Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-12-28
ARGUE MOTION FOR
ANOTHER SPENCER TRIAL
Judge Crosby Reserved Decision After
Hearing Arguments Two Hours.

The motion for a new trial in the
case of Bertram q. Spencer. who was
convicted on November % OF first de-
gree murder in killing Miss Martha 3.
Blackstone on March 81, 1910, in
Sprfn gfeld, was heard by Judge Cros-
by in that city late: Tuesday after
noon. At the conclusion Judge Crosby
announced that he would take the mo-
ton under advisement.
Attorney Young. who spoke first,
argued that spencer did not break in
to the Dow house in the night time
and that there was no evidence to
show that he broke in at all. MIR.
Stapleton, who followed him, dwelt
chiefly upon the ir sanity evidence.
Pointing out that none of the aIienists
at the trial mad said that Spencer
was sane. District Attorney Callahan
argued that Spencer could differentiate
between right and wrong, whether he
was actually sane or not.
Spencer occupied the cage in the
middle of the courtroom, where he sat
during the two wesks of his trial
The cage had been occupied earlier in
the day by the prisoners at the reg
ular criminal sitting of the superior
court The rest Of the courtroom was
arranged as IL was at the trial and IL
II had not been for the absence of q
large crowd and the fact that the
jury box was empty it would have been
easy TO imagine that the trial was on
again Spencer came in soon after
4-30. in company with Turnkey Nathan
p Wade, who sat with Linn in the
prisoners cage. Spencer wore a dark
overcoat, which he removed upon en-
tering the room, but his other cloth
ing was the same as that worn by
him at the trial He wore the same
brown suit snd standing collar. Spen-
Ger appeared nervous and he kept rub
Ding his forehead with his hand, much
as he did during the trial. His face
was less haggard and worn. but his
general appearance was very much
what ii was on the first day of the
trial Mr.. Young spoke to the prison
er and shook his hand before the hear
ing started. None of Spencer's rela-
tives were present.
Throughout the arguments Spencer
remained urmoved. He kept his right
hand partly over his eyes and ap-
oeared entirely Indifferent 10 what was
going on about him. Several times he
lowered his hands. which betrayed n
had been concluded Spencer put on
his gloves and overcoat in an uncon-
cerned manner and accompanied Sher-
if Clark and the various deputies to
the curb whore the carriage was await
ing them.
Attorney Stapletcn took up the ques-
tior of Spencer's alleged insanity and
said that many witnesses mad been
called by the defease whose credibiiity
had not been challenged by the com
nonWealth and who had testified TO
strange actions by Spencer at differ
ent places and different times before
the date of the crime. The experts
of both the commonwealth and the de-
Tense admitted that Spencer was net
fully sane and normal, although some
of the nlsasd thai Spencer knew the
difference betW cen right and wrong
to the extent That he realized that he
would be punished for doing wrorg.
DIR. Fuller. who was one of the COM
experts. testified that
Spencer knew light from wrong in
the same way as child of five. Mr.
Stapieten pointed cut the fact that