Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-01-05
bURCH IS SANE
STATE EXPERTS
SWEAR At TRIAL
Alienist Says Smiles
Are Mask to Former
Montanan' s Mood.

| Los Angeles. Jau. Arthur C.
Burch. on trial for the alleged murder
! of j. Belton Kennedy. acts as il he
were pretending that he does not
want to be thought insane. but really
wants that thing to happen" according
to the testimony today of DIR. Thomas
j. orbson. alienist. called by the pros
ecution in rebuttal
Or, Orbson declared he failed TO
find the slightest symptom of in
sanity in the defendant.
The rebuttal was interrupted while
the prosecution called Mrs James W
Warren of Santa Barbara. who was
too i'll to attend previously She testi-
fled Burch told her last July he was
coming to Los Angeles TO help
friend who was in trouble"
Said He Was Going to Aid Woman
This statement. AIRS. Warren said
was made on the train on which Burch
travelled from Chicago to Los Angeles.
arriving here July "A. last. Mrs War
ren boarded the train at Kansas City
and had several conversations with
Burch. she testified.
Burch, she said told her the
friend was n woman VINO had sent
for him. According to other testimony.
Mrs. Madalynne obenchain. co-defend-
ant in the case. urged Burch to come
to Los Angeles early in July.
Mr.. Rurch said the person was Il
very good friend, whom he had known
in school," Mrs. Warren said. HE
said she had been very good 10 him
when he was in trouble and he would
be glad to do anything in the world
for her. He said her trouble was
with man she was in love with. He
also told me he almost put pistol
IN his suitcase before he left home.
but thought that would be foolish.
Went Barehsaded as an Ad
"He said he would be willing to see
his friend marry the man of whom
he spoke, although it would be hard
for him.
Dr. Orhison was on the stand for
nearly four hours. The alienist said
he thought the prisoner acted the same
as normal human being"
Then l asked him about his going
about wearing an oyercoat and no hat
in the summer time in Montana. He
sad: You see | was running store
in Living Springs. Montana I thought
by not wearing a hat l would attract
attention and people would ask who /
was aud others would reply / was the
fellow running the store. In that way
! thought it would be good adver-
tisement. I wore the overcoat because
the nights were cold"
DIR. Orbison said he thought that
this showed the opposite of insanity.
Four turnkeys of the county jail
said that from their observation OF
Burch. they were convinced he was
sane.
Orhison said Burch showed no ind.
cations of dementia praecox either with
or withont paranoic tendencies. De-
fense alienists had testified Burch suf-
fered from dementia praecox probably
of paranoic type"
District Attorney Woolvine called
attention to the defendants habit or
smiling frequently during the trial and
asked if person with paranoic ten
denotes was likely to be humorous"
DIR. Orbison replied:
Just the opposite"
He said. however, that he believed
Burch was serious most OF the tims."
The smiles, he said. frequently indlcat-
ed Burch did not want to appear seri.
Gus on a serious occasion.
A letter written to Burch by Mrs
Madalynne Obenchain. co-defendant in
the case. was mentioned again By DIR.
Orbison AZ part Of q statement he had
Burch make 10 him. DIR. Ross MoorA
{Coatinasd sn PaSs Eigh91