Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-09-13
MRS. BOARD IS
GIVEN VERDICT
Awarded $4,000 and Interest
In Suit Against Mutual
Life Insurance Co.
Ape AL is TAKEN.
Powerful Addresses Made by Attor-
neys Johnson and Nicol in Sum-
ming up Evidence.

After being out of the court room
less than 20 minutes and upon taking
only one ballot, the jury in the suit of
Mrs. J. II. Board against the Mutual
Life Insurance Company, which has
been pending before the Circuit Court
for the past three days, rendered
verdict in favor of Mrs. Board for
$4,000 the amount Of the policy held
on the life of her husband, Benjamin
f. Board, together with interest from
March %, 1912, which was the date
proof of Mr.. Boards death was sent
to the Insurance Company.
This afternoon Mr.. Johnson made
a motion that the verdict be set aside
and the defendant granted new trial
but Judge Thornton overruled the mo-
tion and gave the defendant 80 days
to take an appeal to the Supreme
Court.
There was an uninterrupted flow of
eloquence in the courtroom, from the
time Mr.. Johnson commenced his ad-
dress for the defense yesterday af-
ternoon, until the end of Judge Nicops
speech at one o'clock today. Both of
these attorneys, who are regarded as
being among the most able at the
Alexandria bar, were in their most
eloquent vein.
Mr.. johnson after summing up the
evidence of the large number OF wit
nesses who were placed on the stand
by the defense said that he was un-
able to draw any conclusion from
their evidence but that Mr.. Board COM
mitted suicide while insane. He paid
particular attention to the circum-
stances which occurred on the night OF
Mr.. Boards death and asked the ques-
tion over and over again as to why
Mr.. Board climbed the water
tower on the dark night, why he had
remained there for nearly an hour,
and why he had not answered the
calls of members of the family who
were searching the neighborhood for
him. Ne made a strong point OF the
fact that the members of Mr.. Boards
family were greatly excited when they
found that he had disappeared from
the house and he said that this anX-
iety could only have been caused by
the fact that Mr.. Boards family
feared that he would do harm to HIM
self.
Judge Nicol made powerful and
eloquent speech for the plaintiff which
made a strong impression upon the
Jury. He pictured Mr.. Boards life
from the time of his coming to Alex
and,,a, told Of his marriage to MISS
toye,l,, of the birth of their baby Z; ~
snake fMr. Boards remarkable COM
mercial success in this city anti ms
nervous collapse last December, and
related his daily life at Wake Forest
where he was gradually recovering
his health and anticipating his speedy
return to his business affairs III TINS
city.
AS he spoke of the events IN the
Powell home, where Mr.. ana Srs'
BOARD were guests, on the night OF
March 18th, when Mr.. Boards dea,h
occurred, his address especlaily
touching. He related how the 1sn',
ilv had met in family prayers aha
few minutes later MIR. Board lef tthe
room and was last seen alive bg MS
loved ones.
Judge NicoPs explanation OF Mr'
Boards death was that he had gone up
the tower to chain the wind mill SO a.
to prevent it's creaking. He SAID tina.
the evidence showed that Mr.. Boaro
had been troubled with insomnia aho
II was natural to presume that the
noise of the windmill kept him awake
at night. Possibly, on the night pre-
vious he had ben disturbed by the
noise and had determined not to go to
bed again until it had been remedice
Judge Thornton will tomorrow morn
ing at 10 o'clock make up the demurr-
ers filed by Mr.. Johnson to the suit
of the Board Motor Truck Company
and the Board, Armstrong & Co., to
recover on policies held on Mr.. Boards