Evening star., 1952-06-18
State Contends
Mrs. Kornarens
Could Tell Right
Psychiotrists Soy
Wife in Shooting Case
Knew Consequences
By ChorIes l. Hoffman
Stor Stoff Correspondent

Time OF the 1aCal ShOOtlng OF hel
husband last February II, two
psychiatrists for the State testi-
fed today.
Their testimony differed sharply
with that of DR.. Irving j. Spear
Baltimore psychiatrist, who de-
Scribed the attractive brunette
yesterday as an "automaton" at
the time of the shooting.
Both pSychitricts for the State
today described Mrs. Kornarens
as neurotic who was emotionally
unstable and immature.
Faulty Judgment Cited.
Mrs. Margaret Virginia Boyer OF
the State Board of Mental Hy-
giene, said study of the defend
ants life showed a continuous run
of acts committed through faulty
Judgment.
DR.. Manfred Guttmacher, men,
tai specialist for the Criminal
Court in Baltimore, said Mrs
Kornarens' pattern of life largely
was prejudicial to her own best
interests
"Her life was full of conflicts, >
he said. "She had high ideals in
many respects. but ignored them
in her general way of life"
The 25-year-old brunette is
on trial here for murder in the
shooting of her husband, John
Henry (Mr. jack Kornarens, AZ
at their home, 4O1 Leighton ave-
nue., Silver Spring. The Wash
ington beauty shop operator died
Is days after the shooting at Gar
field Hospital.
Acted on Impulses.
MRS. Kornarens is an attrac.
tive and admirable person, but
incapable of acting except on i'm
pulses" DR.. Guttmacher said
The physician said he had found
only two cases of temporary in
sanity in some 5000 accused per-
sons he had examined.
He said that Mrs. Kornarens
was afraid of her husband, whom
he said apparently was cruel and
brutal to her.
The State ended its rebuttal
testimony at 1918 am.
DR.. Spear yesterday said she
was unable to distinguish between
right and wrong and to realize
the consequences of her act.
DR.. Spear said Mrs. Kornarens
was in a panic state and under
terrific strain at the time of the
shooting. He added:
She didn't have sense enough
to leave the house although she
was afraid Of her husband.
DR.. Spear noted Mrs. Kornarens
had been impassive during most
OF the trial. He described her
emotions as almost frozen" al
though she had wept during the
three hours she was on the wit
ness stand.
Doubts She Remembers.
The physician added he doubled
If the defendant remembered any,
thing about the shooting. He
said he assumed part of her state
ment to police had been brought
on by Suggestion"
The doctors testimony ended
a parade of 13 defense witnesses
to the stand.
Attorneys expect the jury Of II
men and one woman to begin de-
llberationS this afternoon.
Hyman Smollar, an attorney
1925 K street NV, Washington
said he had advised the defendant
she was not legally married to Mr.
Kornarens.
MIR. Smollar said he told her
this last January 81 after records
showed their marriage took place
before their final divorce DEGREES
were final. 1t was Mrs. Kornarens
third marriage and her husbands
fifth.
Bigamy Case Revealed.
The defense yesterday also in
troduced in evidence a certified
District court record showing Mr.
|kornarens was a convicted biga-
mist. He had received a suspended
one to three year sentence on the
charge.
Mr.. Kornarens was married to
an Elsie D'Angelo on November 3
l941, and to Vivian Brown on
the following December 81, the
record showed.
Mrs. Kornarens told the court
her husband had Dragged about
being married to three women AT
the same time.
Recounts Story of Life.
Under questioning by Defense
Attorney Vivian v. Simpson the
defendant tearfully recounted the
hectic story of her life.
She told of three attempts to
commit suicide, two unhappy
marriages which ended in divorce
and an illicit affair with Mr.
Kornarens prior to their marriage
She said her husband once haC
choked her into inconsistencies
and had kicked her many times
She said he had beaten her ir
every room of the house, in public
and in their garage.
Former Hagerstown Police Chief
William H. Peters testified as tc
the dead mans activities at the
Washington Hotel. Mr.. Peters was
a former house detective there.
Accompanied by Women.
"Mr. Jack came in many times
with no baggage except a woman,
he said.
DR.. Lloyd Eller, Washington
dentist. said Mr.. Kornarens al.
ways had a drink in his hand
His wife said she never saw MI
lKornarenS when he was sober