New Britain herald., 1930-03-22
Tells of Strange Actions

 the plea of guilty to the lesser count.
 Tells of Strange Actions
 Brophy's heritage and home con ditions had been such as to give the youth an unfortunate start in life. Mir Alcorn said in summing up the data of the mental experts. Two members of his family are proper subjects for commitment and prob ably will be committed, the states attorney said, while Brophy's father was an habitual drunkard and when in an ugly mood frequently beat Brophy and his mother. These beat ings are held to have affected the youths mentality, Hnd he was never able to ge above the second Srady in school.
 Peculiar habits to which Brophy was subject were also recounted. AIr. Alcorn said the youth frequent " got up in the night and jumped out of the second story windows 0 his home. while on several occasions he had tied a rope around his body. lowered himself from q window, and feigned hanging.
 His cell mate at the county jail has been Sebastiano Alano, also held for murder. and Mr Alcorn said Brophy had waeered Anano would be hanged before him
 Temperament "Unsound"
 fo'- the examination by alienists was not the usual procedure in homicide cases and said he had been rcluct- ant to accede to the requests ot the defense attorneys that this be granted. But he had become con- Ninced that Brophy's temperament was unsound and had permitted the examination, with the result that he was satisfied Brophy should not be tried for first degree murder and bu placed in danger of paying the cX- treme penalty. The very atrocity of the crime-the shooting of the po- liceman in the back without warn ing or a chance for defense-show- ed that Brophy was not normal, Mr Alcorn said
 Attorney John F. Tobin Of Water bury, representing Brophy. said that life sentence would be satisfactory 10 Brophy's family. He thanked MT. Alcorn for his handling of the case.
 Judge Calls Act Reyolting
 Judge Newell Jennings, in pro- nouncing sentence upon Brophy, said:
 As the states attorney says, the nature of this crime, if one regards simply the act committed. is such as to revolt everyone in possession of their senses, and as he also said. 1t will be hard for some people 10 understand why this plea is accept ed in this case. I have been in touch with this situation since I started this term and am satisfied that the correct conclusion has been reached. This is true from at least two aspects. This accused had elect ed trial by the court and his de- fense was to be insanity.
 Satisfied With Findings
 There is no reason to believe oAllSt " lSc lIldIl that. tHe SIdlc alienistS would have come 10 the same conclusion in view of q trial as they have under these circum- stances, and if they had presented that testimony in contested trial there would be nothing for the tricI to do, in view of the states owr alienistS' conclusion, but to find the accused guilty of murder in the sec ond degree, if he were guilty at all l also feel very strongly as doe. Mir Alcorn, that it requires q cer. tain amount. perhaps a larg, amount of personality and intelIi. gence and intellect to commit a frs degree murder. All murders arc no first degree murders. The statute: say so. and experience shows tha 1t Is so, and it seems to me tha the conclusion which the alienist! have reached is reasonable one and one that any reasonable persoI would reach in view of the facts o this case.
 For the reasons stated by tho states attorney I will accept tn, plea of guilty of murder in the sec ond degree, and the sentence of tn, court IS that the accused be con fined to the states prison for tn,