Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-10-25
Benz Has Strange
Story When PIaC
ed on Witness
Stand.
KILLED TWO MEN
Prisoner Says He DID Not
Know What He Was Doing
Until the Next Morning
When His Deed Dawned
Upon Him HAS
Had Typhoid.
Special TO the sYENING NEWS.

special to the EVENING NEWS.
New Brunswick, Oct. rs That
the defense In the Marino Beni mllE.
der trial have determined to set Up
an insanity plea was determined to-
day when DR.. j Warren Rice, of
this city, took the stand as an III
sanity expert and testified he had
visited the county jail on three oc
casions to examine Beni. He tes
titled he had found the prisoner de-
plorably weak, mentally and he had
learned the prisoner had been In the
habit Of drinking large quantities Of
beer and whiskey every night, bs1
fore the alleged murder took place.
DR.. Rice said this indulgence had 4
weakened the mans stomach nnd
affected his brain.
DIR. Rice and Prosecutor Hporaena
had lively tilt on one occasion nait
Justice Bergen overfuled the aHes
tions and answers and ordered the
states saunsei to push the case with
all possible speed The justice sstss esI
the case must be completed bs O.
morrow.
Lewis Hildebrand. warden at the
jail, said Benz had asked him several
times to let another prisoner steer
with him. for no dreams terrible
things at night and Is afraid
Or. J. G@Cottrel, of Perth Anahaz
testified 10 administering to BafsI3
before his arrest. and on every osss
A~i<ea -l4seS b s<ss haaaza aatad -fnx q
tic fits.
Guisinpe sealone and alonni
srulto, both OF Perth Arnboy, sssld
they knew the prisoner and that n
vas slb5ectsd ~ ssts. -
DR.. William 81 Ramsay, or Perth
Amboy, was called BY the defense ~
an insanity expert and testified thai
he visited Benz in the latters cefs
Sunday and Monday and believed
him to be an epileptic. Or. Ramsay
said Benz could have killed the men
while In an epileptic fit and not be-
come conscious of his deed until afA
terwards. On ross-examination Dr.
Ramsay said what he had testified all
to the mans condition was based o.l
the mans personal statement T9ls
defense then rested.
DIR. A. L. Smith, of this city, who
has been In the court room by Pres
ecutor Booraem's side for the entire
day, was not called In rebuttal as
expected. Miss Sallie Lobel, Of
Si III AliDOy, Wds iE1pitSt Si1tl 81 ftAz
man had accompanied Benz on Iha
revolver ut her store. Eeui
friend paid for the weapon.
AT 1920 o'clock Prosecutor Booy
aem began his summing up and ask
ed for conviction In the first degree
Justice Bergen will charge the jury
about 3 o'clock and Is expected o
wait for two hours, at least, for
verdict.
Bent shot and killed Augustine
Minno and Augustus Pascarelli and
seriously injured Frank Minno ia a
dream. So he declared on the Wit
ness stand In his own behalf yestefH
day afternoon In his vision he saw
the men coming after him to shoot
him down and he had shot to defend
himself He didn't know anything;
had no control of himself and 1t was
not until the next day when the
events of the dream came to his
mind that he realized what he nsss
done.
1t Is probably the first time
dream has been blamed for double
murder in this state Benz said that
he was subject to these dreams. that
he was subject to commissions, hav-
ing had four in the past five months
He attributes his mental condition
to an attack of typhoid fever wpielf
he had some years ago and offers the
statement that sister has been 1 +
an insane asylum in Italy since ahc
was two years old
The events before the shooting
were not a part OF his dream lia
said that he had left the boarding.
house to go to show and that lse
had locked the door of the place
after him as the boss OF the house
had told him few days before that
the last one out should lock thks'
door. Then Minno brothers aisa
Pasearelli had met on the street anss
had demanded to know why be had
locked them nss They toia MIN
they were NOT Rigs that had 70 be
locked in. Frank Minno had struck
Continued On nage