Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-22
BERG'S TRIAL
IS POSTPONED
M0THER-IN-LAW OF ATTORNEY
BLEDS0E DEAD
COURT ROOM is CROWDED FOR
PRELIMINARY HEARING
Residents of San Rernardino Show
Great Interest in Case Against For
mer Patton Attendant-To Be
Heard Thursday
(By a stan correspondent)

(By a SLdiL COLItsPVioSlL"t
SAN BERNARDINO, june 21.-The
preliminary hearing of Hans S. Berg,
the former attendant at the Patton in
sane asylum, charged with manslaugh-
ter in the death of Henry Grassmee OF
Los Angeles, which was scheduled at
10 o'clock this morning, was continued
until the same hour Thursday morning
by agreement of opposing counsel and
Police Justice C. L. Thomas, owing to
the death of Mrs. Bottoms, mother-irl-
law of r. A Bledsoe, attorney for De-
fendant Berg.
AS a result of the death which oc-
Cured early this morning, Attorney
Bledsoe asked for a continuance of the
case, and a postponement was immedi-
ately agreed on. AS a result of the
postponement the witnesses from Los
Angeles who had gone to San Bernar-
dino will have to appear again Thurs
day.
1t is not considered likely that the
preliminary hearing will be completed
at Thursdays session, as great
amount OF medical testimony is to be
introduced, and it is expected that a
lively battle of doctors will result.
Court Room Filled
The court room of Justice Thomas
was filled long before the hour set for
the hearing this morning, large num-
Der of attendants from Patton, the four
doctors and a number of supervisors of
the institution being present. The Los
Angeles delegation in the court room
consisted of Coroner Calvin Hartwell,
DR.. George w. Campbell, DR.. L. j.
Huff and Oscar e. Grassmee, brother
of Henry Grassmee, who signed the
warrant charging Berg with man
e1a11pbtpr
The defendant entered the court room
apparently one of the least interested
persons in the room, and chatted conf
IDENTIFY with a number of his friends.
However acting on the advice of his
attorney he refused to discuss the
charge against him, but what few re-
marks he made were in a tone of conf
dence and indicative of the fact that
he worries little as to the outcome of
the charges against him.
1t was not generally known that Berg
was enjoying his liberty, having been
successful in raising $1,000 bonds. When
arrested Berg's bonds were fixed at
$4,000, but an agreement between Dis
trict Attorney Byrne and the attorney
for Berg resulted in the bail being re-
duced to $1,000, which amount was given
by a prominent business man of San
Bernardino and an attendant at Patton.
Agree to Postponement
AS soon as Justice Thomas took his
position in the judges box Attorney
Bledsoe arose and asked for a brief con-
tinuance of the hearing, stating that
his mother-in-law had died and that
he would be unable to give proper at
tention to the interests of his client
until after the funeral. On agreement
between Attorney Bledsoe and District
Attorney Byrne, Justice Thomas de-
cided on Thursday morning as the date
for the hearing.
In agreeing to the postponement,
Justice Thomas said that he realized
that it was a hardship for the wit
nesses who had come from Los An
geles and other distant points, but de-
cided that under the circumstances it
have the privilege of his chosen attor-
ney's presence.
The large crowd that had gathered
dispersed, disappointed that a post
ponement had been made necessary.
That the case has aroused great in
terest in San Bernardino was evident
from the number of persons who gath
cred in the court room and later stood
about in little groups discussing the
those who have followed the case
from the beginning voiced their
opinion that it would be a difficult
matter to secure a conviction in Berg s
case, but seemed pleased that the af-
fair had started an investigation at
Patton, which they believed would re-
suit in incalculable benefit to the in
mates of the state asylum.
Physicians Far Apart
While interest seems to lag In the
particular charge against Berg, just
what will result from the evidence of
the doctors of Patton and those of
Los Angeles is arousing lively COM
ment.
That the Patton physicians and the
Los Angeles physicians are at wide
variance as to the direct cause of
Grassmee's death is assured from the
contradictory statements that have
been made.
What the result will be If the Los
Angeles doctors succeed in convinc-
ing the Judge that their diagnosis of
the case is correct and that the Pat
ton officials attempted to conceal the
real causes of Grassmee's death is
awaited with interest. DR.. Gustave
Wilson, acting medical supervisor at
Patton at the time of Grassmee's S
death and who signed a death certi-
ficate giving paresis as the direct
cause of death, was present in court
this morning and stated that he in
vited a thorough examination and was
not worried over the outcome.
He has decided that it has resolved
into a question of Dr. Campbell's tes-
timony and his own, and DR.. Campbell
is equally as certain that he can show
as the result of the autopsy he per-
formed that Grassmee did not die Of
paresis, and that his injuries was the
aa,,Sa nf bta death
Says Inquest Was Peculiar
One fact, on which great stress is
laid, is that the board of managers
who conducted a separate investigation
Saturday, have refused to give out
the sealed verdict which was for
warded to Sacramento after the in
vestigation, to be held there until the
preliminary hearing of Berg has been
held. 1t was stated today that the
sole reason for keeping the result secret
is that the report may not in any way
influence the case against Berg.
For this reason, it is thought that
the report may contain stern re-
proof, not alone against Berg, but also
against those who allowed him to leave
the institution before proper investi-
cation was held.
Police Justice Thomas is interested in
the case, as he stated that he was the
official who conducted the inquest over
the body of Lee Woods, who was sup
posed to have committed suicide at
Patton. Justice Thomas, in speaking of
that inquest stated today that there
were circumstances about the inquest
that to him looked peculiar but that
the evidence of the attendants was all
that was available at the time and
that the result of the inquest was de-
cided on this evidence.
Justice Thomas declared that it was