Evening star., 1932-08-14
ATTORNEYS CLASH
AT FLYERS TRIAL
Move to Discredit Expert for
Defense Fought at
Miami.

BY the Associated Press.
MIAMI. Fla, August l3.-Testimony
attempting to discredit the reputation
of Albeit H. Hamilton. Auburn. N. Y,
criminologist, today brought a sharp
clash between opposing counsel as the
defense rested in the trial Of Capt. w.
N. Lancaster for the Staying of Haden
Clarke.
Rebuttal testimony was started
shortly after completion of the defense
case, but it had proceeded only briefly
before court was recessed for the
week end
Earlier Capt. Lancaster was on the
stand for short time and in response
| to a question shouted a denial he had
once told Mrs. Ida Clyde Clarke.
mother Of the dead man, that some
times he was 80 confused that I think
I shot him"
Expert Kept on Stand.
Clarke. q young writer, was killed on
the night Of April 81 in the home Of
Mrs. j. M. Keith Miller, Australian
| flyer, who was the third figure in a love
triangle also involving Clarke and Lam
| caster. The latter has termed Clarke's
death an honor suicide"
Attempts by the State to impeach the
testimony of Hamilton held him on the
stand through much Of the day and
eventually brought the assertion Of an
other witness that he would not believe
! Hamilton.
The New York criminologist, a de-
fense witness, testified yesterday that
his examination of the evidence in the
case absolutely convinced" him that
Clarke committed suicide. He said
there was mot scintilla of evidence"
on Clarkes skull, produced in court, or
on the death pistol, to show he was
murdered
| c. A. Peterson, Dade County investi-
gator, gave the testimony regarding
Hamilton'S reputation.
do you know Of Mr.. Hamilton's
work as a criminologiSt?" States At
torney N. Vernon Hawthorne asked
Il am familiar with it," the witness
| answered.
do you know Of his reputation as
| an eXpert?"
| objected on the ground that only per-
sons living in the same area were
qualified to testify to the reputation Of
Others. He was overruled.
''Yes, know his reputation" Peter
son answered.
''Is it good or bad?" Hawthorne
asked.
Sacco-Vanzetti Cited.
carson's objection again was over
ruled
Bad" Peterson replied.
I'm view of your last statement, would
you believe him on oath?"
II would not"
Hawthorne spent considerable time
! querying Hamilton about his employ
ment in the SaccoV Vanzetti case in
Boston. Eventually the State attorney
had read into the record a long court
report on charges that Hamilton acted
unethically in the Boston case
Hamilton frequently gave sharp re-
torts as Hawthorne questioned him, but
in each case where his reputation was
challenged offered an explanation of
his stand.
Hawthorne blocked attempts of de-
fense counsel to show by evidence of
/ autopsy surgeons that Clarke took his
own life. DR.. NJ H. Tallman,, who
brought Clarke's skull into the court
room yesterday: DR.. Donald Cove and
DR.. Walter C. Jones, jr., who together
| performed the autopsy. each testified
that the pistol which fatally wounded
Clarke was pressed firmly against his
head.
The doctors were asked by j. NJ
Carson. defense counsel, if they could
say whether Clarke committed suicide.
| They said they could give their conclu-
sions, but the court barred these, on
objections of the State.