New Britain herald., 1928-01-30
ATTEMPT ID HALT H|CkMAN'S TRIAL Defense Asks Slayer Be Exam
 ined by Psychiatrists SAYS HE HAS NO FUNDS Walsh in Legal Move to Stop Trial is Sworn In and Takes Witness Stand-MotiOn is Ovcr-ruled By Presiding Justice.

Court Room, Los Angeles, Calf, Jan. 30 (UP)-The defense made another unexpected move today to halt the trial of William Edward Hickman.
 The move was motion to have the American Psychiatrists Associa- ton appoint alienists to examine Hickman, whose only hope of escap- ing the gallows for the murder of Marion Parker, lies in proving him. self insane. The motion was over ruled by Judge J. J. Trebucco.
 Jerome Walsh. young Kansas City attorney, who is directing the de- fense for Hickman, then stepped to the witness stand. in a sensational move to have the action made a matter of court record.
 Walsh was permitted to take the oath. He testified that Hickman was without funds and could not hope to cope with the alienists en- ployed by the state.
 This. is an unequal battle" Walsh said. "On one side we have the wealth of the state of California and on the other a penniless youth fighting for his life.
 'The defense can hope to obtain the service of alienists that will give it an equal chance with the state only if members of the American Psychiatrists association are ap- pointed to serve without pay.'
 Walsh testified that he had spent $500 of his own money in arranging for Hickman's defense and indicated that he did not expect to get one penny as fee.
 He said a fund for Hickman's de- fense had been raised in Kansas City but did not reveal the amount.
 Walsh was nervous and red faced.
 In denying the motion without prejudice, Judge Trabucco said such 8 move would halt the trial. He said 1t would be possible for the alienists to make an examination of Hickman that would be a fair test of his sanity or insanity only when he was not subject to the daily strain of court room appearance.
 Hickman sat nervously working his hands. He was slumped far down in his seat and dejected look came over his face when Walsh lost the move to delay the trial for fur ther examination of alienists.
 Mrs. Amich was excused by the defense by peremptory challenge. It was the seventeenth peremptory challenege used by the defense, leaving but three. Mrs. Florence Mack took Mrs. Amich's place.
 Mrs. Mack was passed by the de fense and the state then excused Maurice J. Maenl by the exercise of a peremptory challenge.
 Maehl, it was reported. held the opinion that Hickman should not be hanged unless it was shown the youth was sane beyond the shadow of a doubt.
 Machl was replaced by Albert R. Hockensmith.
 The time spent in selecting the jury apparently has bothered Hick- man, who once called himself the Fox" and was sneeringly blase. He has become nervous and feels cer- tain that he will hang for the girls murder rather than be sent to the state insane asylum. T will swing for this" he told one of his guards. Since then he has not changed his view. Over the weekend he paced his cell nervously, prison officials said, and seemad anxious for court to resume so that the case could be completed.
 In event testimony starts today the state can establish it's case by reading the indictmcut-wh. .ch charges Kidnapping and murder of the pretty little school girl-becauso of Hickman's unique plea.
 Since the burden of proof rests with the defense. attorneys then are expected to start presenting testi money intended to show that Hickman was insane. Thirty eight dispositions collected by Jerome Walsh. chief of the defense, from school boy friends of Hickman in Kansas City. will be included in the testimony. The first of these is the statement of Donald Johnson.
 These depositions total more than 600 typewriter pages and will re- quire at least day to be transposed into court records