Evening star., 1932-02-05
|ALLEN'S COUNSEL
| DEFENDS Staying
Outlines Case for Jury After
Prosecution Closes Its
Evidence.
BY the Associated Press


Counsel for Edward Allen, charged with
the murder of Francis A. Donaldson, Sd
told the jury in Aliens trial today
that "it is the right of any individual
in defense of his life to take the de-
Tense methods necessary Tor that pur-
pose" 1900,
So declared William r Connor, coun
sci for EdU ard, who killed Donaldson
with a shotgun in the Allen apart
ment in the fashionable Green Hill
Farms Hotel November 8 last
Allen killed Donaldson after a quar-
rel over Donaldsons alleged relations
with Aliens l8-year-old sister, Rose +
w Allen. In a statement to the police
read in court yesterday, Allen said Don
aldson had betrayed her.
State Ends Case.
The commonwealth closed its case
before noon and the defense imme-
diately plunged in to present its side
of the circumstances Of the killing.
I'VE will show that the act OF Eddie
Allen" said defense counsel was
caused by an intense love for Aliens
old father and an intense desire to pro-
tect sister and save her good name.
We will show the Aliens lived In
Philadelphia in peace and contentment
Mrs. Allen died last April. Rose was
a sweet respectable daughter OF the
household.
And then Donaldson came A
change came over Rose and conditions
changed in that house. We will show
that as result OF that change, on
the afternoon of November EDDIE
4 - hi e;eta there's p
thing we got to talk about. You know
father is not in good condition and
l want to talk over what happened
last Friday about 2 o'clock in the
morning
The father had gone to Roses room
at that hour and found Donaldson
there. He asked Donaldson to withdraw
and Rose slapped his face and Donald
son beat him and tore his nightclothes
Told Her 1t Wasn't Right.
Eddie said to Rose. That wasn't
right and she answered, What do you
think you are. God Almighty?
The boy said You keep Skinny out
of here and if you keep him out OF here
we'll keep father with us longer
Rose said to him. If l tell Skinny
what YOU said about keeping him out OF
here. Skinny will make you look SICK
Then he said. Well, Rose, l tell you
one thing, I'm not going 10 let Dad ot
treated in the way he has been.
And he made some remark to Rose
about what he'd do if this man per
sisted
He talked then with his father ant
they sat down to dinner. Just thei
Rose passed and said she was going
TO Rose Sykes house
Failed to Return.
"Thev expected her to come back tina
night, but she went downstairs ant
arranged with Donaldson to take he
to the Bellevue -Stratford Hotel.
They finished their dinner and sat
down to read.
While they were there, bOthering NJ
one. the two men. bent on aggression
saying they were going to fix things up
came in.
"Tnis boy Eddie was rDoken TO by
Donaldson. who said at last I've got
you here
Lucas GA. @. H Lucas said We've
come to settle something and were
going to do it
Eddie said, I'm sorry We can't tall
about this III have to ask you to CO.
and Mr.. Allen also asked them to go.
Eddie knew, as he told his sister
that he had as much chance with thl
amateur boxer as he would with hin
in a race, so he wanted to avoid trou
BILE and went to the telephone in th
hall. Donaldson grabbed him by tbs
coat lapel, threw him around. punched
him in the jaw. and then this man
with his prowess, fell upon him anc
began to beat him.
Says Lucas Helped.
This brute Lucas went over snt
took that old man and pinned mn
arms behind his back and struck hi
knee into him and threw him bodily
in chair. The boy got up, hit al
Donaldson and ran to the telephone
in distress calling for help"
Attorney Conner told how the two
men refused to leave at the request
of the hotel employe. During the ar
gument. Conner said Lucas made ar
effort to get at young Allen, but Forbes
stopped him. .
Then, in distress, Conner said, Aller
rushed to the telephone to call tht
proprietor of the hotel, Morris Wood
"While there in defenseleSs posi-
tion with the receiver in one hanc
this boxer came up and smote him
twice, as hard as he could. on the
Jaw. causing blood to squirt from his
mouth and 90 on the telephone in
Connor said that young Allen ther
sought to find Wood or a policeman
He was dissuaded from bringing po-
licemsn into the hotel because OF thf
disturbance it might cause and the
notoriety it might create.
Describes Shooting.
Not knowing what to do at the
instant. he remembered the gun at the
home of his friend Roberts SAID Con,
nor, and thought that II he couio geV
the gun he would frlghten these hhei
out. .,. .,.;., =,
After telling of the 12-mile trip te
the Roberts house to get the gun CohI
nor said Allen thought the men hao
left the apartment by this tlme anu
was proceeding to put the gun IN
closet when he was startleo 10 leaLi'
that these men hadn't le11 the apart
ment. ,-r, T.
He heard Donaldson say, Ihere is
the -- there now using we nahle
Now let's get him and give IL 10 MN:
and they came on him. he pacheo
away and he thought he was going to
be beaten again and his life would be
IN danger and he pulled the trigger.
he didn't pull to shoot, he pulled
to frighten those brutes away from
him. to save his home and to save MS
life, and that's how Donaldson was
shot"