Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-20
THRILL MURDERER
SENTENCED TO DIE
HarSh's Attorneys Announce
Intention of Filing Ap-
peal for New Trial.
By the Associated Press.


ATLANTA, Ga, January 19.-Found
guilty by Superior Court jury here of
the murder of Willard Smith, a drug
store clerk. George r. Harsh, wealthy
former collegian, was sentenced to die
in the electric chair March Is.
Attorneys for Harsh announced that
motion for new trial would be filed
Immediately.
Harsh, scion of a wealthy Milwaukee
family and frequenter of exclusive clubs
here while attending Oglethorpe Uni
versity. killed Smith, "a year-old drug
store manager, during an attempted
robbery October 16. He confessed, but
plea of not guilty was entered by at
torneys who contended that he was a
constitutional psychopath" incapable
of distinguishing right from wrong. The
State, holding Harsh's confession but
not using it, contended he was normal
and deported himself as would any
criminal when he and Richard GaIlogly.
collegiate companion, held up the
Smith drug store.
Jury Takes But One Ballot.
The verdict, at the end of trial that
lasted four days, came less than an hour
after Judge e. B. Thomas had delivered
his charge. No recommendation for
mercy was made, leaving no course ex-
under Georgia law. It was reported
| that the jury deliberated only is min
| uteS and took one ballot.
There was no demonstration in the
| jammed courtroom when the verdict
| was read. The sister of the prisoner,
Mrs. j. S. Disosway of Atlanta, and his
| mother, Mrs. George r. Harsh of Mil
waukee, wept for a brief period but
controlled their emotions until Harsh
was led from the bar to a secluded
| room in the courthouse
Just before she reached the haven
| OF refuge from the eyes of spectators
Mrs. Harsh cried:
"Oh, why do they kill people when
| they don't know what they are doing?"
Her son, a few steps ahead of her in
custody OF two deputies, gave no sign
| that he had heard. Soon the family
group was swallowed in private cham
berS.
Eleven medical experts were put on
the stand by the defense in support of
the contention that Harsh could not
cope with an irresistible impulse" and
was possibly affected by hereditary af-
| Fiction. The death of his father, a
wealthy shoe manufacturer, of aneurism
(artery distention at the base of the
brain) was cited, and an undeveloped
pituitary gland In Harsh's brain was
pointed out as evidence of emotional
and volitional undevelopment.
Try Companion January 20.
Three physicians for the State said
Harsh was ''in the range of normal and
responsible for his acts" All contended
he knew between right and wrong when
he shot the drug store manager. In
their final plea States attorneys de-
clared Harsh walked deliberately in the
drug store and killed Smith when he
resisted robbery, just like IAN ordinary
criminal"
Gallogly, whom Harsh named as his
companion during the hold-up, is under
indictment and awaiting trial on iden-
tical charges January 29 The confess
sion, given to John Lowe, detective, who
solved the murder through a pair of
bloodstained trousers, said Harsh actu-
ally committed the crime and that GAL
logly was his companion, waiting in a
car for a getaway. Gallogly has made
no complete statement to police.
When Harsh was arrested the dis
covery of his trousers In the home of
j. B. Wright, finance executive of an
Atlanta firm, he readily admitted the
crime and said he held UP the store "Sor
the fun Of the thins."