The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-28
HUBBARD RAVES
IN HIS CELL Of
Staying PETIT
Refuses to Hold Conversa-
ton About Crime but
Mutters to Self
MURDERER SPEAKS
OF SUFFERING PAIN
Talks Of IhaW Case and De-
cIare5 He VIII be Sent
to Death Chair or
Asylum

Asylum
Especial To The Richmond Nirginian.)
INCH BURG, VA, Sept. Il
Time and again has Benjamin Hub
bard. the man who stands indicted
for the murder of Dr. j. a. Petit
at Lovingston, referred to his case as
like that of Harry Thaw. The man
raves at times. talking to himself
and muttering. At other times he
viii talk indirectly as though ad-
dressing an audiences. He refuses to
answer direct questions or to DO
drawn into any END o. conversation.
In his saner moments tine man de-
cares that no has suffered. He re-
fers to Or. Petit as The" without
making ii poSitise that ne has ref
erenoe to the dead physician. lie
would have killed me- declared Hub
bard. and / thought l would have
to leave the county. When asked
If he meant Or. Petit. Hubbard turn
ed and frowned at reporters. am
swering them nothing.
Ma. BE Playing Crazy.
With mis- hands frequently pulling
at his hair. or with fingers running
&c a picture OF an insane man. His
case is nothing ike that OF Harry
Thaw, OF course, tor Thaw had a Ger
tain kind OF motive, Hubbard ap-
pears to think he will be executed
or sent TO an asylum. lie does not
seem to entertain any hope that rs
viii be given his freedom. He refer:
often TO his suffering. but Will moi
say whether he means physical SUI
tcring or mental agony.
His greeting 10 the reporters who
have called on him has never beer
personal. lie may be talking for tins
benefit OF the insanity plea or he MAJ
be- actually insane. Il he is actir {
no Ia doing the part well. No rea
statement or conversation has ye
been gotten from the lips OF the ap
parently crazed man. All OF his tall
IL disconnected.
Defended by Patrick Henry.
John l.. Lee. better known a.
Jack" Lee, The noted criminal law
yer, to-day admitted that he hac
been retained to defend Ben Hup
card Tor killing DR.. Petit at Low
lngston last Monday afternoon. Whil'
air. Lee would not state DEFINITELY
at this time what line the defense
would take, the nature Of the prepa
NC'f
| clusion beyond all doubt that msanit.
i will he the plea.
The family record Of Hubbard /
( being searched back even to the day
/ when an ancestor OF his COMMITTED
/ a crime almost Identical with tina
which shocked the people OF Nelson
county. He was defendedso y fauicl
/ Henry. Witnesses are being gath
/ cred to prove that the slayer OF br
| Petit was known as "craZy or &c
/ centric In the extreme. MIR. he
j himself told OF his personal knowl
[ edge Of the man whose life he WI
defend
In chatting about Hubbard in hi
/ office this morning, MT. Lee SAID IL
! roomed with Hubbard during tw'
| sessions at the old Kenmore Higl
I SFh0oI al Am aerst Courthouse, Thirty
/ odd years ago.
/ Hubbard at that time, while no
! an unpopular youth. was by no mean
| sopu}ar on account Of his taciturl
! disposition.
( Never Saw Him Laugh.
Mr.. Lee recalled that Huhbar
ms nat of 4 cheerful disposition
i and he did not remember ever nav
ing seen tho youth laugh during M
long association with HIM he ha
seen him smile, bOt tAese ocSas1o1i
were not frequent,
Hubbard seems TO have been
youth who brooded over fancied griev
ances until they became great noun
tains TO him. Mere trifies that tn
average youth would forget In FEY
| hours would crop out in his III
six months afterwards. 10 the sur
prise OF his companions. and by TIL
| time they had grown in hubbard
mind from mere nothtngs to mann
/ moth wroBGs.
Lewis Brown, Of the firm Of Brow
G. Brown, of Loyingston, who ais
has been retained for the defens
in the case, was in the city last ever
ing, and after conference with AL
Lee, the local attorney consented I
undertake leading the defense,
was not known, however. until 10
day that Mr.. Lee would be identifie
with the defense. though 1t was ger
the case.
To Postpone Trial.
In talking about Hubbard to-da
Mr.. Lee expressed the greatest sym
pathy for his old school and room
mate, and from the way he ha
started on the case, no room is LEI
for doubt as to his earnest purpos
TO save the man from the electri
chair, even though he go to the 4,
sane hospital for the remainder {
his life.
There is little doubt also that III
trial viii be postponed when il come
up in tho Nelson county court o
October 9Th.
While it was Intended to exten
the present term of court Ion
enough to take in the Hubbard tria
1t Is regarded very probable that tt
Judge will grant postponement unit
the following term upon the rogue
of the attorneys for tho dafense. WI
viii state that 1t has been impossih
for them to prepare their defense.
A defense on the insanity basis W
need a large amount of careful searcl
ing for witnesses, examining fami
history and the gathering OF eviaen'
which Is not available without col
siderable effort.
Shrewd In His Nvaeions.
Furthermore, the more time the
lis given the less acuta Will ha III