for
the prisoner Mr.. Loker declines to divulge.
only saving Friends OF the boy" Every
one speaks of him as 1.-The boy"
No member or connection of the Forrest
or Morgan families has come to town,
except DR.. ]. V. King whose wife was
w. p Forests sister. He reached
Leonardtown late yesterday afternoon
and had talk with Forrest and Attorney
Loker.
to the scene of the double murder and
questioned have been strongly discour-
aged in Leonardtown, while both Mr.
Loker and Forests best friend declare
that no advantage snail be taken of
him.
I'VE will not allow him to say word,
lest he should appear to incrminate HIM
self and We will protect him to the utmost
in every way possible" they repeat.
Theories as to Murder.
Owing to the departure OF Judge CANA
ier from La Plata TO Baltimore. States
Attorney Combs will not be able now to
discuss with him the advisability of re-
calling the grand jury to consider the
case Such action is not considered prob
able, and the prisoner will be in Jail until
September. Nor, said Mr.. Combs,
will any investigation be undertaken as
to Joes sanity until an indictment may
have been returned"
No doubt that Mrs. Forrest was mur-
dered in the courthouse is now entertained
by Dr. King. DR.. +. F. Greenwich and
Col. Ashby Burroughs, who first found
evidence to that effect. Furthermore
they declare that a piece of Mrs. For
rests skull, which they discovered. shows
unquestionably that she had been struck
by an ak, and not shot. while no shot has
been found i'm the walls of the courthouse
The theory Is now held that Joe nrst
killed his father while the latter was talk
| ing q nap and then concluded to kill n,s
mother and flee to some remote part Of
| the country. The lapse of memory in re-
| gard TO his fathers death is not taken
| fact that he recollects all his other move
| ments and also recognized a number of
his aCquaintanceS when arrested among
1 them a boy named Stephen Johnson.
| Further. Joe says that after the trag-
| edy he had returned to the house and got
/ something to eat. and that he approach
| ed the dwelling on a second occasion, but
/ ri hx-r