The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-11-16
Which May or May Not Indicate
Insanity at Present Time
DEFENSE NOW BEING HEARD
Family Traits Are Shown Up-Prisoner
Exclaimed Loudly When Witness
Mentioned the Electric Chair
S-- in Testimony.

Springfield, Mass, Nov. l6.-The early
life Of Bertram G.. Spencer, being tried
here for the murder OF Miss Martha B.
Blackstone, was expected to be laid bare
to-day by the prisoners parents, Mr..
and Mrs. W. l. L. Spencer. Attorneys
for the defense intended to begin the
introduction of the expert testimony Of
alienists before the hour of adjourn
ment was reached.
spencer's mother was on the stand all
the morning. The burden of her testi-
mony related to the punishments her
son received at the hands of his father
and the probable mental effect Of such
punishment on the prisoner. Spencer,
although nervous, appeared in better
condition to-day than yesterday.
Late in the trial yesterday afternoon
Spencer created an extraordinary scene
when he shrieked ''Why don't you tell
the TRUTH" when he heard "the electric
chair" mentioned by witness. State
Detective Thomas i. Bligh was on the
stand testifying in regard to the arrest
of Spencer and the prisoners alleged
confession to the police Immediately
thereafter. The witness testified that
the prisoner exclaimed after the confess
sion: "Send me to Siberia or anywhere
You see fit for life, but don't send me
to the electric chair" At the words of
the witness, Spencer seemed TO lose his
self control lie sprang almost out of
the prisoners cage as he shouted "Why
don't you tell the truth ?"
After Turnkey Waite and other Off
GERS had pushed him back into the cage,
Spencer was completely unnerved. He
trembled from head to foot, cried and
muttered to himself. moment later
in tone apparently of anger rather
than fear, he again shouted, "Why don't
you tell the TRUTH"
Spencer's outburst startled the entire
court room. The aliensts, who were
seated near the cage jumped out Of
their chairs at the prisoners first shout,
and then began taking copious notes.
Judge John G. Crosby ordered recess
and Spencer was taken out of the court
room for ten minutes. Upon his re-
turn he appeared to be still greatly agi-
tated, and was nervous during the rest
of the session.
Beginning for Defense.
The commonwealth rested at the con-
clusion of the testimony of the state
detective and the defense opened its case.
Lawyer @. L. Young, who delivered the
opening address to the jury. said that
the defense would be insanity The at
torney talked in q loud tone, and this
had an unnerving effect, apparently, on
the prisoner who wept at times. At
the end of his attorneys address, Spen-
GER asked him not to talk so loud the
next time he spoke.
Attorney Young reviewed the ances-
try of the prisoner. Mr.. Young said
that on both sides there had been men
tai arrangement, and the defendants
father, Wilbur L. L. Spencer, had an un-
governable temper, which had resulted
In the defendant receiving many beat
ings while young boy living in Leba-
non, Conn.
At the age Of II the attorney said,
Spencer was seized with a fit of melan-
cholia and attempted to commit suicide.
The defense desired to produce a sum
mary of the report Of the superintendent
of the Bridgewater insane asylum, where
Spencer was sent for observation after
his arrest, but this was objected to
by Attorney General Swift and the OBJ
lection was sustained.