Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-31
E(|)MP)SURE|
Marks SPECIALISTS
Medical Witnesses at Roslsr
Trial Take Their Time About
Answering Questions
ANALYTICAL 70 A DEGREE
By PEGGY LUKEs

There was new phase Of the case
Of Catherine Roster for the women
attending her trial today.
Il was removed from the emOtiona!
experience Of yesterda~ when they did
not seem to care who law them make
free use Of damp ball Of a white
handkerchief. This was different.
The question Of the defendants In
sanity or sanity at the time Of the
commission Of the crime was being dis.
cussed coldly and nalytically BY learned
doctors, Of whom they had often henrd,
and now only actually saw for the
first time.
DR.. Charles X. Mills. who, because
Of bis special fame. inspired his audi
ence with a good bit Of awe, sat gray.
bearded and with spectacles In com.
Portable dignity on the witness stand.
He had none Of the hutter Of the
lay witness. He suggested rather long
rows Of books in a quiet library, books
often opened and known from cover
to cover. His easy II dds" and his
"ycs, sirs," his II do not know, sir.
but I suppose she did" might have been
scholarly answers given refectively in
a classroom where he was lecturinR..
Yet it was a battle Of wits. Assist.
ant District Attorney speiser In hi.
blue serge suit was on the alert anl
springing for loop holes that would
give a chance to cut in with telling and
upsetting questions. DR.. Mills was
quiet. self composed. sitting in perfect
silence for a moment. then looking up
don. I didn't know you had finished
your question"
Questions Carefully Poised
Question nfter clever question was
poised by Mr.. Speiser to prove that
mission Of the crime were no different
than would have been those of any
san" woman.
"If a woman did commit murder Nnd
then walked coolly away without be-
coming distrait, would not that then be
the action of an insane rather than n
sane wOman?' He raised his voice,
rose to his feet and showed his hands
IN his pocket to add force to his gues-
ton.
The answer came retiectively: II
would have to see such q woman. !
would have to examine each individual
case to pass judgment on it,
The only time when the debate. on
DR.. Mills side, cane near approaching
the bounds Of heated one was when
, Hc teStlHcu. .
1.-The only evidence l have to indi-
cftc that her mind was a blank Is that
In states of insanity or frenzy this nm-
ncsia is frequent.
ooh. she was In q frcnzy?" Mr..
Spciser put this coolly. with knowing
nod Of his head.
4 Quick Rctort
"She was insane" came back a quick
retort that literally shot through the
&C urtroom. "Call 1t frenzy. call 1t mad
ness Or what you will"
( The testimony OF DR.. George Wilson
was listened to with much interest. He
Is II younger man than DIR. Mills and
! suggested perhaps the active young sur.
gcon rather than the careful student Of
neurology. His eyes were keen. his
answers clear cut and given while ht
looked very directly into the eyes OF
/ the Commonw ealth's prosecutor.
/ There came q buzz in the courtroom
when those important dramatic words
! "thc defense rests its cRse' were spoken
rather unexpectedly by John II. X
| Scott.
After tho brief recess and rclaxatio.
/ Of talking. the audience braced .tsel
for the other side Of the debate. The,
waited with anxiety for til rtcstimon!
of Or. Charles Burr. Of DIR. Daniel J
Mccarthy. noted mental experts VIII,
! would take the stand and argue tn
possibility Of the oppC site CT that testi
mony given hy witnesses for the defense