New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-17
MRS. SPENCER TELLS Of
SONS BRUTAL TREATMENT
SAYS Father Subjected Boy to
Extremely Severe Punish
ment--InSanity in Family.
TWO ATTEMPTS AT SUICIDE
Other Witnesses ct Springfield
Murder Trial Tell of Defend
ants Queer Actions-Failed
in Most of Studies.

Springfield. Mass. Nov. l6.-Bertram
snencer. now on trial for his life accused
cf the murder of Miss Martha b. Black
stone. was brutany treated by his own
Gather from his early childhood. according
10 the testimony of Mrs. w. L. l.. Spencer
when she took the witness stand to-day on
behalf Of her son Without hesitation
end with no display of emotion the
mother told in great detail of numerous
occasions on which her husband had pun
ished young Bertram with extreme sever
ity That certain amount of punishment
was deserved by the boy on each of these
occasions was admitted by the witness on
REORGANIZATION, as well as the fact that
her husband is now Sunday school super
iutendent in Lebanon, Conn. The treat
ment accorded by his father made Ber-
Tram very nervous, Mrs. Spencer said. and
ever since from particularly severe beat
ing over the head with the butt of a heavy
whip in the hands of his father the boy
Rad complained of pains in the head.
other forms Of punishment which Spen-
GERS mother testified had a bad effect on
his nerves were the tying OF the lad on
ohopping block and telling him his head
would be cut off, and binding him TO
tree in the woods and saying that the
wolves would eat him.
Mrs. Spencer said that Bertram tried to
commit suicide by drowning and at an
other time by taking poison. Often she
said. her son had attacks of frenzy. froth-
Ing al the mouth and making strange
sounds in his throat while his eyes looked
Ike those Of a wild animal Much family
history was related by Mrs. Spencer in
testifying that many Of her own relatives
and those Of her husband had been insane.
Tell of Attacks by Spencer.
After Mrs. Spencer left the stand nearly
a dozen witnesses were examined. Practi-
cally all Of them told of outbursts of rage
on Spencer's part when he was at home,
az various places in Connecticut or at the
Mount Hermon School for boys. one OF
these witnesses described Spencer's look as
wild and Indifferent" and others told OF
threats of injury to other persons and
actual attacks on them by Spencer when
he was angry. Miss Mary J. Miller, Sec
retary of the Mount Hermon School read
report cards showing that Spencer failed
in most of his studies.
An incident to which Mrs. Spencer had
alluded i'm her testimony was described by
Benjamin f. Carpenter, Lebanon, Conn.
farmer. He said that when he and Spencer
we're digging a trench Spencers father told
them to work faster. Spencer became
angry and went at his father with shovel.
which witness got away from him. Spencer
then ran into the house. The witness said
Spencer often had vacant stare and APP
peared TO hear voices when no one was
speaking.
A relative Of the defendant, Charles A.
eager. Of Norwich, Conn, testified to a
quarrel in which Bertram Spencer was in
volved at a dance at Norwich several years
ago, when Spencer tried TO shoot man.
but was prevented from pulling the trigger
Of his revolver
A halfbrother Of Spencer's father, Will
lam X Spencer, Of Middletown, Conn, cor
roborated Mrs. Spencer's testimony that
spencer's grandfather died in an insane
asylum and that various other of his rela-
tives had been insane Similar testimony
was given by Samuel \. Hyde, of Franklin,
Conn
one physician was called to-day, DIR. Ed
win 1. Danielson. Of Lebanon, Conn, but
he was not permitted to testify as to Spen-
GERS mental condition. on the ground that
when he knew Spencer he was neither the
family physician nor an expert in mental
diseases. He testified to treating the young
man for laudanum poisoning. and on cross
examination told Of having signed a GER
tidcate in connection with Spencer's en-
trance TO the Mount Hermon School. IN
which he wrote the word NO In response
TO the printed question as to whether the
10y was suffering from any nervous dis
ease He explained OF the stand that IN
referring TO nervous diseases he had no
thought OF insanity
Throughout the days proceedings the de-
PENDANT. in contrast to his violence of yes
ierdav. was thoroughly self-Controlled