Evening star., 1909-05-26
TELL WOES TOMR. TAFT DEFENSE IS INSANITY
Independent Sugar Refners Government Rests Murder
Visit White House. Case Against ]. C. TriIing,
NOT ALLIED WITH TRUST WHO KILLED AGED WOMAN
Abroad by Cuba Do Not Brother of Defendant
Call for Action While Testyng
PROMOTION FOR H. L. WILSON BUT PRISONER Is UNMoyED
May McCumber
senate-oppostion 70 Witnesse
George W. Woodruff ked Death.
Government Rests Murder
Case Against ]. C. TriIIing,
WHO KILLED AGED WOMAN
Brother of Defendant Breaks Down
While Testifying.
BUT PRISONER Is UNMovED
Details of Horrid Crime Narrated by
Several Witnesses - Victim
Hacked to Death.

Neither the tears of his brother. who. by
force of circumstances. was required TO
give damaging testimony against him,
nor the exhibition of the bloody AK, with
which he is charged with hacking tn
death the aged grandmother of his wife.
were able to draw the attention of John
P. Trilling. on trial In Criminal Court
No. 1 for the murder OF Mrs. Lucretia
Corliss. January 20 last, at her home, 612
L street southwest.
All during the two days effort to secure
a jury Trilling has sat almost immov-
able. with vacant stare in his eyes.
When Hiram c. Corliss the aged hus-
band of the murdered woman. told of
finding his wife after the tragedy TrillinG
paid rapt attention. He never took his
eyes off the witness, and when Mr. Cor
liss, in describing the flight of the de-
fendant from the house after the tragedy.
said ''he can jump like a deer Trilling
smiled.
Reluctant Testimony.
Henry p. Trilling, the young brother
of the defendant. testified for the gov
ernment. He stated that the evening
before the tragedy his brother called
at the home of the witness. After John
had gone the witness missed razor.
The next day he called at the Corliss
home and received no response when
he rang the bell. He was told by a
neighbor that the family was having
trouble, and he hastened to Mr. Cor
liss' place of business and with him
returned to the house.
Assistant United States Attorney Tur-
ner. producing a razor, was in the act of
exhibiting 1t to the witness for identified
tiOn when young Trilling hung his head
and. bursting into tears. refused to look
at the weapon. Justice Gould declared
that as this was not the weapon with
which the crime was committed. but was
only found In the defendants possession.
| Identification was unnecessary. Trilling
then recovered his composure and pro-
ceeded with his testimony.
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook next testi
fled for the government. When shown
the bloody ak the physician declared that
any of the seventeen gaping wounds
found on the head and body of the vic
tim might have been inflicted by such
a weapon.
Hiram c. Corliss, nearly seventy years
old, who testified that in a search for his
wife, after he had been notified of the
trouble at his home, he discovered the de-
fendant in the bedroom OF the witness
changing his blood-stained shirt for a
| clean garment belonging to the witness
son.
On cross-examination Mr.. Coriss de-
clared Trilling was sober. talked coherent
ly and gave no evidence of insanity.
Made Previous Threats.
On the night before the tragedy. he tes-
titled. Triliing came to his house and, ex
hibiting the razor which Henry Trilling
declined to identify. threatened to kill
Mrs. Pauline Trilling. wife of the de-
fendant, as well as her father and step
mother. Speaking of the threat to kill
Trilling's wife, Mr. Corliss declared Triii-
ing remarked dramatically. II will take
her by the hair. force her to her knees
and cut her throat" He also told OF
threats made by the defendant against
the witness and his wife.
Witness told the jury that when he
discovered his wife after the tragedy he
could not recognize her, although they
had lived together nearly fifty years. He
said her hair was streaming about her
face and her head and shoulders were
covered with blood. He took his wife i'm
his arms, he said. and carried her to
couch in the kitchen. On the way he
asked her who had attacked her. and she
Witness told of the removal of his wife
to the Emergency Hospital, where she
died shortly after her arrival.
Defendant Didn't Care"
Mrs Sadie Meredith, daughter Of the
victim. testified that after the tragedy
Trillng visited her house. While he was
there word came to her of the condition
of her mother. When she announced the
news to Trilling he responded with
oath. Il don't care If she is killed or
murdered"
Mrs Kate l.. Veal. another daughter.
identified the blood-stained vest belonging
to the defendant. She said she found II
on the bed in her fathers ROOM wrapped
In a waist belonging to her mother.
The governments case was concluded
by the noon recess. Then the opening
statement for the defense was made by
Attorney Thomas c. Taylor.
After describing the degrees Of homicide
under the law he declared that the crime
itself shows 1t to be the work of an in
sane man. He said Trilling's family had
taint of insanity and that a sister of
the defendant is now and has been for
eleven years an inmate Of a lunatic