The Washington times., 1922-07-13
BOY Is, TO
DEN TALE.
OF Staying
Francis KIuxen Will Take
Stand In Defense Of
Own Life.

MORRISTOWN, N. J., July
13.-Today within the walls
of the famous old county
court house of Morristown,
N. j., will be acted its strang-
est story.
A boy of fifteen will come
before the bar to tell his own
story in an effort TO establish
his innocence in the murder
Of q little girl. -
-Four Day Of Trial.
Such is the setting for the fourth
day Of the trial In the case Of the
State against Francis K1uxen, 3D.
charged with stabbing to death
Janette Lawrence. eleven. after
nightfall last October 6. Both chill
dren lived in Madison. N. j.. at the
edge OF the Kluxen Woods.
II the boy is found guilty the Law
OF New Jersey says he must die.
The State rested its case Yesterday
timony of the young accused. expect
ed to be called to the stand today.
II is young Kluxen's own wish
that he be allowed TO tell his story OF
what he did on the fatal day and
evening Of October 6.
As the scale Of evidence rose and
fell with the weight Of testimony
those facts fell heaviest on the ear
OF the sweltering court room. Its
small capacity choked with the
friends of the accused boy and the
dead girl.
Bertha Crane, twelve. friend Of the
slain child. testified as follows:
IT was on Ridgewood avenue one
day last summer with Francis
Kluxen and Janette. Francis wal
throwing stones at her. He said:
Damn you, I'll get you yet.
And the Mrs. Miller came out
and stopped him."
Detective Captain Brex, Of New
ark, then related:
From the first moment began Il
examine Jancarek he had a guilt,
look. When I showed him Janette',
clothes he turned his head the othe'
way. I did not show the clothes Il
Francis Kluxen because did no
believe him guilty"
DR.. Harrison s. Mortland, wht
performed the autopsy on the slair
child's body, described the twent,
stab wounds. in the neck, all betweeI
| one and one.fourth and one and one
half inches deep, and about half al
inch wide. The deeper stab wount
In the abdomen, he said, more thar
three and one.hah inches deep coult
have been made by the two-inch Bo,
Scout knife, represented as having
belonged to the young defendant.
This DR. Mortland said, was due I,
the compressability Of the wall o
| the abdomen. His testimony wa
upheld by DR.. George L. Warren
county physician, and DR.. A. Coultis
Elmer King, chief counsel TO
Kluxen. read into the record test
mony OF DR.. Mortland given at tn
Jancarek trial in which the physl
clan gave Il as his opinion that tn,
abdominal wound could not hav
been made with an instrument les
than three inches long.
Defendant Unmoved.
And when did you change you
opinion" Mr.. King asked.
after experimenting on thre
bodies since the Jancarek trial, on
Of them as late as last night.
found II possible to make a woun,
In the abdomen of greater 1engtl
than that OF the instrument use,
in making IT,"
The youthful defendant. inucl
overgrown for his years ani here
tofore presenting an unmoved, es
pressionless face. appeared hoyisl
and human yesterday. From tim
to time he learned over to whispe
to bis father, or counsel, and h
embraced his mother at the m1rr
ing recess. But he seemed NOR
live a boy held down to somn ur
PHEASANT task when he prhferrs
gUIns fishing than a defendant q,
trial for muruer.
| Outside the court room ict,c
t'ves who had worked on the cas
recalled that the lad had grow
two inches since the date of tn
crime, and that since the Janoare
trial IN April he had gained fort,
two pounds.