Evening star., 1934-12-18
JURORS WILL GET
BELL CASE TODAY
Defense Claims "Great
Change" in ACCuSed-ASkS
Jury to Forgive.
Continued From First Page.)

(COnIlnu6O tTOEn F1rSC FdBe.D
carefully disguised. Mr. Bell was their
employer.
Mr.. Bell was above suSpicion-a
man of prominence and integrity, who
had the respect of the entire COM
munity.
These nurses could not denounce
Mr.. Bell without proof-convincing
proof. They watched and they waited.
They told the doctor who was at
tending Mrs. Bell. Then these nurses
and their doctor set traps for the
one who was attempting to destroy
Mrs. Bell.
They guarded medicines, food and
drinks. In the meantime, they took
samples of poisons discovered in the
basement of the Bell household.
When they found potassium cya-
nide. gentlemen, the deadliest of
poisons, they had to act. They de-
nounced Mr.. Bell They laid their
evidence before the proper authorities
of this Commonwealth.
why was this husband doing this
to his wife, whose health and welfare
he had pledged himself to protectP
Letter Is Held Key.
Gentlemen, the letter which these
nurses found in Bells pockets when
they were searching for poison is the
key to this situation.
"a letter from this mans woman
friend, pleading a confession. 1t re-
vealed the true state Of the defend
ants affections. (The letter referred
to was from Mrs. Ella c. McMullin
of Richmond)
This defendant comes before you
as a churchman. He is no church.
man, he is betrayer, traitor to all
religion"
Bryan denounced the attempt of
the defense to impeach the character
of Miss Hill. He pointed out that
neither of the two men brought to
the trial from the nurses former home
in West Virginia had seen her for 10
or II years.
Describes Illness.
Bryan then described the condition
of Mrs. Bell He pointed out that
testimony showed she was chronically
stricken, that she might never return
to health.
He said Bell had chosen torturous
method for doing away with his wife.
He invited the jury to consider the
days, weeks and months of pain which
Bells victim had suffered.
Can you imagine a cold, slow,
calculating attempt upon the life OF a
defenseless woman?" Bryan asked the
jury.
Can you imagine more hideous
conception of a more hideous crime?
II ask you, gentlemen of the jury,
to find this man guilty as he is
charged in this indictment"
Mental Change Claimed.
Defense Counsel Butzner began his
argument by telling the jury "the
Eddie Bell we knew three years ago is
no more"
He then reviewed the defense testi-
mony of Bells mental and physical
collapse as the result of a thyroid op-
Grafton three years ago.
Butzner challenged the accuracy OF
the chemical analysis of score OF
poisons introduced in evidence. He
pointed out that "a dozen persons"
came in and out of the Virginia State
Laboratory where the poisons were
examined and labeled.
Gentlemen" ButZner told the jury,
remember these chemists were ap-
prised of the nature of the poisons
they were looking for"
The defense attorney then asserted
that if Bell had committed the crime
charged to him, it was conceived IN
the mind of an Eddie Bell, dethroned
of reason"
The accused wept quietly and wiped
his eyes with a handkerchief, while
Butzner described his mental collapse.
THE Edward C. Bell we knew Is
gone" Butzner said.
Bell, obviously affected by this
showed emotion for the
first time.
Bell Declared Sane.
Closing testimony late yesterday
centered around the expressed opinion
Of two prosecution alienists, each OF
whom declared Bell to be sane.
DR.. Joseph s. de Jarnette, superin-
5endent of Western State Hospital at
Staunton, admitted he had never
ayamined the accused man. but. on
,he basis of a long hypothetical ques-
ion submitted to him, he expressed a
firm belief the defendant was sane.
DR.. ]. w. Fried, assistant to DR..
lie Jarnette, followed his chief and ex-
pressed a similar opinion as to Bells
sanity.
This opinion was in contradition to