The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-11-21
"Y0U LIE" WAS
HIS SHREK
Bertram G. Spencer Made An
other Scene Today
IN HIS TRIAL FOR MURDER
Defendant Shouted That at Medical Wit
ness, and It Took Six Men to Silence
the Man and Hustle Him
From Court Room.

Springfield, Mass, Nov. 2l.-"You lie
shouted Bertram G., Spencer, who is be-
ing tried for the murder Of Miss Martha
B. Blackstone, during the testimony to-
day Of DIR. Alfred Elliott, medical di.
rector of the state insane asylum at
Bridgewater. He called the witness a
murderer and 4 contemptable liar. He
said that DIR, Elliott murdered mum.
Der Of men and buried them in the woods
for the foxes to eat.
Crying and fighting off half a dozen
sheriffs, the prisoner caused such com
motion in the court that recess of fif-
teen minutes was taken. Spencer was
taken from the court room to regain
his eomposure. DR.. Elliott was testi-
flying about Spencer being at the insane
asylum for observation when the de-
fendant began his outbreak.
Another physician, DR. John A. Hous-
ton, superintendent Of the state insane
hospital at Northampton, testified late
Yesterday,
"in my opinion Bertram G. Spencer
was mentally responsible at the time
he murdered Miss Martha B. Black
stone"
This testimony was Immediately
qualified by the declaration that the
witness used the words mentally re-
sponsible" in a medical sense and that
he did not consider Spencer to have
been necessarily legally responsible.
Dr. Houston was very guarded in
bis testimony and declined 10 say wheth-
er, from his observation of Spencer at
the time of his preliminary hearing in
1910, and from the testimony thus far
produced in the trial he considered the
defendant sane or insane. He considered
Spencer mental defective" and said
that usually where mental growth WAS
stunted there was corresponding stunt
ing of moral growth. He was unable,
however, he said, thoroughly TO satisfy
himself as TO Speneer's mental condi-
ton.
Spencer's mother was recalled briefly
yesterday, and together with man
whose home Spencer had robbed. told
Of some Of the trifling articles which
had been stolen, the evident intention
of the defense being to attempt to show
that this indicated an unsound mind on
the part Of Spencer
A deposition from DR. y. L. Drake
OF Little Falls, n. Y, introduced yes
terday told Of Spencer's attempt at
suicide.
In another deposition from Mrs. Anita
A. Markham of Oakland. Cal, wife of a
cousin of Spencer, alleged queer acts
OF Spencer when he was living in Oak
land in 1904 and 1905 were described.
A letter from Spencer to Mrs Mark
ham, written after his arrest on the
murder charge, also was read. Spencer
wept as portion of the letter was
reached in which he had written of his
love for his mother, his wife and his
baby. This was the only time during
the day that Spencer exhibited strong
emotion.
DR. Henry LaMotte cf Seattle, Wash,
testified that he had Spencer under OBJ
servation for time whea the defend
ant wase in the navy and the witness,
as naval surgeon, had been stationed
at Newport, X. I. The boy, he said,
had been acting strangely. He was on
the board OF survey which ordered
Spencer's discharge from the navy be-
cause of physical weakness.