Evening star., 1943-09-17
CIatterbuckTr
NearsC|ose as
Both Sides Rest
Attorneys to Present
Finol Arguments to
Jury This Afternoon
By a sta1 Correspondent of The Star

LEESBURG, Va, Sept. 17-Both
sides in the murder trial Of Thomas
William C1atterbuck in Loudoun
County Circuit Court had rested
their cases before noon today and
were prepared to make their final
arguments to the jury this after
noon.
Before the luncheon recess at
1890 pm. the prosecution and de-
Tense attorneys agreed on instruc-
tions for the jury which will be
read by Judge j. R. M. Alexander.
The jury was retired to permit
drafting of instructions.
Clatterbuck is being tried on
charge of killing Walter Russell,
tenant on the nearby farm of A..
Morris Love, but he also is accused
OF Staying Mr.. Love, his wife and
son, James, and Mrs. Russell. All
the killings occurred on the Love
farm on June /.
Testimony Refuted.
Last to testify were rebuttal wit
nesses for the prosecution. High
light of this testimony was a fiat
denial by Paul Staubs, 29-year -old
former employe of Clatterbuck, that
the defendant had suffered an in
fected knee between January S and
April II.
DR.. G. Thomas Strother, Bruns-
wick MD physician, testified yes
terday that Clatterbuck came to his
ONCE three times during February
for treatment of a badly infected
knee and that during those treat
ments he found the accused suffer-
Ing from a pronounced case of de-
mentia praecox.
Throughout the trial the de-
tense 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
Mr.. Staubs, who worked with Clat-
terbuck in his stone business from
January to April II. Mr.. Staubs,
who testified that he saw the de-
fendant practically every day." de-
MED there was any change in his
conduct.
Although DR.. Strother testified he
treated Clatterbuck three times in
February, Mr.. Staubs denied hatly
that the defendant had "a sore
knee" in that month. He testified
that Clatterbuck did have trouble
with a knee before he went to work
for him in January.
Under cross-examination Of De-
tense 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 Il 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.
Psychiatrists Differ.
Yesterdays trial saw a sharp con-
fiict OF opinion between psychiatrists
over the mental condition of the de-
fendant. DR.. John A. Lind, senior
medical officer at st. Elizabeths
Hospital in Washington, and DR..
Strother testified for the defense
that Clatterbuck suffered from de-
mentia praecox. DR.. j. S. De Jar
nette, head of the De Jarnette San
ltorium in Staunton and for many
years head Of the Western Hospital
OF Virginia, denied Clatterbuck was
insane or had dementia praecox.
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.
tlced by his family and his losing
interest in church affairs, were Sig
nificant."
DR.. De Jarnette, however, said 1t
was contradictory" to assume that
a man with dementia praecox would
write the statements he did in the
Winchester Jail five days after the