Evening star., 1934-12-15
MENTAL TROUBLE
LAID TO BELL BY
BUSINESS PARTNER
Says Accused "Acted Like
Crazy Man" in Row
Over Stock.
DEFENSE OPENS CASE
| WITH ATTACK ON NURSE
Son and Daughter Expected to
Testify on Opposite Sides
in Poison Trial.
By STAFF Correspondent of The Star.

6y Stan correspondent OF The Star.
FREDERICKSBURG, Va, Decem-
Der Manifestations of a mental
breakdown by Edward C. Bell were de-
scrlbed to the jury today by character
witnesses for the 6O-year-old civic
leader, on trial here charged with re-
peated efforts to poison his invalid
wife.
A partner in chain of motion pic.
ture houses, Benjamin G. Pitts, testi-
fed Bell acted like a crazy man"
when he came to his Office six months
ago to discuss a stock sale. This re-
mark was stricken from the record
and Pitts was required to confine his
testimony to what he had seen rather
than what he thought.
Pitts said Bell purchased $4,000
worth of stock in his motion picture
enterprises, and he heard later Bell
had offered to sell the stock for
$4,000. The witness said he sent his
auditor to Bell to learn if this report
was true.
Describes Row.
Some time later, Pitts said, Bell
came to his Office and began to
shout: What kind of a crook am I
dealing with? What are you trying
to do?"
Pitts said he told Bell he would pay
him $4,000 cash for the stock, where
upon Bells manner became as friend
ly as usual. He patted Pitts on the
shoulder and told him, IF you think
that much Of the stock, I'll keep it,"
Pitts said this occurrance seemed to
vanish later from Bells mind.
The defense opened this morning
with an attack on the character OF
one of the major prosecution wit
nesses-Miss Ruth Hill, a nurse to
Mrs. Bell, who previously testified the
husband tampered with the wife's
food and medicine.
Cousin Of Nurse Heard.
Spencer E. Hill, Madison, w. Va.
deputy sheriff and lumberman and
first cousin Of the nurse, said her
general reputation for truth and
veracity and for honesty was bad.
II wouldn't believe her on oath" !"
Hill said.
Prosecutor A. v. Bryan, cross
examining the witness, brought from
him the statement that A. w. Embry.
a defense attorney who had been abb
sent from the trial until yesterday.
had got him to come to Freoericks-
burg and promised him IS a day plus
expenses.
Bells son is expected to testify to-
day in behalf of his father, while on
the other hand the defendants 81
year-old daughter, Miss Irma Bell, Is
expected to be rebuttal witness for
the Commonwealth Monday.
Edward C. Bell, jr., 22-year-old
sophomore at the University Of Vir-
ginia, was attending classes at Char
lottesville during most of the time
when the Commonwealth alleges Bell
was plotting to destroy his wife. His
sister, a graduate of Columbia Uni
versity, has informed Trial Judge
Frederick Coleman she hopes to be
here to testify Monday. Miss Bell
became i'll while on visit to New
York and thus was prevented from
| attending the opening OF the trial.
Character Witnesses.
Other character witnesses this morn
ing described Bell as civic leader OF
long standing, q business man OF
honesty and enterprise. churchman
who has long been active in Bible
class work, a former Sunday school
superintendent, past president of the
Kiwanis Club and member of the
Chamber of Commerce, Eiks and other
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