Evening star., 1943-09-14
Plea Of Insanity
Made Defenseof
|CIatterbuck
States Attorney Asks
Death Sentence in
Staying Of Russell
B, a Staff CORRESPONDENT of Tn. Star.

Staying Of Russell
By a Staff Correspondent of The Star
LEESBURG, Va. Sept. 1.-THE
trial of Thomas William Clatter-
buck, with the Staying of Walter
Russell on June l, began today in
Loudoun County Circuit Court with
the prosecution demanding the
death penalty and the defense
claiming that the defendant was
insane
Earlier a jury panel of Madison
County residents was chosen on the
third attempt in three weeks. While
Clatterbuck is being tried on the
Russell murder charge, he is also
accused of killing A. Morris Love,
prominent Loudoun County farmer,
his wife and son, James, and Mrs
Russell All the slayings occurred
on the Love farm on the same day.
Maj. Robert A. Mcintyre, de-
fense counsel, told the jury of II
farmers and l highway worker that
when Clatterbuck went to the Love
farm on which Mr.. Russell was
tenant farmer, he was insane and
had no motive for killing anyone.
Denies Murder Motive.
There was no motive. It can
only have been the act of a very
insane man." Maj. Mcintyre de-
clared. =
In his opening statement, Com
monwealths Attorney Charles F..
Harrison told the jury he expected
to prove that Clatterbuck had gone
to see Mr.. Love to discuss a note
for $4,000 with three forged in
dorsements by Clatterbuck.
Mr. Harrison said the State would
attempt to prove that after having
killed Mr.. Love with a mallet and
Mrs. Love and their son, James,
with rifle, Clatterbuck surmised
that Mr.. and Mrs. Russell had over
heard the noise in the Love house.
HE reached conclusion and
definite plan not to leave a single
human voice and life on the farm, :"
Mr. Harrison charged.
ncCoIB Confession.
Mr.. Harrison then~went on to de-
scribe the States contention that
Clatterbuck went down behind the
Love house to exchange greetings
with Russell, then shot him through
the heart with rifle. He charged
that Clatterbuck then beat Russell
over the head and went into the
house and killed Mrs. Russell.
He was actuated," Mr.. Harrison
told the jury, by determination not
to be imprisoned for forgery"
Mr.. Harrison said that the only
decent thing which Clatterbuck had
done in this case was to confess
He told Of how Clatterbuck had
gone with the officers to the Love
farm on, June 3 to re-enact the
crime.
Maj. Mcintyre told the jury that
they would not know actually
whether there was q confession in
this case until presiding Judge ]
r. H. Alexander had admitted it
into evidence. If the jurist does
not admit the confession, he said
the State had no case.
Says Mother Noted Insanity.
The first hint that Maj. Mcintyre
would contend that the defendant
had insane moments came when
he said that Clatterbuck' mother
noticed peculiar characteristics
IN the Christmas season OF 194l. He
said that the mother had been SO
affected that she warned Clatter-
bucks brothers and suggested that
he be examined, but that it was put
OIL and he went from bad to worse. -
Attempting to Offset the prosecu-
ton statement that Clatterbuck had
asked for an appointment with Mr..
Love to settle the question of the
notes, Maj. Mcintyre contended that
Mr.. Love had gone to the parents
OF Mr.. Clatterbuck and told the
mother that she needn't worry
about it, and that he would give
additional time"
Maj. Mcintyre contended, there
fore, that Clatterbuck had gone
to the home of Mr.. Love "as a
friend"
Jury Chosen.
Miss Sarah Love, daughter OF
Mrs. Love, who was not at the farm
at the time OF the slayings, stared
straight at Clatterbuck, who was
not more than IS feet away through
out the proceedings.
The following was the Madison
County jury sworn in at 1852 pm.
less than three hours after the
opening of court:
Kermit r. Aylor, Aylors, farmer
R. L. Broyles, Brightwood, farmer:
M. L. Bates, Griglersville, farmer:
A. Lawton Blankenbaker, Etland
farmer; r. M. Coates, Griglersville,
farmer; J. S. Henshaw, Novum,
farmer; Ollie w. Kitchen, Banco,
farmer; Roy C. Lillard, Etland
highway worker; w. E. Taylor Ft-
land, farmer; F. Lindsay Utz, Orig
lersville, farmer; G. c. Gibson,
Pratts, farmer, and r. r. Jones. jr.
Ar06o farpoor