The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-01-24
MRS. SCHENk IN
 TEARS AS HER
 LAWYER PLEADS
Especial from United Press. )

Laura sohenk broke down and sob bed in court today when Prank O'Brien. of her counsel. pleaded with the jury for herr acauittai. She crossed her arms on the table where she sat alone aand buried her face in shook and she gave other signs Of laboring under extreme nervousness. AS O'Brien proceeded she gradually became calm. Then she raised her head and looked at him and the jury l through her tears.
 OBrien savagely attacked tine part that the States detectives played in the case. 'tThe State sof West vir- f3inia must bring down that abomin- able little spy. Mrs Klein." he cried. ''to work herself into the love of this poor woman. Why. they only wanted wife to get her out of the millionaire Schenks family. They have no evil dence. You can convict her H you want. But if you do. gentlemen. be- As O'Brien talked. the prisoner lean- ed heavily on her elbow. . damp hand kerchief pressed tightly against her cheek. O'Brien excoriated the testi- money of the States medical ex- Iperts.
 Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Maurey. preceding O'Brien for a short time. finished his address. the first argument begun yesterday afternoon. He made a strong plea for convic- ton. based on ''unimpeachable circum- stantial evidence"
 ,o'Brien recalled the "devii doing smile" of Mrs. Klein on the stand. He compared her to Judas Iscariot
 My God" he shouted. "how can you send this woman to prison on such reptiles testimony"
 He defended Mrs. Schenk in remov- ing her sick husband from the hos wouldn't any wife have done the same? She loved him." he said.
 Mrs. Schenk listened to OBrien's referred to the testimony of Dan Phillips who said he took joy rides with the prisoner.
 Society man. scion of wheeiing's "aSs ant Hsassn the oRee sr Of this see has been purged of his presence 10
 O'Brien paid his respects to the inypotnstiea! ny s15sttsa,s question; He ridtcIled bring John Schenk into the case? Be- cause he would have cleared the wo- man who was stolen from his home weeks ago.
 OBrien turned and pointed at the prisoner whose face was buried in ucI IlauOkefCiIleI. when Obflen re- ferred to the two Schenk children, Mrs. Schenk sobbed and rocked back and forth in her chair, her big pearl gray hat awry.
 "Why. she taught those tots their prayers: Was she a wicked woman? John. the father. wants to come and tell you she's innocent They won't let him. They say he's sick And we have to let it go at that"
 O'Brien closed at 11:20, nearly two hours after his start. Mrs. Schenk sat through the 10 minutes recess with lowered head. Her eyes were red and swollen.
 Attorney J. J. P. o'Brien, of the defense, followed
 Hes ridiculed the idea that the pri- soner would have used either lead or arsenic had she had murderous de- signs. Would she have left that changed medicine to be detected by an astute physician? The poison had to be put in Schenk's drink and medicine for someone to discover Who put it in? What was the reason? John Schenh never got those poisons 10 cause death. They wanted to fix evil dence of guilt on Laura Schenk. Schenk may have had lead poisoning. Medical experts have testified such an affection may have been acquired in many different ways.
 Who called pr. Hupp when Schenk was seriously i'll? Why, this guilty woman. Who told Hupp Schenk was suffering from lead poisoning? Why. this same guilty woman"
 OBrien was in the midst of his ad- dress when court recessed for noon.