Norwich bulletin., 1922-03-15
PRELIMINARY HEARING TO
 THE DELoRME MURDER TRIAL

Montreal, March 1.-The preliminary hearing on the charge that Abbe Ade- larde Delorme murdered his half brother proceeded today despite efforts of the defense to show that the priest was not in a mental condition to know what was going on.
 The Crown called several witnesses n the court of inquiry to testify regarding the finding of the body of Raeoul De- lorme, Ottawa college student, on the out skirts of this city last January and ev- idence tending to link the priest with the crime. Then, after cross examina- tion, the hearing was adjourned until next Tuesday.
 First the prosecution concerned itself with the alleged motive-money.
 Father Rheaume of Ottawa college tes- tifed to the authority of will made by Raoul in February, 1921, in which he left most of his estate to the priest. The college official was a witness to the doc ument.
 Theophile Narcotic, a life insurance company agent, was the next witness He testified that the abbe brought his half brother to his office and said he wish ed him to take out a $25,000 policy to acquire the habit of saving. Then De- tective George Lajoie, assigned to the case, was called with exhibits that in cluded a revolver, chicken feathers, bloodstained automobile seats and a quilt
 played.
 "Please examine 1t to see if it is load 1 ed," cautioned Crown Prosecutor Walsh. That often happens" | The weapon was unloaded 1 Repeating previous testimony, the de- l tective said that bullets found in Raoul's 1 head were 25 calibre-the bore of the i abbe's revolver. Laioie also, asserted ! that barrel markings made on bullets which he had fired from the priests re- volver corresnonded to those on the piec-
 es of lead that had ended the students 1 life.
 The feathers came next. The detective
 swore they were similar to those cling ing to a cloth found wrapped around Raoul's head. He found them, he said l in the priests car, along with the blood
 stained cushions
 Then the quilt was exhibited. Tn
 witness pointed to it's peculiar design ant 1 asserted that the aforementioned blood stained cloth wound around the deat
 mans head had been torn from the quilt The quilt, he added, had been taken frcn the room of Lilly Delorme, Raours hal sister
 Under cross examination, Lajoie testi fed that he had noticed feathers on tn
 cloth on January g, three days after tn
 date of the alleged murder; that he ha' :. detected the stains on the cushions Feb ruary 22, while the car was in the ga rage.
 Efforts. to stay the proceedings wer } made as soon as the case was called
 Gustav Monet, defense counsel. assertin
 that his client was ot in fiet menta
 condition to assist his lawyers. He ask 7 ed Judge Culson that a psychopathic ez
 animation be made before the hearin ! continued, explaining: : "If the accused were lying unconsciou
 before you, you would not require hir l; to go on with the hearing simply be r cause his inert body was present. Thi T is an even more serious case. Here tn 9 prisoner has the appearance of bein physically fit and, although perhaps mer . tally as helpless as an unconscious maj e everything he may say is to be take
 down and held against him." e The court refused to defer the hearini r but with the approval of the prosecution : directed that a doctor be assigned to of s serve the accused while the Crown prt t sented Its evidence.