Evening star., 1934-12-17

exercising good business judgment at
the time he was poisoning his wife.
Doctor" said Bryan, IF could
show that Bells business partner had
confidence in his judgment, conf
dence borne out by successful deals,
would that change your opinion?"
NO" replied the expert. Il have
known many insane people who have
negotiated big deals"
The Judge ruled that Bryan ques-
ton witness only on those assumptions
in the hypothetical question.
please assume, then, Doctor"
Bryan said, that Bell borrowed Sc, 900
from a bank here on his personal sig
nature, issued checks and overdrew
his account and then was required to
post collateral on the loan, would it
be abnormal If Bell was depressed by
these circumstances"
The doctor said he could not answer
the question in that form.
DR.. Tucker said he never noticed
that Bell showed any remorse, only
''f1eeting emotional upsets."
Assume, doctor, that Bell chose a
poison not known by doctors or nurses
and poison difficult to detect after
death, would that be insane?"
II understood" the doctor replied,
Bell read about the poison in a
nurses medical book in the very pres
ence of the nurse"
Before DR.. Tucker left the stand he
said he probably would get several
hundred dollars as a fee for testify
ing for defense"
Banker Is Called.
John F. Goldman, local banker, was
summoned by the prosecution as a
rebuttal witness to tell if Bell, a
stockholder in the bank, had voted his
stock by proxy at the last meeting.
Goldman previously had testified
Bell was losing his business Judgment.
Goldman said Bell did not vote the
stock.
Another rebuttal witness, Benjamin
T. Pitts, operator of chain of mo-
tion picture houses, was recalled to
the stand to ask if he had recon-
mended Bell for postmaster several
years ago. Pitts said he could not
remember"
Pitts previously testified Bell had
been acting like crazy man" during
their business deals.
Battle Of Alienists Looms.
With the Commonwealth deter.
mined to prove Bell sane, battle oi
alienists loomed here this afternoon
between two experts who have fire.
quently taken opposite sides in famous
Virginia trials.
They are DR.. Beverly r. Tucker
who late Saturday declared Bells
mind had collapsed, and DR.. ]. S
Dejarnette, superintendent of the
| Western State Hospital.
| The latter's assistant, DR.. j. w
Fried, probably will be summoned a.
another prosecution rebuttal witness
DR.. Tucker will answer a lengthy
hypothetical question framed by tht
defense which sums up all the testi.
mony in the case and then demands
Assuming all this to be true, ther
would you say Bell is crazy?" Com
monwealth Attorney Albert v. Bryar
| AAAd4CdJCo 1lC d1oO WOu1A pAOROoC
hypothetical question to his alienist
1t would be based on testimony ant
ask: "If this is true, would you cal
Bell sane?"
| Daughter Ill in New York.
Miss Irma Bell, 32-year-old Colum
bia University graduate, informed he
mother yesterday she was too i'll to re
turn home from New York for at leas
q week.
Mrs. Bell herself remains CRITICAL,
Ill. She has repeatedly declined inter
views to reporters and makes no com
ment on the case.
Friends say, however. that the in
valid is following the progress Of tn
trial with keenest interest. Counse
for Bel. has announced Mrs. Bell re
mains unalterably convinced Of he
husbands innocence.
The jury yesterday attended tw
church services and also took bu