The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-03-16
BOYAJ|AN INSANE
At SHOOTING IS
CLAIMED
"Kid" Wellman, With Long Police
Record, Put on Stand To Show
Doctors Irrational Conduct
Just Before He Fired.
Deputy Sheriffs Tell of Incidents in
Jail To Bolster Up Insanity
Defense.

KID" furnished some entertainment
for the audience while testifying,
Wednesday morning. in the case oil
DR.. X. G. Boyajian. who shot and kill
ed his nephew. Hartoon Gostanian.
Wellman was In the police court
prisoners box along with Gostanian
when DIR. Boyajian did the shooting.
What did you do when the doctor
fired the shots?" asked Attorney
Hunt OF Wellman.
Il jumped over the rail and ski
dooed from the court" Wellman an
swered
The reply caused a laugh among
the spectators, and Court Officer
Tommy Burke raped for order
Where did you 20 when you ran
from the court?" Prosecutor Van
Zile later queried OF Wellman.
Il ran into the hall, but three or
four policeman beat me to It," was
Wellmans reply.
The court room was again convuls-
ed, and Officer Burke had to sound
his gavel once more.
why did you rum" the prosecutor
further asked.
Everybody was running and |
thought had better run, too" Well.
man answered.
Again the spectators laughed and
additional pounding was heard from
the court ,gavel
Wellman, q witness for the defense,
said he was in the prisoners box In
consequence or an arrest. but explain
ed that he had been acquitted OF the
charge against him. He said he saw
DR.. Boyajian come into court and act
in peculiar manner, having bumped
into couple OF men while going from
the entrance of the court TO a seat
Il thought DR.. Boyajian was drunk,
or out of his mind" said the witness.
Prosecutor Van Zile objected 10 the
remark, aud Judge Connolly ordered
IL stricken from the court record.
A little later, in answer to ques-
ton from Attorney Hurt, Wellman said
that Boyajian seemed more like
wild beast"
The prosecutor interposed an objec-
tion TO the phrase, at the same time
rebuking Wellman for making the re-
mark in view OF the ruling OF the
court on his statement concerning his
belief about the doctors condition on
coming into court on the morning OF
the tragedy.
Attorney Bumps objected to the
prosecutors rebuking the witness. but
the court sustained the prosecutor.
saying the witness ought to have
known better than to have given ut
terance to the additional conclusion.
Wellman then went on and explain
Cd 40 IN a nd
his gait was unsteady when he came
into court, and added that he was per-
spring and his eyes were glaring i'm
mediately after the first shot was
fired. The witness said he saw Boya-
Jan get up from his seat and walk
over to within five feet OF Gostanian
and start firing He saw Ave shots
fired, he said.
In cross-examining Wellman, the
prosecutor produced the witness court
record, showing he had been convict
ed and sentenced on charges OF dis
turbing the peace, assault and battery,
and once for simple larceny. Wellman
admitted that the record was correct.
BY Deputy Sheriff Ralph Owen,
colored, the defense planned to show
that DIR. Boyajian acted in a wild sort
OF way after being taken into the
county jail, following the shooting.
Owen said that the doctor Leaned"
his head against the wall and turned
his eyes toward the ceiling. Mr..
Hunt intimated that the doctor
bumped" his head against the wall,
and the witness agreed that bump
ing" was correct owen also related
that the doctor placed his head in
II III rxflxt l. ,tt tx.a
i'm a chair in the Office of the Jail; al
so that the doctor fell out OF the
chair. The witness also said that the
doctors face was so distorted that he
didn't recognize him for some time,
although he had heard him lecture
some six years previously and had
met him once or twice a year after
that. ~~-
What do you say as to the doctor
being rational OF irrational at the
time he was in the jail?" Mr.. Hunt
asked owen.
The prosecutor objected to an an
swer, declaring that Owens acquaint-
ance with the, doctor was not wide
enough to allow him to give the opin-
ion sought
The court sustained the objection.
In the cross-examination OF Owen,
the prosecution sought TO find out
what DR.. Boyajian was lecturing on
when owen heard him and what kind
of performance he gave.
Attorney Bumps offered an objec-
ton, contending that the doctor was
being tried for murder. and that IL
was prejudicial to his interests to go