Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-26
SLEW BOTH HIS PARENTS
Result Of Trial q Surprise to
Everybody.
COMBS TWITS PHYSICIANS
They Can Prove Anything, he
Says-Some Interesting Tes-
timony Yesterday.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
| LEONARDTOWN. Md. September 25.-
The jury in the case Of Joseph Forrest.
charged with the murder of his father.
William Plowden Forrest. brought in a
verdict of manslaughter at 1880 o'clock
tonight, after celebrating one hour and
thirtythree minutes.
| The verdict of manslaughter came as a
great surprise. for 1t had been confidently
expected that the jury would rather give
verdict in the first degree or that the
| prisoner was insane. Counsel for the de-
| Tense at once moved for a suspension or
sentence and reserved the right to make
q motion for a new trial.
! All evidence in the case was in shortly
after noon. DR.. Hill being the last witness.
States Attorney Combs, who asked for a
verdict of murder in the first degree, fin
| ished his opening address before q recess
was taken at 1 o'clock. -,
| In his opening address Mr.. Combs re-
viewed the testimony. Talking of the
medical testimony procured by the de-
| sane. he said:
There are two kinds of insanity-legal
| insanity and medical insanity. Legal IN
sanity takes the ground that when man
| IS sane enough 10 kHOW lHc ulAOiChSO W
tween right and wrong he is before the
law responsible for his acts.
| He was very witty in explaining medf-
| cal insanity, and said. in parta
THE medical experts could prove every
| one of us insane. they can prove an in
| sane man sane. The trouble Is they 90
| not always agree among themselves. The
abuse Of medical insanity In this state
fession is seriously considering the ad-
visibility Of having law passed to pre-
+: vent experts t~5tifying.
Joe Forrest is q dull boy. He Is stupid.
was doing. His conduct after the double
murder shows that he knew he had done
wrong. 1 ask for verdict of murder in
| the first degree"
Lawyers Address Jury.
The three lawyers for the defense, Will
| liam NJ. Loker, Vernon Dorsey and Rob-
ert. Hammett, addressed the jury and
| sought to discredit the testimony Of
those who had sworn that Forrest made
| q confession of the crime to them. In
| his closing address the states attorney
dwelt upon the Nervousness of the crime
and closed by again asking for verdict
Of murder in the first degree: .. :. i.
mental Degenerate: that his mind Is not
developed and that he will grow worse
| and more, dangerous as he grows older,
DR.. Charles G. Hill, the Baltimore ex-
pert in nervous disorders, was the hrst
witness today.
The prisoner smiled for the first time
during the trial today. Robert Curtis.
a droll negro. was called to the stand.
His testimony convulsed the spectators.
| Joe" smiled at him.
| While on the stand DR.. Hill said:
| Joe Forrest is mental degenerate
| His mind Is not developed. In some ways
his mind is not more developed than that
| Alb tan
| cases he is fully developed"
| He then described the peculiartties OF
the lad.
Defense Puts Question.
| hypothetical question was then put
| by the defense Assuming" said Mr.
| Locker. his lawyer, that Joe Forrest ac-
cidentally shot his mother while she was
| still living, carried her upstairs and then
killed his father, covered the bodies. hung
| blankets in front of the windows and
| doors and stopped I'D all the cracks and
crevices. what was his mental condition.
acute homicidal MANIA. answered the
physician with his undeveloped MIND
and tendency toward inherited insanity.
when he accidentally killed his mother
| his passion would have been aroused He
would then have killed his father or
any one else With his desire for blood
satisfied, he would have returned to his
normal condition. His efforts to conceal
the crime were not evidences of SAN
ity. They were efforts that could not be
successful. They were fooling.
| I'm my opinion any little excitement
at any time may cause him to break
out again and kill every one In sight.
He will gradually grow worse
Defense Rests Case.
The defense then rested it's case.
Several witnesses in rebuttal were
called by the states attorney. George
T. Hutchins. who was great friend
of the murdered man, testified that he
was in the habit Of seeing the boy fire.
ouently. Joe" he said, did everything
an ordinary boy should do in the way
an ordinary boy would do them. 1 do
not believe he was insane.
Steven M. Jones declared that he did
not look upon Joe Forrest as grown
boy.
These last two witnesses. though
called by the state. really helped the
| defense.
The prisoners face broke out into
smile when Robert Curtis. a jolly
darkey, gave his testimony. This is the
the whole trial that he took any inter-
est in the proceedings. When Robert
began In his droll way the youth smiled
at him and almost broke into a laugh
Joe was not fond Of work. he said In
negro dialect. He did not like to work
and would not do so II he could get out
Of it. His father had hard time to
4 get him to do anything"
The spectators were greatly amused
at the sayings of the negro: Time and
i time again Judge Briscoe had to rap
for order. The counsel Joined in the
lau0hter and the Judge smiled.