New-York tribune., 1921-01-07
w ade Pictured
As Insane bv
ThreeRelatives
Mott, Slain Man, Asserted
He Did Not Hold Wife's
A dmirer Responsible,
Prisoners Father Testifes
Backward as Schoolboy
Wife Declares Her Letters
During Courtship We're
Read to Him by Mother
Special Dispatch to The r,x,,x..

Spectof DtSputch to The Tribune
BRIDGEPORT, Conn.,, Jan. 8. Ell
wood B. Wade, the youthful milk ped
dler, who is on trial here, charged with
the murder of George e. Mott, was
pictured in court to-day as mentally
irresponsible. His father, mother and
wife went on the Witness stand in his
behalf.
No effort was made by the defend
ants counsel to prove that Wade did
not slay Mott, but all evidence possible
was marshallcd to show him TO be in
sane. The father of the defendant said
that he had even pointed out bis sons
mental responsibility to George Mott
and declared that Mott had assured
him that he did not no d Wade entirely
to blame for the attentions to Mrs.
Mott, which eventually led to the
murder.
To permit the defense to frame a
hypothetical question to ?ut before
aienists on the witness stand to-mor-
row, court adjourned early this after
o'clock Friday morning.
Backward as Schoolboy
Ebert B. Wade, father of the de-
fendant, forty-eight years old, milk
dealer, said he was married twenty five
years ago and that Elwood was
twenty-three years old last November
He said that Elwood Wade as a school
hoy did not advance as rapidly as
other boys Of his age. Elwood left
school when he was thirteen and was
then only in the second or third grade,
the father said
The boy went to work for his father,
and at seventeen, the elder Wade testi-
fed, was unable to keep account of
any of his transactions as a collector.
At twenty-one he had never read q
book, according to the fathers testi-
tnony, nor had he ever written a letter
prior to the murder
Didn't he collect some money once
and run off with Mrs. Davis to Chi
| rago?" asked States Attorney Homer S
Cummings.
Eyes. but Mrs. Davis was the brains.
'ected the money to make the trip"
Il suppose he did not even know the
woman he ran away WITH said the at.
torney.
mo. sir; he didn't know her char.
acter,' said the witness
Young Wade was married at seven
teen and was the father of two chill
dren, but ignored them as he did his
vie, the elder Wade testified. He said
| "a roy rt~ ..II ~
when it came to his ears that the bow
Yves ,Induiy attentive TO Mrs. Mott,
Also he said he went to George Mott
and told him the boy was not account
able for his actions. Mr.. Mott said hc
did not blame the boy entirely. the
witness said.
Tells Of Broken Promises
Tine and again Mrs. Mott promised d
she wouldn't have anything TO do with
him, but neither she nor Elwood kent
their promises" said the elder Wade.
Mrs. Wade sr, who is fcrty-one and
looks much younger, testified in her
sons behalf. Wade looked at her
confidently as she took the stand. She
salo "aoe never was bad boy, but
never was able to grow up.
..,,f nyslcai'y ne was q man, but men
tally he was my baby" said the mother.
"He could not learn the simplest
prayer. At twenty-five he could not
even read newspaper or do the sim
plcst kind Of figuring, but he was al
ways good boy to me-"
Mrs. Mary Wade, the accused
youths wife, told of his courtship. She
was seventeen and Wade sixteen at
the time. Her letters to Wade, she
cald' were read to him by his mother
She 4aid they used to go on long car
riage rides, during which they would
talk about horses, of which Wade was
very fond.
Dr. Floyd Haviland, superintendent
OF the Connecticut State Hospital for
the Insane, read from the records of
the institution to show that Wade's
gra ndtather died there, and that the
grandfathers first cousin. Georrianna
Lewis. had also been an inmate of Inc
asylum.
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