The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1912-01-24
MACDONALD, SAYS
] HE WAS DERANGED
DAY OF MURDER
Prisoner Tells the Jury He
Had Intended Commit
ting Suicide.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

Continued from First Page)
said he had demanded that she take
him to the office of "a certain party"
and that she had refuced.
In making his opening statement to
the jury and outlining the defense.
for the defendant, conceded that Mac
Donalds real name was George a. Gil
lette and that he married Agnes Meagh-
& err in New York in 1899, and that she
is now living there. However, ne de.
clared that Macdonald thought he had
been divorced.
That Macdonald has been q victim of
epileptic fits since boyhood, and that
the affliction resulted In his seeking
stimulants. with the consequence that
he became addicted to the use of in
toxicants, which aggravated his NELL
tai condition, was the burden OF the
defense outlined. Counsel also added
that the defendant was struck on the
head by brick or large stone while
passing along the speedway in New
York in the fall of 1899.
The theory Of the defense is that Mac
Donald's brain became weakened by
already weak mind in the end became
wrecked. Several witnesses have been
called to substantiate this contention,
among the number being physicians
who have seen him under the influ-
ence Of Intoxicating liquor.
d Speaking of the actual tragedy and
the incidents leading up to the shoot
couched his language in mysterious
terms and cast yelled insinuatiolis
against the Slain woman.
At the conclusion of Attorney
storney Clarence r. Wilson demanded
that the counsel for the defendant
outline briefly the theory Of the de-
Conservatives it would be insanity
OShea and Baker declared that it was
not mandatory to be SO explicit and
their view was shared by the court.
Just before the Government closed
made an effort to call as witnesses
McNeill. of the law firm Of McNeill &
McNeill, with offices in the Colorado
building. to prove that Macdonald
either of them to confer with his wife
on the day of the homicide.
Counsel for the defendant objected on
given notice two days before the trial
began, as required by law, of the in
tention of the Government to swear the
two attorneys. Before Justice Barnard
States Attorney withdrew the witnesses
The only ether witness for the Gov
eminent this morning was Mrs. Mar
garet Billop, who was recalled by the
prosecution to prove dates and venue.
Donald was SO drunk February II last,
and SO sick, he was attended by DR..
William A Messer. The physician Is a
Billopp stated that she saw no indica-
tions of Macdonald being drunk or
under the influence of liquor just before
he shot her sister to Death. Sha !swore
she did not smell fumes of liquor on
his breath.
Presents Pathetic Spectacle.
7 Mrs. Billopp was in deep mourning, set
ting off the pallor ard making her APP
pear the more sad as she recited the
incidents leading up to the homicide.
Frequently she paused to wipe away
tears that welled in her eyes, al
though she maintained her composure
ard was not ratified by the cross
examination Of defendants counsel.
Mrs. Billop told of several separa-
lions of Macdonald and her sister dur
ing their married life. She identified the
Donald had welded her sister in Feb.
rlary, 1905, while he was a soldier al
Fort Myer. The elimination of the
marital infelicities came January IS
1s11. nearly four months before, the
homicide, she testified, and then Mrs
Macdonald ran away to New York
concealing her whereabouts to every.
, one save the Witness.
Then was introduced a letter Mac.
Donald sent to his victim, urging heI
to come to Washington from New York
as the prosecution contends, for the
premediated purpose of killing her. The
letter was dated May 20. 1911, four days
before the tragedy and on the same day
+ Macdonald redeemed from a pawnshoI
the revolver used in the Staying .anC
taken from his hand by Lemuel Fugitt
a lawyer, few minutes after the shoot
ing. Mrs. Macdonald gave Mrs Billopp
through whom it was sent, the letter Il
keep for her.
over the protests CT counsel for the
defense. the letter was offered as evi.
dence Macdonald begs his wife to re-
turn to him. claiming that his father
has agreed to give him ami Mrs. Mac.
Donald a sum of money, but that she
must be with him in order to get it
The condition of the defendant Is also
described in the letter, It pictllring hin
as broken in spirits, lust recovering
from a spree, and as being poorly
The. letter that lured the unsuspect
ing girl to her DOOM" es it is described
iy the prosecutors is as follows: -,
my Dear 'Gertrude Ella has told
me to write this letter to sou ard ex,
plain to you the way / am situated
at present. l do not know whether she
has told everything in detail or not
but ] shall attempt to do so as briefl,
a day to do so fully.
Last November, my father. through
personal friend of his, a lawyer b!
the name of Mr.. Montague. located mi
here and requested him to try to per
suade me to go home under certain
conditions, one of which was to rrov,
to him that l was married and would
bring my wife home with me, but oil
account of a quarrel / had with hin
about ten years ago, after my mother
death, for which cause it would TAX
some time to explain, 1 refused to &C
cept his offer. About March he go
this lawyer after me again, also m.
brother, to come home with you. NJ,
brother offered me a position at 500 pc