Evening star., 1943-09-15
Witness Recites
Talk Of
C|etterbuck
Heard Defendant
In Murder Case
Discuss Loan
By Staff Correspondent of The Star.

prosecution witness in the murder
trial of Thomas William Clatter-
buck today testified in Loudoun
County Circuit Court that she over
heard telephone conversation be-
tween the late Mrs, Ruth Love and
Clatterbuck, in which the defendant
pleaded with her to ask her hus-
band ito be patient for a few days"
on a $4,000 note.
Clatterbuck Is accused of killing
Mrs. Love, her husband, A. Morris
Love: their son, James; Walter
Russell, tenant farmer, and Mrs.
Russell on the Love farm on June l.
The witness, Mrs Annie B. Law
son, who lives west of the Love farm,
told the jury that she overheard the
conversation when she had picked
up the telephone to call Mrs. Love.
She said she recognized the voices
of both parties. Mrs. Love, the wit
ness related. said very little.
The gist of the conversation, ac-
cording to Mrs. Lawson, was that the
defendant had asked her to tell her
husband to be patient for few
days, that he expected to pay every
cent of the $4,000, with interest,
since he was receiving money from
West Virginia and other sources.
Testimony Conflicts.
This testimony conflicted sharply
with the opening statement yester-
day of Maj Robert A. Mcintyre de-
fense counsel. In his opening state
ment to the jury he said that Mr..
Love had gone to Clatterbuck' par
ents and told them not to worry.
The defense claimed that Clatter-
buck had gone to the Love farm
on the invitation of Mi. Love. ex-
tended through the defendants
mother.
Earlier Mrs. Lawson's daughter,
Mrs. Fulton Piggatt, who lives
across the road from the Love farm,
told of going to the Love farm,
when summoned by a travelling
salesman, and finding the bodies of
Mrs Love and James.
For the first time during the trial
the Loves daughter, Miss Sarah
Love. looked down.
Mrs Piggatt testified that on the
morning of June /, she saw someone
of Clatterbuck's height jump in the
right side of car and roar away
as if making a getaway" from the
Love farm.
Others Take Stand.
The prosecution made a pro-
nounced effort through a number of
witnesses to prove that Clatterbuck
used the right hand side of his car
to get in and out of it. 1t promised
to bring out the significance of the
point later.
Others who testified today in
cluded Richmond Ely, Hamilton fill
ing station owner, and j. D. Tribby,
cashier OF Purcellville bank, who
identified two checks from Mr.. Love
to Clatterbuck. One was for $1,000
and the other for $500.
Commonwealth S ATTORNEY Charles
F. Harrison, heading the prosecu-'
ton, attempted to introduce Clatter-
bucks alleged confession yesterday
afternoon, but Maj. Robert A. Nc
Intyre Of Warrenton, defense coun-
sci, objected that he had not seen
the paper before and requested time
to read it. It was withdrawn tenn
porarily after Maj. Mcintyre moved
to disalloW this paper (the confess
s1on) as having been obtained con-
trary to law"
Case Outlined to Jury.
The general pattern of the trial
began to take shape yesterday as
the prosecution and defense out
lined the case to jury of II farm
ers and one highway worker from
Madison County. Mr.. Harrison de-
manded the death penalty while
the defense claimed insanity at
the time of the crime. saying that
it would place on the witness stand
a surprise expert" who would tes-
tify that the defendant had pro-
nounced case of dementia praecox.
Mr.. Harrison said they expected to
prove that Clattterbuck had bor-
rowed 1900 from Mr.. Love and that
the defendant had forged three in
dorSementS on a note--those of his
father-in-laW, brother and father.
Mr. Harrison said that Mr.. Love
discovered the notes were forged
and that Clatterbuck had gone to
the Love farm after asking for an
appointment and requesting that
Mr.. Love have the note with him.
First Hint of Insanity Plea.
The first hint of the insanity plea
came when Maj. Mcintyre told the
jury that Clatterbuck's mother no.
ticed on Christmas of 1941 that
her son showed peculiar charac-
Jeristics," presenting her with a big
baby doll
The mother was so affected. the
defense counsel told the court, that
she warned his brothers and sus-
gested that he be examined"
The defense counsel said that
Clatterbuck had gone to specialist
several times in February 1943.
Attempting to offset the state
ment of the prosecution that Clat-
terbuck had sought an appointment
with Mr.. Love on the morning of
the tragedy, Maj Mcintyre said
that Mr., Love had gone to the
defendants parents, telling the
mother that she needn't worry
about the debt and that he would
give more time for payment
That was before June l. Mai.
| McIntVre declared con Jllne | on