New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-01-24
SCHENK TRIAL NEAR END.
Judge Knocks Props from Under
Defence's Conspiracy Theory.
CHARGE FAV0RS THE STATE
Arrangement Agitates Defendant
Women Still Seek vainly
to Enter Courtroom.

! Wheeling. W. Va. Jan 2S.-The end Of
the trial OF Laura Farnsworth schenk. on
7 a charge OF administering lead poison and
arsenic 10 her husband John o. schsnk. Is
! in sight Arguments were begun this after
noon. and It is expected that the case will
be IN the hands Of the jury not later than
Wednesday noon. The attorneys are not
/ limited as TO time IN their arguments. and
os each side he's three speeches another
day ana half 7ill be required
In opening the arguments for the state
Mr.. Naury spoke almost two hours. He
will have an hour more tomorrow morn
/ ing. Under his bitter arraignment as an
unfaithful wife, Mrs. Schenk first dropped
her head aud showed extreme agitation.
but later she recovered her cornposure and
listened iutently 10 the assistant prcsecu-
tor. lIr. Naury will be followed tomorrow
by Frank A O'Brien and J. j. P. OBrien
for the defence and will then reply 70 their
arguments. s. .. Boyce will close for the
defence and Mr. Hsndlan for the state
Apparently the hardest blow Yet suS-
tanned By the defence vas struck this
morning when. on motion Of Prosecuting
Attorney Hsndlan. the evidence Of Mrs.
Jane Hedges was ruled out T. was this
witness who told on the stand that Albert
Schenk had said ne would leave no stone
unturned To rid the family Of John O.
Schenky wife"
The defence PLAYED its trump card in
Mr. Hedges. relving upon her evidence 70
prove their contention that members Of the
ScLerk family had conspired against the
woman who is fighting for her liberty.
The evidence given b. Mrs. Hedges was
ruled ont on the ground that no overt act
suggestive Of = conspiracy had been at
trlhuted 70 Albert Schepck or other rels-
tive The defence objected enormously 20
having the testimony stricken from the
records, but Judge Jordan vas firm in his
ruling
TIC state immediately after The exclusion
Of Mrs HeGFess testimony announced that
they would rest their case. taking cour-
SCI for defence and evcry one else by sur
prise. As il had been expected that num-
ber OF witnesses would DO put on in TO
buttal
The state apparently won again when
instructions 20 tho jury were offered. The
state offered ten instructions, all Of which
were given The defence offered thirty
four, nineteen OF which were stricken out.
Tho suggestions Of the state for instruc-
tons we're OF the usual form. and. while
the defence objected 10 most Of them, the
objections We're Of q technical nature and
all we're Overruled.
The instructions submitted by the d.
fence and ruled ont related principally 10
two suhiects-circumstan evidence and
the reputation Of the witnesses, Dr. !. W.
Myers and Miss Eleanor Zoecklcr. II was
asked that the jury return verdict Of not
guilty il it had rot been shown definitely
that Mrs Schenk put the poison in her
husbands medicine. OF II it was shown that
she did not do the work herself
This was rejected. as the state protested
that such instructions would prevent any
circum s:antial evidence being taken into
consideration The instructions In relation
10 character Of witnesses was ovcrruled on
the ground that the unreliaoiity of the wit
nesses in question had not been shown
Five minutes after the doors were opened
this morning the courtroom was filed.
while a long waiting list stood in the cold
of the snowy street. Curious and morbid
women have not taken as final the ulti-
natum OF Judge Jordan last week that
they will not he admitted, and number
attempt 20 enter the courtroom daily. They
are politely turned aside.