Norwich bulletin., 1911-11-24

with the murder or Miss Martha B Blackstone. will be in the hands of ths jury by tonight. The commonwealth plans this forenoon to complete its rebuttal testimony with the calling o two or three alienists and the defense will follow this with brief testimony 1T sur-rebuttaL- The lawyers have agreed tC ailot two hours to each side fol arguments, and if there are no unex-
 pected delays or Interruptions the jury will be charged and given the case this
 evening.
 Spencer Denounced Doctor.
 When Dr. c. P. Hooker, county ply-
 siclan, who examined Spencer in the
 Springfield jail, took the stand Thurs
 day forenoon, the defendant glared al
 him. When the witness testified that
 he had said to the prisoner, Spencer
 you are faking," Spencer rose to his feet and angrily denounced the wit ness. declaring that pr. Hooker had tried to poison him at the Jail. After officers had overpowered the prisoner he was quiet for the remainder of the d. and appeared to pay little further attention to the testimony
 Several witnesses for the state tes- i tif1ed that at the time they knew spencer he appeared in normal mental i condition. A convict from the state prison, Horace M. St. John, who was sent to the Bridgewater state hospital i for sixteen months after, as he testi- l fled. he had feigned insanity was put on the stand late Thursday.
 | COnVInCeO spencer Shdmmed.
 One day, according to the witness. l when Spencer was singing in a re- | hearsa1 for a play to be given by In mates, St. John remarked to him that 1 one who could sing and draw as well as Spencer did not seem to be very in sane. Spencer thereupon made queer motions with his head and body and told witness that if he did not do those things the doctors would think he was sane. St John said he was convinced SDancar insanity
 Dead People Tell No Tales. Witness said he told pr. Elliott su- perintendent of the Insane department of the Bridgewater hospital, of what 1 spencer had said: that he wrote to pr. Elliott last August and talked with was sent back to Charlestown prison | on Oct. 27 last Once, witness said. ] he asked Spencer why he killed Miss Blackstone-why he did not merely hit ! Spencer replied: Dead people tell no i tales.'
 1 Spencer said, witness testified. that 1 he feared that if he did not kill Miss ! Blackstone she might later recognize i kim.
 Struck Himself.
 | Cross examined. St. John said that while at the Bridgewater institution l Spencer had told stories of cruelty on l the part of the guards. but that in one case when Spencer had declared a guard had hit him Spencer admitted to witness that he had struck himself. Asked why he feigned insanity, wit ness said he thought he would like Pridgewater better than Charlestown. Defective But Not Insane. The first aIienist called by the state. pr. Leonard A. Baker, first assistant physician at the Bridgewater hospital insane department, testified that he had observed Spencer almost daily
 0-4-7 sidered Spencer mentally defective to a certain extent, but not insane He said he was present when the prisoner. St John, told Dr. Elliott his opinion of Spencer.
 Dr. H. NJ. Quinby, superintendent of the Worcester state insane hospital. examined at great length Attor- ney General Swift read a long hypo- movements on the night of the murder and asked the witness if these acts ccincided with those of sane man.
 Actions of Sane Man.
 They are consistent with the actions of sane man. replied Dr. Quinby:,
 Asked another hypothetical question, including most of SpencerS confession O. numerous robberies in addition to the murder, witness said that person committing such acts and describing them in this manner was able to dis tinguish between right and wrong and knew there was a penalty for his acts.
 Assuming all this to be true, what do you think of such a man?" asked the attorney general
 T think he is not insane" said Dr. Quinby.
 Witness said he examined Spencer three times in 1910 and 1911. After the first two examinations he was in doubt. but the third convinced him that Spencer was sane.
 Convinced of Sanity.
 The last witness of the day was Dr. L. H. Fuller of Boston. visitor for the state board of insanity. He said he went to Bridgewater in February last to investigate reports that Spencer that time reach any definite conclusion as to Spencer's sanity He examined Spencer in Springfield this fall and WAS convinced that he was sane. All his acts as testified to in the trial. he said, were consistent with those of 8 sane man who knew right from wrong and he was not governed by irresisti-
 Dr. Fuller was still under direct ex- animation when court adjourned.
 The first witness was Dr. J. N. Boyer, Springfield city physician. who vas called to treat Spencer for a head ache on the day of the defendants ar rest. He saw nothing unusual about the defendant
 Four members of the Springfield po- lice department testified that when they knew Spencer at the time they and Spencer worked for the railroad they never noticed any thing eccentric about the defendant
 Spencer a Good Shot.
 Boston and Maine railroad employees who knew Spencer when he worked for the railroad testified that they had never considered Spencer peculiar or had noticed anything eccentric about him. One witness. Andrew ~Fl. Abbott 9 freight trainmate, told of one in stance when Spencer and another brakeman on a freight train had had some trouble. and the matter was brought to Abbott's attention Abbott censured Spencer for his conduct at the time. Another railroad man. Flu gene E. Ball, said that he had never thought Spencer queer, although once Spencer and Balls fireman had had a quarrel in a locomotive cab. Spencer at the time drew revolver. but. put it out Of sight upon the witness com mand. Spencer, the witness said all ways carried revolver in 2 holster Ball said that Spencer was a good shot and the witness had seen hin, ire ouently hit animals when aiming from the moving locomotive
 Could Not Keep Quiet.
 Harry I Stone tai O cr.ra,.,y