Evening star., 1922-09-17
MURDER BY bRySON.
J.. BLAMED UPON j. s.
Lawyers AssaiI Failure to
Confine "SheII Shocked"
Physician.
PROMISE INSANITY PROOF
Claim Slayer Of Mrs. Haines Col
: lapsed in France and Never
Regained Mental Balance.
PROMISE INSANITY PROOF
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
HUNTINGDON, Pa, September 16.-
DR.. Herbert Bryson should never
have been permitted at large in the
mental condition to which the war
reduced him. He was menace to
society and that he did not commit
an act of violence prior to April s.
when he Is alleged to have slain hist
mate, was purely a matter of chance.
This assertion was made today by
William Wallace Chisholm and Harry
W. Petrikin, who will next week at
tempt to save Bryson from the cleo
trio chair on the charge of shooting
TO death Mrs. Helen Irene Haines of
Washington, formerly of New York.
with whom he lived ostensibly as her
husband at, the remote village of
Cassville, this county, for nearly
year.
This statement by DR.. Rryson's
counsel is the first definite informa-
ton they have given the defense Will
be based on shell shock, suffered af-
Ger of the 117th Ammunition Train.
had seen action in five battles or en-
Eagements with the 42d Rainbow
Division.
Broke Down Overseas.
Counsel for the George Washington
University graduate and former prac-
ticing physician at Washington have
evidence of the mans unsOund men
tai condition, manifested again and
again following the September day
in the Argonne when he crumpled up
. at dressing station and was no
longer able to continue his heroic
medical and surgical work.
Both Mr.. Petrikin and Mr.. Chisholm
declare that If the government had
not been overburdened with countless
- y1 Nod
been able to care properly for all
mentally incapacitated veterans. DR..
Bryson would still be under surveil-
lance at government institution.
Apparently, evidence to this e1ect
will be adduced at the trial, when. for
the first time in legal annals, shell
shock will be offered as a defense of
murder.
The appearance and actions Of Or.
Bryson at the county Jail lend them
selves to such q defense. That his
trial begins next week and that the
outcome of the trial will mean life
or death to him appears to be of no
concern to DR.. Bryson. His detach-
ment from his surroundings is COM
plete. The staying of his mate is to
him a closed book.
Likes Detective Stories.
His interest Is entirely taken up
with the fates of the heroes of paper
backed detective stories, and just how
long his supply Of cigarettes will
last.
DIR. Bryson's mother, Mrs. Elizabeth
Frysou of Washington. and his sis
ter, Mrs. Laura B. Ransall. will ar
rive In Huntingdon tomorrow event
Ing. .....
Although Mrs. Bryson is seventy |
one years old and physicians have
warned her that the. strain of trial !
may result 1nca genera, collapse. shs
his life is placed in jeopardy here
Tuesday morning. 1t is believed the |
mother will play an important role
in the drama OF life and death. II
stand and plead with the jury for !
the shattered life which before the |
gray days of the world war gave
such promise of brilliant career.
There is much speculation as to |
whether Bruce Haines. legal husband
Of the woman slain. will testify at
the trial. He is chauffeur at Wash yi
ington. At the time of the alleged
murder he told authorities his wife |;
was "a butterfly woman" and had
spent all the money she and he could !
make for clothes.
Met in Government Bureau
He said Mrs. Haines met Dr. Bryson !
while she was employed as a stenog- |
rapher in a government bureau at
the Walter Reed Hospital. |
So far as indicated. prosecution |
will base Its case largely on the ante |
mortem statement of Mrs. Haines,
made a few hours before she died at :
9. hospital here April 9. In this state. !:
ment she declared DR.. Bryson had !
pursued her to the second floor of
their clandestine home, had broken .
down the door OF her room ana snot
her.
No one heard the shot and the |
tragedy did not become known until I,
Dr. Bryson telephoned to Huntingdon .
declared hJ1 VITA .
had shot herself, repeating this until ,
she had made her damning ante-mor ;
tenn statement DR.. Bryson then be- !
came silent concerning the tragedy !
and this silence has remained un-
broken.