Evening star., 1944-06-21
AIienist Doubts
Mergner' S Story
Of Lost Memory
Murder Cose Expected
To Be Given Jury
This Afternoon
BY JOSEPH YOUNG.


Immediately preceding and follow
ing the fatal shooting of Mrs. Char
lotte Robinson, October 26, indi-
Gated he knew the difference be-
tween right and wrong and had
premeditated the Staying, DR.. Edgar
D. Griffin, senior medical officer at
st. Elizabeth's Hospital, testified in
District Court today.
DR.. Griffin appeared as Govern
ment rebuttal witness to fight the
defense contention that Mergner
was too drunk to realize what he
was doing. The f1rst-degree mur-
der charge was expected to reach
the jury this afternoon.
The alienist listed several reasons
why he thought the 45year-old de-
fendant. father of five children, was
of sound mind at the time of the
Staying
"It doesn't seem possible that a
man suffering from acute alcoholism
would be able to drive his car eight
miles to and from the scene of the
crime without mishap," DR.. Crit
fin said.
Lifted Heavy Object.
The defendants action in lifting
a heavy manhole cover in an at
tempt to place the dying woman in
a sewer could not have been ac-
complished by an individual suffer
ing from acute intoxication, DR..
Griffin declared.
"A person in that state usually
hasn't the strength to lift light OBJ
jects, let alone heavy Ones" the
witness said.
The fact that Mergner told his
daughter to telephone Mrs. Robin
son shortly before the day of the
shooting and arrange date for him
is an indication that Mergner pre-
meditated. the crime, DR.. Griffin as
serted.
Supporting the defendants testi-
morly that his mind was a blank
at the time Of the shooting because
of excessive drinking, DR.. Antoine
Schneider, professor of neurology at
Georgetown University, yesterday
said it was possible that Mergner
the time of the shooting.
"Acute Toxis Psychosis."
1 ''If he drank as much as he says
4 he did, it is quite possible that he
was of unSound mind at the time of
Il the shooting" DR.. Schneider said.
1 The alienist said that the medical
term for Mergner's condition at the
time of the shooting was acute toxis
psychosis." The ordinary term, he
said, was good and drunk"
ts wouldn't it be perfectly natural
Gfor man who has committed such
1 q crime to get drunk after the shoot
Ming in order to forget?" asked First
M assistant United States Attorney
HJohn w. Fihelly in cross-examina-
ton. DR.. Schneider replied in the
affirmative. t#ftssF Faet - 81
Highlight of yesterdays session
was the testimony of the bald,
paunchy defendant who insisted
that he remembered no details of
the shooting which occurred last
October Is. Mrs. Robinson, his
former housekeeper, was shot four
times in the head and left to die
beside tree box at Seventh and A
streets NE. Government witnesses
have testified that the slayer fed at
their approach after attempting to
stuff the dying woman down a
Ysewer.
IH Tells of Three-Day Spree.
SgH Mergner told how he drank
llsbott!es" of brandy. whisky and
mine for the three days preceding
4the shooting. The spree began on
!iA Friday night and lasted until sew
s'feral minutes before the shooting
ION the following Monday evening
he said.
M Mergner's story remained un-
Shaken during a gruelling cross
q examination by Mr.. Fihelly.
i DO you know if you killed her.?
asked Mr. Fihelly.
8b Il don't know anything more
about it than the public knows
replied Mergner. "All / know about
lit is what I've read in the news
4 papers. I'd like to find out what
!; happened as much as you would"
III During the afternoon session,
Robert I. Miller, recently acquitted
lIsin the Staying of DR.. John E. Lind,
HIstrolled into the courtroom and
Hlremained for over an hour listening
Ito the testimony.