The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-01-25
.SCHENK CASE IN
ITS FINAL STAGE
Prosecuting Attorney Closes
With Strong Arraignment
of Woman
DRAMATIC PERIODS
IN HANDLAN'S SPEECH
Says Plea for Pity on Account
of the Children is Not
Well Founded in
This Case

WHEELING, w. VA, Jan. 25.--
The case of Mrs. Laura Schenk, on
trial for fifteen days on the charge
Of poisoning her husband. John o.
Schenk. will go to the jury this at
ternoon.
Prosecutor j. b. Handlan was we'll
Into his closing argument when court
adjourned for noon. He is expected
10 finish about O'Clock r. NJ. There
is possibility the jury may come
in tonight. but those who nave been
following the testimony generally be-
lieve there will be no report before
Thursday morning. at the earliest
Prosecutor Handlan, in a private
conversation with Mrs. Schenks law
yers. told them he would insist on an
immediate re-trial. in case of dis
agreement. This would not take place
without a fight for postponement.
There were dramatic periods In
Handlan's ffty-minute talk this
morning.
She cant look you jurors In the
face" he exclaimed once. She never
has. She never will"
A few minutes later Handian touch
ed on the idea OF all three of Mrs.
Schenk's counsel in behalf of the two
children. We walked over to the jury
box and in a lowered voice said:
They ask you TO pity her. for her
children's sake, and what do we
find? % he turned and deliberately
walked back toward Mrs. Schsnk.
We find that she let those precious
little children sleep under a rug while
she received the attentions OF fool
ish young man.
They tell you OF her buying fresh
eggs for her suffering husband" he
said. and the evidence tells you that
same day she was planning to buy a
SIS overcoat for Dan Phillips, Nor
wac II denied"
Handlan defended PhiiIips' confess
sion on the stand.
This boy woke up one morning to
find the magazine exploded-the thin
| Ice broken he said He got word
to come to my office. i had the
goods. What could he do? Deny
everything Put yourself in hts place.
t He had to tell the truth. He couldn't
run. The result was disgrace. who
Their he went backward or forward.
| He signed away his boyhood memo
/ ries.
Boyce Speaks for Defense.
| Attorney s. Q. Boyce. the last OF
Mrs. Laura Schenk's three attorneys
to address the jury In her behalf, re-
sumed his argument when court con-
vened to-day. He talked nearly two
hours yesterday afternoon.
| Boyce opened his speech by an ar
raignmsnt OF that small picture OF
a man. Daniel Zane Phillips. and re-
ferred to the "traitorous actions OF
this young music clerk, who betrayed
John Schenk, this human worm,"
whom Schenk had the right to kill or
shoot"
| Boyce said: This man came here
and then was too small to admit he
had broken the law Of the land. but
he had no hesitancy in Keeling on his
betrayal of the woman who layished
costly gifts on him The next day az
ter the arrest he came willingly to
the prosecutor and betrayed the wo-
man who had been his best friend.
This community will never hear
from him again. thank God. Let u
hope wen never meet Daniel Zane
Phillips again
Boyce next turned his guns on Lun-
ay Wilson .q., 4a.4 7~.ais - r
"He tells you that Mrs .Schenk con-
fessed her love for Phillips 1t oc-
CURED to me II was remarkable that
this mature woman, illiterate though
she may be-. should lay bare her story
of shame to a twenty-year-old chauf-
feur. Ii she Is the guilty wretch they
say she Is, why wasn't Lundy Wilson
told Of the poison plot"
Boyce analyzed the testimony OF
DR.. Myers in the effort to discredit
the physicians testimony
He told YOU he refused to sell MIS-.
Schenk poison because he had heard
this prisoner was suspected Of Civ
ing lead to her husband. when at the
time not even DIR. Hupp himself knew
John Schenk had symptoms OF lead
poisoning"
Boyce. In closing. declared that he
rested his case on the testimony OF
DIR. Hupp and DR.. Drinkard. both
State witnesses the latter Of whom,
on the stand said he could not sweaz
that Schenk was poisoned.
Boyce paid an eloquent tribute to
Mrs Lasch, the elderly woman who
, testified for the prisoner.
And she knows" he cried. that
this poor. ignorant. illiterate woman.
this mother. 10 innocent.
Save her to her children. Don't
let those little tots go into the world
with the bar sinister upon them. Give
them their mother
Closing Argument Begins.
4 Prosecutor Handlan began the clos
ing argument In the Schenk case q
II a. M. The case with go to the
Jury this afternoon.
l Il