The Washington times., 1920-05-18
.FA|NTSFEATURE
COCKRELL TRIAL
Sister and Mother OF Alleged
Uxorcide Give Way Under
Nerve Strain.
Continued from First Pase)

(continued from First Page)
Irving Rosenberg. assistant hack In
spector; John A. Cook, fellow employe
OF Cockreili John II. Dempsey . for-
mer wAtchman at the Smithsonian III.
stitution; Frank Cockrell, brother OF
the defendant; and Simon ID. Garret'
former guard at the Jail.
Attorney O'shea said this morning
that he probably will hnish Win hIs
Testimony tomorrow morning. frose
cutor OLeAry has called q numper OF
rebuttal witnesses, and indloe'ons
are that the trial will run over into
next week.
wife's Mother On stand.
Mrs. Gertrude Brown. mother
OF Pearl Hortense Cockren, whom
Philip Sherley Cockreli 10 charged
with killing, took the stand In DO
Tense OF cockrell when the court
convened this afternoon.
Mrs. Brown reviewed an incident In
her home previously outlined In the
testimon- Of Matthew Uraine. when
Uraine quieted Sherley Cockrell after
he had threatened to Kill his wife'
She said she considered Cockrell In
sane at the time, and he was put 10
bed and stayed there for a week FOL
lowing the incident.
She told OF the time when Pearl
went to Atlantic City against Cock
rers wishes. She said that while
Pearl was away, Cockrell continued
to live at her house, but he left .
week before her return. saying he
did not want to be there when she
came back.
She testified that while Cockrell
was at her home he WAS drinking
some. and that he stayed in his room
alone most OF the time.
CockreIi Little Interested.
If outward indications are any
gauge, Philip Shirley Cockrell has
little interest in the proceedings in
the District Supreme Court, where
his life hangs in the balance.
The wheels Of justice are grinding
have been grinding slowly but sure
ly for him for more than week now.
And in his chair behind his attorney.
Cockrell sits as seemingly uncon-
cerned as he sat on the first day Of
the trial when the jury was being
drawn.
Never once during the whole trial
has he shown emotion. Never once
has he smiled, and never once has
he frownod. He sits now--as he sat
on the nrst day of the trial-with
folded hands. his eyes fixed on a
certain spot Just over the head OF
Justice Gould. Always Cockrell has
his eyes fixed on this spot. His vision
never wavcrs.
Gaze Never Wayers.
Witnesses tell of his unhappy life
with Pearl Hortense Cockrell, with
whose murder he is charged. Cockrell
keeps his eyes straight ahead, fiNed
on the spot just over the head of
Justice Gould.
His mother takes the stand and
wceps. Cockrell sits with folded
hands. his eyes straight ahead. She
comes from the stand and sits beside
him. There is no indication that he
knows OF her presence. She is over
come while witnesses are testifying
against her son and leaves the court
room. Cockrell doesn't shift his gaze.
Witness after witness takes the
stand to testify that he is OF un-
sound mind. Witness after witness
takes the stand to testify against the
wife whom nc is said to have killed
because he loved her" II Cockrell
hears, he heeds not.
Occasionally the strain OF the pro-
ceedings is broken by a crisp answer
from some witness, and a litter runs
dTpunu tnc ENth thO
Judge smiles. But Cockrell sits un-
moved-his hands folded. his eyes
fixed on the spot just over the head
Of Justice Gould.
Face shows Prison Pailor.
Cockrell looks just as he looked
when he came into the courtroom
nearly two weeks ago. There is. Of
course, a certain pallor-the pallor of
two years in Jail. But he is showing
no i'll effects from the long-drawn-out
trial.
There are times when the trial is
monotonous. dull. firing. The jury
yawns occasionally. and the crowd in
the courtroom indicates its restless
ness by general shifting. Justice
Gould will declare "we can't spend so
much time over trivial matters"
But Philip Shirley Cockrell. the
central figure in the drama, never
yawns. and he never registers inn
patinece. He just sits with folded
hands, his eyes fixed on the spot just
over the head OF Justice Gould.
After watching Philip Shirley Cock
rell through the frst week OF his
trial ono wonders IL 1t Is possible
for a person to be absolutely regard
less of the future.
One wonders II Mrs. Gertrude
Brown his mother-in-law spoke true