Evening star., 1936-05-25
NOT GU|LTY,PLEA
OF MRS. BUXTON
Maryland Woman CHARGED
With Ak Murder Makes
Insanity Defense.
By the Associated Press,


cHEsTERTOwN, Nd. May as
Mrs. Thelma Buxton. pretty 2s-year.
old wife Of college professor, plead
ed not guilty in Circuit Court today
on a charge Of numbering her mother
in-law. A little later, S. Scott Beck.
defense attorney, entered an insanity
plea for her.
The slender defendant appeared
nervous and excited as sheriff John
N. Bennett led her into court to face
charge Of hacking her husbands
mother. Mrs Efhe Buxton, to death
with hatchet in their apartment last
Fall.
How do you pleadP" Clerk Of Court
Robert A. Shallcross asked.
mot guilty" she replied.
"How will you be tried?"
Defendants Voice Shakes.
by my country" Mrs. Buxton said,
indicating a jury trial.
Mrs. Buxton repeated the words
after her attorney. Her voice shook
and she had difficulty enunciating
the last statement.
Beck promptly filed the papers in
the defense plea. contending Mrs.
Buxton was insane at the time her
mother -in-law was slain.
A jury, consisting mainly Of farm
erS and merchants, was selected in
less than an hour. Only 30 venire-
men were called and of these, the
State challenged five, the defense six.
The court excused seven for cause
after they had said they had formed
an opinion in the case or were op-
posed TO capital punishment.
Attorneys in Tilt.
States Attorney Stephen r. Collins
precipitated brief tilt with Defense
Attorney Beck by asking the first
prospective Juror if he favored capital
punishment. Beck wanted to know at
once II the States attorney would
ask for the death penalty against Mrs.
Buxton. The States attorney stood
on his right under the law and rules
of the court not TO reply directly at
this juncture.
He did point out that the defendant
was indicted on a charge of first de-
gree murder and that if verdict OF
guilty on this charge were returned
without recommendation to mercy 1t
would mean a death penalty.
John w. Highman of Millington
miller, was made foreman of the jury.
The other members are Harry J. Hill,
Edgar D. Lusby. w. Maxwell Meeks,
w. Melvin Warner, william c.
Francis, Carroll K Dunlin and James
Alexander farmers; Max Alexander.
Philip T. Jones and Harry r. Demp-
sey, merchants, and W. Reybold Will
son. retired
Chief Judge w. Mason Shehan pre-
sided at the opening of the trial.
States Attorney Collins enlisted the
aid of DR.. Manfred S. Guttmacher,
chief medical officer of the supreme
bench of Baltimore, in his effort to
convict Mrs. Buxton.
Collins announced the addition Of
DR.. Guttmacher to the prosecution
staff a short time before the opening
of the twice-delayed trial of the pretty
28-year-old wife Of college professor.
DIR Guttmacher will be actively
associated with me-" Collins said. He
will sit with me at the trial table and
I shall confer freely with him. He
may examine some of the witnesses"
The enlistment Of DR.. Guttmacher
on the prosecution staff was taken as
an effort to combat the insanity plea
Defense Attorney S. Scott Beck
offered. The physician visited Mrs.
Buxton yesterday in the jail and spent
nearly two hours examining her.
Defendant Confident.
As he prepared to lead the slender
defendant from her jail cell to the
court room to face trial, Sheriff John
N. Bennett said she appeared conf
dent Of acquittal Of the charge against
her.
During the time she has been In
jail here" Sheriff Bennett said, she
has had her good days and her bad
days. At times, she appeared very de-
spondent and at other times her mem
tai outlook was better She seems to
be confident she will be freed"
Her only direct comment has been:
! will be glad when it is all over"
Before being brought back to Ches-
tertown and placed in jail, Mrs. Bux-
ton had been in q Sanatorium near
Baltimore. She was placed there, in
custody of the court, shortly after