The Washington herald., 1919-04-29
FATE OF GIRLS
SLAYER May Be
KNOWN TODAY
Counsel for Defense Base
Hopes on Insanity
s. Plea.
ATTACK LOCAL POLICE
Ask that Client Be Treated
As Sick Man Instead
OF Criminal.
ATTACK LOCAL POLICE

On the plea Of insanity. counsel for
James Henry Jackson. now on trial
m Justice Siddons' division of the
District Supreme Court for the mur-
dsr Of Miss Lillian Hood, the Ten
nessse war worker. yesterday pinned
thntr faith for their clients escape
frun the gallovs. and summed up
ne case before the jury with all the
sloquenoe they could command
whsn the third week Of the trial
bsgan. counsel for the defense were
stfn appealing to the jury for mercy
snd leniency In fixing tho penalty of
gum upon the prisoner. Not onoe
tur4ns tho day OF speaking did they
sst uD the claim Of doubt that the
uan At tho bar. Jackson. had COM
Dftted the crimes Of which he was
aocased In the Indictment, which con-
tzins three counts Granting this as
IN established fact, they then argued
fr treatment Of the prisoner In the
light Of . sick man who was ire
sponsIble for his acts when the crime
was committed Attorney Hughes.
who was speaking for the defense
when the hour for adjournment ar
rived. stated IN response to a ques-
taon from Justice Siddons that he
thought he could close his argument
m an hour today. He Is the last speak
er-for the prisoner.
That the plea of insanity OF Jack
SON would be the paramount ques-
tton to go to the jury for settlement
IN their verdict became evident
when court convened yesterday
morning Justice Siddons immedi-
ztely asked the jury to excuse them
selves and then read to the counsel
znendsd forms on insanity as he
viii present instructions to the jury
when he hands the case and the fate
OF the prisoner into their hands.
No Middle Ground.
Assistant District Attorney Laws
Of the prosecution opened the argu-
rnent with the sweeping request
to the jury that when they found
verdict in the case II be for murder
in the first degree OF that 1t be for
acuuittal There are no middle
grounds in the case on which the
prosecution will stand. he said
That the murder was committed. he
said, had not been disputed and had
been presented to the jury With
this before them it resolved itself
into the question. who killed Lii
liam Hood To society. he said. the
case Is one of moral boliquity and
not of legal insanity. He ridiculed
the theory of DR.. White that at the
commission of the crime the
murderer had his mind on but one
subject
He eIoqusntIy euIogized the life
of the murdered girl and related
how Jackson had told after the
crime that that girl was the gamest
girl he ever heard of. Jackson. he
said, shot himself accidentally and
not with the intention of killing
himself. His admonition to the
Jury when they took the case TO
their own consideration was Jack-
son. you've had your day. Our ver-
dict is Guilty! Guilty! Guilty"
The argument for the defense
was opened by Attorney Jones. the
colored lawyer. who made a very
fiowery speech. He was severe at
times on the Washington police
force for the manner in which it
got evidence. and said at one time
that he would about as soon ''go to
hell to get feathers from the
angels wings as to go to the police
department to get Justice for Jack
SON."
Attorney Hughes. for the defense
began speaking at noon. and with
the exception of the hour recess,
spoke until the hour of adjourn
nlent. when he told the court that
he would try to finish in an hour
this morning. He. too, was max
ing a plea that the prisoner be
confined in an institution as an in
sane man and not sent to the gal
lows
With the hour for Attorney
Hughes this morning and the
speech OF District Attorney Laskey,
for the government. IT will be
afternoon before the Jury is in
structed and the case given into
their hands