The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-30


case of Mrs. Jennie May Eaton, charged
with the murder of her husband. Rear
Admiral Joseph G. Eaton. was still
out. Chief Justice Aiken went to bed
shortly before that hour. small crowd
remained In the courtroom.
Plymouth, Mass, October 29.-The
case of Jennie May Eaton, charged with
murder of her husband. Rear Admiral
Joseph G. Eaton, was given to the Jury
shortly after o'clock tonight.
Various exhibitions, including bottles
of arsenic and letters written by Mrs.
Eaton, were taken to the jury room to
be considered by the jury in accordance
with the instructions of Chief Justice
Aiken.
Almost the entire day was taken up
with arguments of counsel, the charge
of Judge Aiken occupying only half an
hour.
Mrs. Eaton Martyr
William A. Morse, counsel for Mrs
Eaton, spoke for four hours. drawing
picture of the defendant as a loving,
wife, entirely justified
In her beliefs about her husband. She
was martyr" and her only fault that
she loved too much" her attorney de-
clared, while he portrayed the ad-
miral as man of double personality,
one in whom corruption was concealed
under the mask of a gentlemanly bear
ing. He asserted that the prosecution
had not proved a single count in its
murder charge against Mrs. Eaton.
The accused woman" he said does
not avail herself of any claim of in
sanity to avoid a condemnation but
brayely demands verdict of the facts.n
Mr.. Morse asserted that his client was
not insane and argued that the evidence
showed the death of the admiral could
not have been caused by an insane per-
son.
District Attorney Albert f. Barker,
after outlining the evidence against the
accused. asked thnt ifsthe tury believed
the defendant was irresponsible, she b.
found mot guilty by reason of insan-
ity."
She is more dangerous than a rattle
snake and there is no telling whom she
may bite next If she is allowed her
freedom" he added.
Judge Aiken announced that the jury
might go to supper before beginning
the deliberations. In his charge Judge
Aiken said there were four verdicts
possible:
Not guilty; not guilty by reason OF
tnsanity guilty of murder in the first
degree; guilty of murder In the second
degree.
Possible Verdict
Judge Aiken explained that a verdict
of mot guilty by reason of insanity"
carried with 1t IAN order from the court
committing the prisoner for life to an
insane asylum"
In connection with verdict of 'mur-
der In the first degree" the Judge said
the jury must be satisfied that there was
deliberate premeditation
Judge Aiken commented upon the fact
that the Eaton case is unique in that
the government is the party oontendlng
that the defendant is of unsound mind.
He said 1t was usually the defense that
claimed insanity
Malicious intent must be proved but
motive is not necessary, added the
court.
The charge to the jury followed Bit
ter denuneiation of the testimony of the
defense by District Attorney Barker.
After saying Mrs. Eaton was The only
person who had opportunity to admin
lister fatal poison doses, she district at
torney exclaimed. Poison IS a woman's
weapon"
Married for Money
Mrs. Eaton" he continued divorced
her husband and married Admiral Eaten
for his money and when that money
was lost playing the stock market, she
reached turning point. which led the
admiral to a grave
After tracing the testimony down TO
the night before the admiral died. Mr.
Barker said:
she locked the poor admiral up in a
room alone. Her daughter, Dorotby's,
attempts to administer medicine to the
dying man were objected 10 by Mrs
Eaton. Finally. he cried out, I want q
doctor: | want a DOCTOR and Mrs. Eaton
said. The doctor is coming in the morn
ing when she knew the doctor was not
coming at all.
This woman fed her husband poison
a'l day Friday with his medicine, and
she fed him the poison after he fell on.
of bed. and she kept feeding it 70 him
up to within two to eight hours of the
time he died.
1t was 7:4s when the jury returned for