The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-08-02

! t1onally and intellectually.
would a man with the emotions
of a child of 5, when brought into
a serious predicament. ask that the
names of girl friends be not divulged
for fear of bringing them embar-
rassment?" Grove asked.
mot necessarily" the alienist for
the defense replied.
would a child of s, with normal
emotions of it's age, show considera-
ton for other peoples feelings?"
Grove asked.
Difficult Answer
The doctor replied that question
would be difficult to answer as a gen
eral proposition.
Now, doctor, you say that these
boys were children of to emotion
ally, but both were super-normal in
tellectually," Grove then said. IF
that is true and the emotion and the
intellect are put together to form a
personality, couldn't we strike an
average between the emotional age
and the intellectual age and call that
the real age Of the defendants?"
Doctor White made no attempt to
conceal his amusement, laughing
openly.
why, no; that's perfectly ridicu-
lous," he answered.
well then, doctor, can you ex-
plain to US why these boys were able
to live apparently normal lives, at
tending universities and social func-
tons; how could they do these things
in between their periods of phantasy
life?''
'FDicl1ie and Babe
Unfortunately that is a common
thing rather than the uncommon.
Boys like Dickie and Babe, by their
very childlike emotions, inspire the
love Of others and win confidence
nearly everywhere they CO. The
nicknames-Babe and Dickie-in-
dicate this
well, doctor. will you define for
us criminal intent -
II don't know" the doctor re-
sponded. 'T wish you would tell
me-its legal term"
Did Richard Loeb, on May 81,
1924, know the difference between
right and wrong in the killing Of
Robert Franks?" asked Grove.
Yes. intellectually, he knew that
murder was prescribed by law"
did he know 1t was wrong moral
ly," Grove next asked.
He had no adequate feeling that
It was morally wrong, think" the
doctor answered.
I'm your opinion. is the defendant.
Nathan Leopold insane?"
Before the witness could answer,
Defense Attorney Walter Bachrach
entered an objection to this question
| established themselves as sane by
their plea of guilty and the question
of sanity therefore was prevalent.
Grove Tries Again
objection is sustained, Judge
Caverly- moved. and Grove pro-
ceeded from another angle.
Grove asked several questions
dealing with the doctors opinion Of
the mental status of the boys with
the intention of bringing an express
sion of opinion on their sanity.
In two of these questions Grove
asked the doctor to answer whether
he believed from hts examination
whether the slayers were insane.
The defense again objected and
was again sustained.
Grove was making energetic eff
forts to force the doctor to follow
his carefully planned examination
into the insanity angle in hope of
forcing Chief Justice Caverly to place
the question of the prisoners mental
status before q jury.
The defense. alert to Groves
strategy, blocked him at every turn
with objections, which were sus-
tanned by the court.
Did Nathan Leopold on May Il
have the ability to make choice be-
tween right and wrong?" Grove
asked.
II can't say as to that and I don't
believe any human being could"
Doctor White replied.
Isn't that equally true of every
body?"
We'll, no." and here the doctor
related the case of a man who MUIR
dered his wife and then fell pros
trate over her body, weeping bitterly
and praying for forgiveness.
This man." the doctor said, knew
the difference between right and
wrong and had the ability to choose
between them. But that is not true
in many murder cases."
IF Nathan Leopold told you he
had the power of choice, would you
believe him?" was Groves next oues-
ton.
II would believe he was telling
me what in his own Judgment was
the truth"
Master Criminal
Nov, doctor, you said Loeb was
the master criminal. Is that true?
Was he the leader in this nurder?"
rs I've explained BEFORE" the
doctor replied, somewhat impa
tiently, 1T would be impossible to
separate these two personalities
they are almost tnterlocked. Loeb
had the chief criminalistic tendency,
but could not have acted alone. Leo
pold, whose intellect was the greater,
laid the careful plans and details.
His relation to Loeb was that of
finessing his companions moves"
Which Of the two defendants has