Evening star., 1911-01-24
MRS. SCHENK WEEPS
Overcome by Emotion When
Attorney Talks to Jury.
TRIAL MAY CLOSE TODAY
By Agreement Of Counsel Arguments
Are Abbreviated.
WOMEN BARRED FROM COURT
Defendant Accused Of Attempting to
Poison Husband - Physician
Witness Under Charges.
TRIAL MAY CLOSE TODAY
WOMEN BARRED FROM COURT

WHEELING, W. Va, January "a
When the criminal court Of Ohio county
convened this morning for the fourteenth
day of the trial Of Mrs. Laura Farms
worth Schenk, charged with attempting
to poison her husband, John o. Schenk,
the arguments to the jury were resumed
by Fred l.. Maury, assistant prosecuting
attorney, who opened the arguments yes
terday.
It was observed that J. J. p. O'Brien
was not in his accustomed place. He
came in later. looking tired and i'll, his
position as chief counsel for the defend
ant beginning to show its effect. Mr..
OBrien was i'll Monday, having contract
ed severe cold He sat through the
session wearing his overcoat
Reviews Testimony of Experts.
Assistant Prosecutor Maury reviewed
the testimony of the experts who had
examined John o. Schenk. telling how
one after the other had agreed the mil
lionaire packer was suffering from lead
and arsenical poison. He completed the
review of the case. and again launched
into an arraignment of Mrs. Schenk, ad-
herring strictly to the line he had used
In his opening statements.
Mr.. Maury spoke for forty-five min
utes and was followed by Frank A.
OBrien, associate counsel for the ac-
cused. The defense based it's argument
Schenk.. the claim of conspiracy having
been eliminated when Judge L. s. Jor-
dan ruled out the evidence obtained from
Mrs: Mrs. Jane Hedges; who declared that
no stone unturned to remove that
woman from the schenk family.
Frank O'Brien will be followed by his
5op her: Ie Brsn Chief %
a longer time for the presentation of
his case than any, other attorney. Mr..
Maury will answer the arguments of
both the O'Briens and the case of the
Mrs. Schenk Overcome by Emotion.
For the first time since the trial began
Mrs. Schenk broke down and sobbed
openly. The assistant prosecutor had
completed his address, which was filled
with invective and hard words for the
and Attorney Frank A.
O'Brien was opening for the defense
when. overcome by his allusion to this
poor defenseless woman here" Mrs.
Schenk could no longer restrain her
feelings. The stress OF many weeks of
anxiety and the days and nights in the
courtroom were too much for her and
her sobbing could be heard far from
the counsel table, where she sat-
Mr.. O'Brien's statements at once in
dicated the line of action to be followed
"a plea for sympathy IN behalf of Mrs.
Scheniz, a fierce attack on many of the
states witnesses and the unreliability of
evidence.
The state was charged by Mr.. O'Brien
with having brought a horde of Pitts
burg detectives into the case, merely
to worm their way into the affections
of the defendant and to secure her con-
viction, not for the good of John o.
Schenks wife. He declared they had
worked persistently to have her put the
poison in her husbands medicine and to
catch her in the act and, not accom-
plishing this, they had trumped up evil
dence against her.
DIR. J. w. Myers. who testified that
he had sold sugar Of lead to Mrs. Schenk,
was attacked bitterly by Mr.. O'Brien. The
inference was left with the jurors that
some one other than the defendant had
poisoned the water and medicine it
poison was actually found"
Keeps Her Head Bowed.
Throughout Mr.. O'Brien's pleas Mrs.
schenk kept her head bowed on the table
and sobbed.
As the result of q conference Of coun-
sci the remaining addresses will be great
ly abbreviated, and may result In the
jury retiring tonight. The feature Of the
case is expected to come when Prose-
cutting Attorney J. B. Handlan makes the
closing plea for the state.
Women still attempt to gain admit
tance to the courtroom on one pretext
or another. Yesterday one young woman
implored Judge Jordan to admit her on
the plea that she represented a Cleveland
but she was refused, the Judge
insisting that his order be observed.
Charges Against DR.. Myers.
At the meeting Of the Ohio County
Medical Society last night charges were
made against DR.. ]. w. Myers. witness
for the state in the Schenk trial, aileg-
ing that he has engaged in criminal prac-
tice and asking that he be expelled at
once from the society. DR.. Myers, In a
statement, declared that he will be proved
innocent Of the charges brought against
him.
The charges brought before the medical
society were referred to the board of CEN
sors for an investigation.