Evening star., 1943-09-17
I Put on Stand
In Rebutta| al
'C|atterbuckT Trial

Prosecution Tries
To Show Conduct of
Accused Unchanged
By STAFF Correspondent of The Star
LEESBURG, Va, Sept 17-With
seven rebuttal witnesses, the prose-
cution today sought to blast the de-
fense contention that the behavior
of Thomas William Clatterbuck, on
trial in the murder of tenant
farmer, had changed in the month
before the crime on June
Clatterbuck is being tried on a
charge of killing Walter Russell,
tenant on the nearby farm of A.
Morris Love, but he is also accused
of Staying Mr. Love. his wife and
son, James, and Mrs. Russell. All
the killings occurred on the Love
farm the same day.
The defense expected to present
its final argumnts today. The case
would then 60 to the jury.
Throughout the trial in Loudoun
County Circuit Court here the de-
fense has contended that a change
in the defendants behavior was an
indication of mental illness. The
illness was described yesterday by
two psychiatrists for the defense
as dementia praecox.
Denies Change In Conduct.
First to take the stand today was
29-year-old Paul Staubs, who
worked with Clatterbuck in his stone
business from January to April
II. Mr.. Stauos, who testified that
he saw the defendant practically
every day." denied that there was
any change in his conduct.
Although DR.. G. Thomas Strother
Brunswick, Md, testified that he
treated Clatterbuck three times in
February for an infected knee, Mr..
Staubs denied fatty that the de-
fendant had "a sore knee" in that
month. He testified that Clatter-
buck did have trouble with a knee
before he went to work for him in
January.
Under cross-examination of De-
fense Counsel Maj Robert A. Nc
Intyre, the witness admitted that he
had not seen Clatterbuck with his
trousers pulled over his knees, but
insisted that II would have known
about it."
Others Testify.
The other witnesses were E. C..
Norman, assistant cashier of a
Loudoun bank; Richmond Ely, gaso-
line station owner in Hamilton;
Theodore Reid, cashier of a Hamil-
ton bank; J. G. Hurst, lumber mer-
chant in the county; Roy M. Flippo,
grocery merchant, and Frank Reed,
deputy sheriff.
Defense counsel attacked their
testimony that they had noticed
no difference in Clatterbuck's be-
havior on the ground that most of
them had had only business dealings
with him and did not know him
socially, Maj. Mcintyre also tried
to bring out that since they did
not know doctor had said in
February that Claterbuck had de-
mentia praecoX, they therefore were
not observing him with any special
care.
When Maj. McIntyre objected
that their testimony was purely
negative and should be stricken
from the record, he was overruled
by Judge j. R. H. Alexander.
Psychiatrists Differ.
Yesterdays trial saw sharp con-
flict OF opinion between psychiatrists
over the mental condition of the de-
fendant. DR.. John A. Lind, senior
medical officer at st. Elizabeth's
Hospital in Washington, and DR..
Strother testified for the defense
that Clatterbuck suffered from de-
mentia praecox. DR.. J. S. De JAR
nctte, head of the De Jarnette San
itorium in Staunton and for many
years head of the Western Hospital
OF Virginia, denied Clatterbuck was
| insane or had dementia praecox.
| Under questioning by Mai Nc
1ntyre, DR.. Strother told the jury
that a victim of dementia praecox
usually under sudden stress or
strain" will do unpredictable things.
He quoted Clatterbuck AS saying
the rationing board was against
him." that his workers in the stone
business were leaving for the Army
and that he did not know what he
was going to do when the next
child came.
DR.. Lind said fatty that if the
statements were true he believed
the defendant was "of unsound
mind He said that the changes
in the behavior of Clatterbuck, no.
ticed by his family and his losing
interest in church affairs, were sig
nificant,"
The more brutal the crimes, the
more likely he is to be of unsound
mind" said DR.. Lind, who appeared
as the surprise witness" promised
by Maj. Mcintyre.
DR.. DeJarnette, however, said ii
was contradictory" to assume that
man with dementia praecox would
write the statements he did in the
Winchester Jail five days after the
Staying.
DR.. DeJarnette said that the fact
that Clatterbuck did not use the
same language at home that he
used in the doctors Office also in
dicated that he was not suffering
from the mental disease.