The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-19
COMEDY PREVAILS IN DAYS HEARING. OF FRANKS CASE.
'Schizophrenic' Personali- ties Discussed By Chi
 cagO Alienist

Dor Of Loeb, weighted down with
 human leg bone, resting between
 crossed arm bones with a human
 skull above. The bones were those of a woman, police said.
 The letter read eff. the court
 don't hang them, we will," and
 was signed TX. K. K"
 Because a police guard has been
 maintained at the Loeb homo since
 the youths arrest, the officers be-
 lieve tho letter was left at the
 nearby residence.
 CHICAGO, Aug. 1S.-The judicial hearing by which is to be determined the fate of Nathan F. Leopold, IT,, and Richard A. Loeb, confessed murderers of Robert Franks, went from the seri- ous to the comic today and wound up in a gale of laughter.
 probably for the hearing, recited at length the observations and reasons for declaring the defendants mentally sound and then got into hammer and tongs exchange with Benjamin Bachrach, of defense counsel, who started his cross examination of the states ace.
 Warns Against Byplay.
 Throughout the morning session, Clarence s. Darrow, chief of defense counsel, fenced adriotly with Dr, H. Douglas Singer, alienist for the state, and tried to obtain from the expert, admissions that "schizophrenic" or split" personalities were necessarily subjects of mental disease.
 This afternoon, Dr. William O.. Krohn, last witness for the state and
 Frequently the doctors replies to the staccato fire of questions about his qualifications as an expert brought laughter from the crowd. Once, Judge R. Caverly admonished both to refrain from byplay. Finally MT. Bachrach asked the court to instruct the wit ness to answer a question relating to the doctors activities at the Kankakee hospital for the insane in the late nineties.
 Judge Caverly glanced at the clock which was two minutes beyond the ad- journment hour, strengthened up in his chair and with a twinkle in his eyes, announced unexpectedly
 'We will adjourn now until 10 80 o'clock tomorrow"
 The yell of merriment that followed was the greatest of the day and the only one that brought no rebuke from the bailiff's gavel.
 Little Progress Made.
 The days developments added little to the progress in the case, but served to bring it appreciably closer to it's end. MT. Darrow said tonight that the defense probably would conclude its cross-examination of Dr. Krohn to- morrow and would offer no further testimony. Robert E. Grove. states attorney, announced that unless there were unexpected overnight deyeIon- ments, Dr. Krohn would be his last witness. If this program is carried out closing arguments Aay be 1started at the Wednesday session.
 Each side is exl ected 70 consume tvvo days at least in presenting their ann. ming-up arguments. The legal asneets ot the trial are to be given at length by Thomas R. Marshall, indictment ex Fert for the states attorney. He said today that he might consume two full court days with his material. All the defense attorneys, Benjamin Bachrach. Walter Bachrach and Clarence Darrow, probably will be heard in behalf of the defendants and States Attorney Grove l,robably will kind up. MrI Grove said "a few hours" would be all that he would require.
 Judge Caverly has given no ;ndica- tion as to when he would render his judgment. A fortnight ago he said he would shut himself into his study for several days to go over the entire rec ord of the five weeks hearing. Cuesses ! out the courtroom ranged from five to ten days as the time. the court would take to consider the facts and theories Of tho state and defense.
 DarrOw Wraws Blood.
 The. court fans who damned the IL om today, evidently had come pre- pared to hear pyrotechnics between state experts and defense counsel. They were disappointed in the morning ses- sion but relieved their feelings by snick- ering at tle glib exchange between MT. parrow and Dr. Singer. The attorney showed satisfaction when he finally drew from Dr. Singer an admission that the endocrine glands are affected by emotions. It has been the theory of the defense that Loeb's pineal gland. an endocrinal gland Of the brain, has calcified prematurely and affected his mind. The state has asserted that ,here is no way of determining the mental effect of such a condition.
 There was long discussion on "Paranoid personalities" but the ex- pert said he had found only selfishness and domineering character as evidences of such a state in the two defendants.
 The cross-examination ended with the attorney and expert agreeing that if man knew all about himself it would be easy to explain every phase of conduct Iut that in the absence of such perfect knowledge it was not possible to draw exactly definite conclusions.
 Dr. Kreohn took the Stard at the start of the afternoon session. Under the friendly guidance of JO!.n Sharbaro, an assistant states attorney, he re- hearsed the oral confessions of "Mr. Leopold" and ''Mr. Loeb," speaking of each generally as ''this man" defense alienists having them as Babe" and 'Dickie."
 Says Both Sound.
 He ayerred that his opportunities to observe the defendants and examine them mentally were almost ideal and on thees observations based an opinion that both were mentally sound when they committed the crime on May 21, when they narrated it on June l, and today.
 The cross-examination did not de- velop the exact line up on which this conclusion will be attacked by the de-