Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-23

Springfield, Mass, Nov % S"on aft
er the opening of today.s session al
the trial OF Bertram q. Spencer,
charged with the murder OF Miss Mar
| tha b. Blackstone the prisoner M
obliged III another outburst of violence
in Tie court room. Attorney General
swit. being the especial object 81 lis
wrath
The attorney general was conducting
the REORGANIZATION OF pf d@ard
Il. Lane Of Jamaica PLAIN, one a TIC
allenists for the defence. which vas
begun before adjournment. yesterday
Or. Lane was testltying as 10
how he reached his conclusions re
garding Speneer's mental condition az
the time that Miss Blackstone was
killed and Miss Harriet Dow was
wounded in the Dow home, IN TINS
city. AS Attorney General Swift men
toned the name 81 Miss Dow, saeh-
Ger negan TO show signs Of anger. lie
1nuttered to himself and moved I'M
easily in his cage. Looking at the at
torney general, Spencer shouted IN an
ger: I'm give you something.
Mr.. Swift turned ieisurely looked
into the face of the prisoner and smll-
ed The smile seemed to put Spencer
into 4 frenzy. He jumped to his feet
and began to swear and curse at the
attorney general. Turnkey Wade the
defendants guard soon overpo~ered
the prisoner and forced him back into
his seat
Spencer struggled with the officer,
muttering continually The prisoners
wife put her hand through the cage
and tried to soothe her husband, but
he thrust her hand away. and cried
savagely: Let me alone
Spencer, however, was soon re-
strained.
During Spancer's outburst most Of
the spectators in the court room stood
| up in order Is see what was going on.
| Sheriff Embury p. Clark raped for or
der and ordered all persons to be seat
ed. Most of the spectators headed the
| command. but half a dozen women,
| evidently unused to court procedure
| ana etiquette, remained standing.
| Judge Crosby then directed that all
| peraens who had not obeyed the sher-
III be elected. and three or four wo-
mon were escorted into the corridor
| by the court officers. Then the trial
| was resumed
Dr. Joseph ". Courtney Of Boston.
| who is in charge Of the insane patients
at tie Carney hospital, stated that he
| examined the prisoner 1T three differ
| ent times and that he had arrived at
| the conclusion that Spencer was in
| sane and irresponsible at the time Of
the crime. The physician said that
| Spencer was unable to distinguish be-
| tween right and wrong and was con-
| trolled by irresistible impulses,
The attorney general in lis cross
| examination Of the alienist, said that
| Spencer, while In the Dow home pull
| ed down a window screen on the north
| side of the house This called forth the
| following statement from the pris-
| oner:
"Say. Judge. those shades We're
down never knew there was anyone
| in the house when l went there. Don't
let him tell you that lie" Spencer was
| quieted with difficulty.
Asked if man who shot n woman
in order to escape showed lack of men
| tai control DR.. Courtney replied that
this would not show lack of control
in any normal man.
Dir. l.. Y. Briggs. an insanity expert
| OF Boston, WAS the next witness. From
his examinations of the prisoner, the
| alienist said that he believed Spencer
WAS insane at the time OF the crime.
II was impossible. the witness testi-
fed. for the prisoner TO distinguish
between right and wrong. The alien
list stated that he went 20 the Bridge
water asylum on the request OF Spen-
GERS mother, who informed him thai
her son had written her that he was
!, being abused. Mrs. Spencer desired te
: know whether this was deluston
DR. Briggs said he found that Spen'
Ger was being well treated ut the asy'
lum and that he was suffering from
| decisions
On cross-examination DIR. Briggs tolt
, of a conversation he had with the
prisoner on Nov. 8 last. Spencer, the
witness testified, spoke Of number
Of instances where ne found it i'm
possible to restrain himself from rob
bing. Once Spencer said, he found him
self out in the street in his nlgh'
clothes and walked three miles in al
attempt 10 overcome his impulse te
| rob. on the way home he said he stole
n floor mop and was satisfied. ohcf
| Spencer told the witness he left the
atre TO commit robbery. Spencer saic
that when he was robbine building
he always took things that were
bright Sometimes. he wanted to take
the whole house he was in.
AT this point the noon recess was
taken
When the cross-examination Of DR.
Briggs was concluded the defense
rested its case and the commonwealth
: at once opened its rebuttai, District
Attorney Callahan conducting the ex-
animation Five witnesses, All OF Len
anon, CT, Spencer's home town. wer'
beard, before the luncheon adJourhl
ntant was taken. Those witnesses were
Albert G.. Kneelan. judge Of inc pro
bate court; Charles J, Abel 'oWi
clerk and town treasurer; Marianne