Evening star., 1945-05-27
Corens
nue6 From First

dict was against the weight of
evidence"
II believe the defendant should
have been found unqualif1edly guilty
of first degree murder or acquitted -
he asserted. The verdict disclosed
there was compromise. Certain
jurors must have been for ac-
quittal and others for first degree
murder and after five and a half
hours of deliberation they compro-
missed"
Jury Asked instruction.
He said the crime was "heinous'
one and the verdict, if guilty, should
have been "unqualifiedly first de-
gree" He added that personally. I
am convinced that the murder was
not committed in that house"
The jury had been brought in
once before at 10:40 pm, after the
group had sent a note to Judge
Clark. presumably to ask for fur
ther instructions. After the verdict
was announced, members of the
jury were questioned about it, but
refused to answer.
The trial, which began Wednes-
day, was transferred here from
Montgomery County after defense
counsel asked a change of venue.
Mrs. Corens' head was found in
Fairfax County, Va. February q,
two weeks after she disappeared.
Judge Outlines S Verdicts.
Before the jury retired to decide
Corens' fate, Judge Clark told the
jurors they could choose one of five
possible verdicts.
He listed verdicts of guilty of mur-
der in the first degree, the formal
charge against Corens which car
ries a penalty of death or life i'm
prisonment at the discretion of the
judge; guilty of murder in the first
degree without capital punishment;
guilty of murder in the second de-
gree; guilty of manslaughter or
not guilty.
Judge Clark read the instructions
from typed slip of paper. He then
passed the slip to Circuit Court
Clerk John Hopkins. III, who gave
it to the bailiff in charge of the jury
Almost the entire day was occu-
pied with summations of the de-
fense and prosecution.
In his closing argument, Mont
gomery County States Attorney
Joseph B. Simpson, jr., asked for
the highest type of conviction
known to the law"-first- degree
murder. He said he would leave to
the court the final determination of
the punishment to be imposed.
Defense Ask Acquittal.
Defense Attorneys Harold C. Smith
and Mr.. Weolfel asked acquittal,
contending in their closing argu-
ments that all evidence against
Corens was circumstantial and that
proof OF Mrs. Corens' death was not
positive.
Describing Corens testimony as a
tissue of lies," Mr.. Simpson asked
did all that blood come from one
little finger on his hand?"
He also described Corens' state
ment on the witness stand that his
wife used a hacksaw to remove CAL
louses from her feet as deliberate
falsehood.' Emphasizing that
special Federal Bureau of Investi-
cation agent had testified the hack
saw bore human tissue, Mr.. Simp-
son took the saw from the table in
front of the jury and made a saw
ing motion on his arm.
Human Tissue on Saw.
There was human tissue on that
saw because it went through Mrs.
Corens' neck like this" Mr.. Simp-
son said.
Murder will out and this thing
hold in my hand is an instrument
OF DEATH" he added.
Then the States attorney slam
med the hacksaw on to the table
and looking directly at Corens, said,
I can't even understand how he
can look at it," Corens did not look
up, but remained slumped in his
chair, his face resting in one hand.
I'VE have only the word of the
accused husband that Mrs. Corens
was a drunkard, but that of course
l@y