The Washington times., 1920-06-16
SAYSM' HENRY
SLEWANOTHER
Prosecution Charges Boy Slayer
Of Two Here Killed Man
Near Boston.

Trapped while looting . fashion
I able residence In tie suburbs OF Port
land. Ne, when he was only sixteen
wear. old, John McHenry. youthful
i slayer of Detective Armstrong. now
on trial for his life In criminal ai-
vision No. l. District Supreme Court
'lheid several poiicem men at bay with
revolver, and after exchanges snots
with them made his escape.
On another occasion when a a'puty
1 sheriff seized him for the theft OF an
, engine from a motor boat. McHenty
' whipped out his revolver. ordered the
I officer to throw up his hands ana
then rifled his pockets, taking among
! other things the sheriffs pistol.
/ Edward w. Wheeler, Of Brunswick'
! Me-. who was called in rebuttal by the
| prosecution gave this testimony to-
I day. The defense closed it's case this
! morning after offering In evidence the
I. blood-stained and buliet pierceu
| clothing worn by Detective Armstr"ns
l when no wns shot by McHenry AZ
| Union station. Mr.. Wheeler Is chair
! man OF the Maino Board OF Prison
MeHENRY WON'T TAKE STAND.
McHenry will not take the witness
stand in his own defense, II was
/ stated by Samuel McComer Hawker.
/ OF his counsel. who CONTENDS MS.
Henry is insane and was so wheh ne
| shot Armstrong and therefore would
not be responsible for any statement
| he made.
The prosecution sprang a surprise
| when Mr.. Wheeler was placed on the
, stand. He was summoned from ms
home in Brunswick. Me-. to tell OF MS
observations of McHenry, OF the de-
= fendant's career Of crime, and to snow
! that McHenry had spent several years
in prison.
McHenry's record came to the atten-
| tion of Mr.. Wheeler when McHenry,
srving a term in the Maine state pri-
son for housebreaking from the fall
Of 1917 to the fall Of 1919, applied FOR
! a parole.
HAD CRIMINAL RECORD.
Mr.. Wheeler testified that when Nc
, Henry was called before the parole
board he stated he had never before
been in trouble. but later IT was
, shown he had been in penal institu-
\ itions, had robbed several homes and
a postofYice. and had held up several
persons at the point of a pistol:
"McHenry first told me-" said Mr.
Wheeler. "that he ran away from
home because his father thrashed him
FOR not attending school. He said he
had repented and was anxious to go
back. He said his father lived In
Canada"
"Did you ask him what induced him
to commit robbery" asked Assistant
District Attorney Paul B. Cromelin.
Yes, he said he had no money and
gave that as one Of the reasons. At
other times he said he did not know
whv he committed robbery"
KNEW HIM AS JOHN EDWARDS.
Mr.. Wheeler said he knew Nc
Henry under the name Of John Ed
wards, one Of the many aliases the
boy is alleged to have travelled under.
Mr.. Wheeler explained that he at
tributed McHenry's willful deception
and concealment, OF his prison ana
criminal record, not because he WAS
insane, but in his shrewdness to OBJ
tain a parole as first offender.
Stillman E. Woodman, sheriff OF
Washington county. Maine, the next
witness called by the prosecution told
of an occasion in 1915 when McHenry
shot one OF the deputies and was in
Jail in Washington county.
He said McHenry had declared the
shooting to be accidental and had said
he had only drawn the gun to fright
en- the deputy. He testified also that
McHenry had confessed drawing a re-
volver on two other officers in the
same neighborhood.
CLAIM HE KILLED ANOTHER.
The witness stated that under in
structions from McHenry he had re-
turned a number OF stolen articles to
persons from whom they had been
taken. He said he found in suit
case, which he had taken from the
sortment Of articles, including PEN
nies, postage stamps, field glasses.
chewing gum. jack knives. a bugle
and cartridges. He said McHenry
whiskey, while on his way to Pitts
stolen and they had been returned.
The prosecution has another wit
ness to testify that McHenry and a
conferedate entered a barroom near
Boston, several years ago. and that
McHenry shot to death foreigner
who did not understand his command
TO throw up his hands while the pa
irons OF the place were being robbed.
DR.. Percy Hicklinr, District alienist,
who examined McHenry, will testify
this afternoon regarding the boys
sanity.
RATHER MOOSE THAN PRISON.
"I would rather hang than be con-
fined in prison." McHenry told DR..
John II. Lind. alienist OF the Govern
mcnt Hospital for the Insane, when
he was examined last March in the
office OF United States District At
torney John z. Laskey.
McHenry. according to the testi-
mony OF DR.. Lind, made the assertion
after he had told a connected story
OF his early life. OF his aimless wan
derings about the country. Of his com.
ing to Washington on a freight train
and details OF the shooting of Wal
lace w. Mulcare, the automobile &C.
cessories dealer, and Detective Ser
seant Armstrong.
Although DR.. Lind, a witness for
the defense. pronounced McHcnry OF
abnormal mind, the prosecution says
he developed its theory OF the cose--
that McHenry had reason for leav-
ina his home, and that he Possessed
the mentality of a normal man when
he entered Muloare's store to rob II,
killing the proprietor when the lat.