Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-08
SAY He IS INSANE
Richard AIInutt Declared to Be
a Paranoiac.
ON TRIAL AT ROCKVILLE
Prosecution Rests-Defendant's At
torney Introduces Witnesses to
Disprove Fermentation.
Special Dispa tch to The Star.

| ROCKVILLE, Nd. December S.-That
Richard Allnutt is paranoiac, suffering
| from a mental disturbance which has
| made him nervous, ill-tempered and dan
gerous, will be the main line of defense,
as announced today by Attorney Marshall
| Mccormack, who is defending Ailnutt
! against the charge of numbering Mrs.
Vaeria Veirs, his sister, whom he killed
last March at Jacksonville.
| The prosecution, which closed yesterday,
brought out many incidents which tended
| to show quick temper on the part or
Allnutt, and Attorney Mccormack, in his
opening address, said today he would at
| tempt to turn that evidence to good ac-
count for the defense by showing that
| each incident brought out is proof that
Allnutt is suffering from paranoia.
He said he also would show that the
fact that Allnutt went to the barn to get
pitchfork handle which ..e afterward
| used in the assault upon his victim could
| be explained.
Meets Charge Of Fermentation.
The prosecution claimed he went for the
| handle premeditating murder, but Mrs.
Allnutt. the defendants wife, who was on
the stand today, said he had been talking
| about repairing pitchfork, and had gone
to the barn to get the implement to he
repaired.
A lifelong friend of -.llnutt, Bartelmy
by name, testified that he had noticed a
| marked change in AIlnutts demeanor in
grouchy, nervous and sulEy. Mrs. All
mutt also said her HUSBAND had muttered
In his sleep, had been nervous, sleepless
and entirely unlike himself for some time
Shn 0xh To 10
theory Of the defense that Allnutt is suf-
fering from mental trouble.
DEFENDANTS Brother on Stand.
Among the witnesses for the prosecu-
ton yesterday was Lawrence A. Allnutt.
| merchant at Jacksonville and brother
Of the defendant. He was not volun-
tary witness, and to be required to tes-
tify against his brother was plainly
painful ordeal to him. but he told what
he was asked. evidently without attempt
ing to color his testimony in the least.
His testimony, in effect, was that few
| minutes after the attack upon the women
he said to his brother Richard, who was
still In the room where the deed had
| could you have done such thing?" And
in response his brother said, as he reach
ed for the pitchfork handle, which he
had placed on table: TN give you
IL.
| that since the occurrence he has num-
Der Of times visited his brother In jail.
and that on one occasion the brother SAID
| to him: You all have put me In bad
| fix the witness replying, Dick, you
| have put yourself in this fix"
Prosecution Rests Case.
| Following Mr. Allnutt's testimony,
| which was concluded at o'clock last
night, States Attorney Waters announc-
ed that the prosecution would rest its
| case there. and court adjourned until
$50 o'clock this morning. when Attorney
Mccormick began his opening statement
to the jury on behalf OF the prisoner.
After Henry Payne, colored, who is en-
ployed on the Allnutt farm, had test1ned
| that few minutes before the tragedy he
the barn and get pitchfork handle from
| behind a cutting box and then go straight
to the house Of his mother. Mrs.
Lawrence A. Allnutt, sfster-in-law of the
that she heard her husband ask his
brother why he had done such thing
and that the defendant threatened to
"give him some of it." She also testified
that she overheard the prisoners wife
ask him just after the occurrence why
| he had done it and that his reply was
| Because they would not let US come
| there his wife replying. Dick. you
don't love me or you would not nave
| done such thing.
| Under cross-examnation Mrs. Allnutt
| said that Mrs. Veirs was the prisoners
most affectionate relative and had always
| been almost mother to him.
Mrs. Edward Allnutt. sister-in-law of
| the defendant; Miss Sallie Bailey, house.
keeper at the Allnutt home, and Vernon
| Coates, colored, testified in confederation
| of facts sworn to by other witnesses.
Tries to Arrange Family Trouble.
Thomas Darby, brother-in-law of the
accused and a farmer Of the Jacksonville
neighborhood. told how he had endeav-
| ored January 0 to have a talk with the
defendant with a view to arriving at a
settlement of the family difficulties. He
said Allnutt would not listen to him, but
declared They said I started the trouble
! and I am going to end It, / have some
| thing in my pocket ard II it works it will
| be one. two, three, and there will be no
| one to run the place" Allnutt then went
| to his mothers home and the witness and
Smith Allnutt, nephew of the prisoner,
followed him and heard him make
another threat at the barn.
Smith Allnutt also testified as to threats
| made by the defendant and said he saw
| the prisoner handling a rifle upstairs in
his mothers home a short Ubi1o aFta~