Evening star., 1943-09-16
C|atterbuck Sick
MentaI|K,Doctor
Informs Jury,
Psychiotrist Testifies
Murder Defendant
Was Ill in February
BY G. Staff Correspondent of The Star.


LEESBURG. Va, Sept. 16.-Dr. G
Thomas Strother. general practi-
toner and psychiatrist of Bruns-
wick, Md, testified in Loudoun
County Circuit Court late today that
Thomas william Clatterbuck, on
trial for the murder on June / of
Walter Russell, suffered from men,
tai illness.
DR.. Strot11er told the jury he had
treated Clatterbuck three times in
February for a carbunc]e and that
he had noticed almost Immediately
that he suffered from dementia
praecox. He described the disease
as one of emotional deterioration"
and said that under stress the per-
son suffering with it might do "un-
predictable" things.
Used Crude Language"
The doctor said that when Clat-
terbuck came to his Office for the
first time. he ordered, in a vulgar
way, his wife to sit down and in
formed the doctor in crude Ian
guage that his wife was going to
have her fifth child.
DR.. Strother, graduate OF George
town University III 1924, was stu
dent inferno at Casualty Hospital
and later clinical director and in
charge of the psychiatry clinic at
Gallinger Hospital in Washington.
Earlier, members of the Clatter-
buck family, his wife. Frances: his
father and mother and four broth
ers, testified briefly. The gist of
the family testimony was that Clat-
terbuck had changed" since Feb
ruary, that he was worried about
business and home debts and that
he had apparently lost interest in
the Church of the Nazarene in
which he formerly had been active.
Wife Opened Defense Testimony.
Earlier in the day 30-year- -old Mrs.
Frances Clatterbuck took the wit
ness stand to open the defense testi-
mony.
During a brief appearance on the
stand, during which Clatterbuck
fought hard to keep back tears. she
told of how her husband had ceased
taking her into his confidence on
business matters a few months be-
fore the crime. She also related
that they had five children and that
they had lost their home a few
weeks ago when Clatterbuck was
unable to meet a $4,000 deed of
trust.
Previously, an older brother pic
tured the defendant as a deeply
religious man and one worried over
debts in his business and on his
home.
The brother, Meredith Clatter-
buck, testified that his brothers
debts amounted to nearly So 800, ex-
elusive OF interest. These debts in
volved the trucks he used in his
stone business and $2,850 which he
owed on his home. sold about six
weeks ago, the brother said.
Asked by defense counsel, Mai
Robert A. Mcintyre, if he had noted
"any differences in the activities of
his brother since the first of Feb
ruary," Meredith Clatterbuck said
that he noticed that when he visited
the defendant, in his house, when he
was suffering from a bad knee, that
he wouldn't stay on the subject"
of the conversation.
Worried Over Business.
The witness said that their mother
offered to pay for an examination of
the accused. but that he, Meredith,
did not feel that Thomas was dan
gerous and thought he would be all
right once he was out of debt.
Earlier in his testimony Meredith
said his brother had been very active
for the last four or five years in the
Nazarene Church, of which he had
been member for about eight
years. He said Thomas made week
ly contributions to the building of
a church in Leesburg and sang in
the choir.
Defendant Was Quiet.
The witness said his brother was
the most quiet and obedient boy I
ever knew to get along with"
Meredith Clatterbuck was followed
by his brothers, John and Robert.
Their testimony brought out that
the defendants interest in church
affairs had slackened some months
before the tragedy.
Yesterday the prosecution COM
pleted the presentation of its case
after Judge Alexander admitted
into evidence the signed confession
OF Clatterbuck telling of the mur-
ders on June l of Morris Love.
Loudoun County farmer; his wife,
Mrs. Love; their son, James Rus
sell. who lived as a tenant on the
Love farm, and Mrs. Russell.