The Washington times., 1919-04-01
SLAYER
APATHETICAS
TRIAL BEGINS
Insanity to Be Defense of
Bowling, Who Killed Aged
Widow Who Befriended Him.

With a battery Of alienists, remi-
niscent of the Thaw trial, the battle
for the life Of Ralph Turner Bowling,
the boy who last summer killed Eliza
beth Beckwith, a sixty -eight-year-o
widow who had befriended him. began
today in the Rockville, Nd, court
house.
The defense has summoned Dr.
Charles 3. Hill. a witness IN the re-
cent Ishida trial; DIR. Ernest L. Bull
lard, head OF Chestnut Lodge Sana-
| tarium in Rockville: DR.. John z.
Lind. specialist in criminal insanity
at st. Elizabeth's, and DR.. Percy Hick-
| ling, alienist for the District OF Co
| lumbia. BY these psychologists they
hope to prove Bowling an imbecile
and not responsible for his deed.
| To offset this testimony the State
| will OFFER DR.. William A. White,
| who. it Is understood, will declare
Bowling is pretending insanity. and
| Dr. Claiborne H. Manor, Of Rock
vile, another specialist in mental
diseases.
Bowling Appears indifferent.
Sitting indifferentIy. fumbling with
q cap. the lad on trial for his life look
cd more like an office boy waiting for
orders than a defendant Yin a murder
trial. From the moment court con
vened at 9:3O until the last juror was
drawn at 1920 o'clock, he gave not
the slightest indication that he knew
what was going on or why he was
being forced to remain in the court
room.
Once he even left the prisoners
bench and started to walk out of the
court room. Judge Peter explained
to him that he must await permission
to leave the room, and he resumed
his seat and his study Of the toes Of
his shoes.
Because OF a prejudice existing
against the boy. the entire venire was
Exhausted, and II was necessary to
send the sheriff out into the streets
to obtained possible jurors. The en-
tire examination consisted of ques-
tiOns as to their views on capital pun
ishment and insanity as a defense to
murder. At 1890 o'clock the last
juror was secured.
! Members of Jury.
The jurors chosen are as follows:
J Jesse r. Burns. James W. Johnson.
Samuel B. Briggs, Charles H. w. Pen
niheld, Charles W. Souder, John F..
Hamilton, Thomas T. Griffin, Howard
S. Craver, Martin T. Helm, and John
ben T. Hines.
: Immediately after the opening OF
the afternoon session at 1870 O'Clock
States Attorney Albert NJ. BOuic
opened the prosecution. He declared
Bowling, in full possession OF his
mental faculties, brutally attacked
{ and killed the helpless, aged woman
/ who had befriended him.
! A figure OF real pathOs in the court
4 room, as BOuic addressed the court.
/ was the father of the young defend
ant.
Risks Life To BE With Son.
Practically at deaths door from
\ tuberculosis in Denver at the time
Of the crime, ne hastened back from
Colorado to aid in the defense Of his
son. In spite of the fact that the
doctors tell him that living in this
climate undoubtedly will probe fatal.
! he has insisted on remaining, and is
spending his little hoard of savings in
an attempt to save his boy from the
gallows.
/ He has engaged three lawyers-At-
! torneys +. L. CollOday. Galen l.. TAFT,
and c. w. PTettyman.
He declares that the boys mother
committed suicide by drinking car
! bolic acid. and previously had been
confined TO an asylum. The boys
maternal grandmother also died in an
/ insane asylum in Baltimore.
/ The presiding judges are Associate
Judges Edward {. Peter and Glenn
! II. Worthington.