The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-01-25
Sobbed Continuously While
Her Attorneys Presented
Her Side of Case.
COUNSEL FOR DEFENSE SEVERE
LY ARRAIGN DANIEL PHILLIPS.
WHO OFFERED TESTIMONY
AGAINST THE MORAL cHARAc-
TER OF MRS. CHENk-cASE
WILL GO TO JURY TO-DAY, AND
BOOK BEING MADE ON VERDICT.
BY Associated Press.

Wheeling, W. Va, Jan. 24.-Appar-
emily unmoTed by the storm of bitter
invective from Assistant Prosecutor
Maury in his argument yesterday, Mrs.
Laura Schenk today sobbed almost
continuously while her attorney pre-
sented her side of the affair." Attorney
Boyce, for the defense, was still speak
ing when the court adjourned this af-
ternoon.
Today he paid his respects to Daniel
Phillips, who offered his testimony
against the moral character of Mrs.
Schenk. He characterized Phillips as
a "writhing worm who assumed him
self into the affections of Mrs. Schenk
only to accept presents and damn her
chara cter.'
The case is expected to go to the
jury tomorrow.
For several days books have been
made here on the result of the case.
the same as is done on a horse race.
When court convened the arguments
were resumed by Assistant Prosecuting
Attorney Fred /. Maury, who opened
for the state yesterday. He reviewed
the testimony of the experts who had
one after the other had agreed the
millionaire packer was suffering from
lead and arsenical poisoning. He again
launched into an arraignment of Mrs.
Schenk, adhering strictly to the line
he had used in his opening statements.
DEFENDANT BREAKS DOWN.
: For khe first tiunws.nce the trial be-
gan, Mrs. .Schenk broke down ana
sobbed openly. The assistant prose-
cutor had completed his address, which
was filed with invectiv& and hard
words, and Attorney Frank O'Brien
was opening for the defense when,
overcome by his allusion to this poor,
defenseless woman here Mrs. Schenk
could no longer restrain her feelings.
Mr.. O'Brien's statements at once in
dicated the line of action to be fol-
lowed---a plea for sympathy for Mrs.
SchenlS, a fierce attack on many Of the
states witnesses and the unreliability
of circumstantial evidence. The state
was charged by Mr.. O'Brien with
having brought horde of Pittsburg
detectives into the case, merely ~
worm their way into the affections Of
the defendant and to secure her con-
viction, not for the good of John 0.
Schenk, but to rid the Schenks of
Schenk's wife; that they worked per-
sistently to have her put the poison
into her husbands medicine and 20
catch her In the act, and, not accom-
plishing this, they had trumped up
evidence against her. Throughout MIR.
O'Brien's pleas, Mrs. Schenk. kept her
Head bowed on the table and wept.
Mr.. O'Brien's address was especially
effectiye.~@1n concluding he said:
"Gent1anaen, yoH cannot leave this
court -room and 4S4dh face your wives
and your mothers uiafess you return a
verdict of not guilty
A verdict is possible withfh the next
twenty-four hours. IA
]. ]. O'Brien, MRS. SGH 4ik4, chief
counsel, declared the deSs1ses ADMITTED d
there was lead poison 478d arsenic in
the medicine John 4Schenk took and
the water he drank. but that Laura
Schenk never put them there. q
He said the defendant has been con-
spired against, lied about and that poi-
son was administered to the victim. as
it undoubtedly was, by another person,
who desired only to cast suspicion
upon the wife.