Evening star., 1953-09-15
Mental Examination
Asked for Watson in
Attack-Murder Case

Counsel for Clarence E. Wat
son, jr., 19-year-old colored boot
black, charged with murder and
rape, late yesterday filed motions
asking for a mental examination
I of their client and a change in
venue if he is brought to trial.
The motions were filed in the
U. S. District Court for the Dis
trict of Columbia by Attorneys
James C. Toomey and Thomas
A. Walden, jr.
In the motion asking for a
mental examination. the two de-
fense attorneys SAY WatsonS
family have. indicated that, in
their opinion, he has suffered
from mental illness for many
years. They also expressed the
opinion that Watson is mentally
unable to assist counsel in his
trial.
The motion for a change in
venue contends he could not re-
ceive a fair trial here because of
prejudice resulting from lin
flamatory publicity" which it
charges the Government manu-
factured" in the murder case.
Murder Trial First.
In the event Watson is tried
here, his attorneys seek to have
him tried first on charges of
numbering Miss Alyce o. Tag
CART last July 5 in her room in
the SCOTS Hotel for Women.
They charge that "only after
he (WatSon) has established his
innocence as concerns Miss Tag
gart'S death will he be able, as
a practical matter, to procure a
fair and unbiased trial" in the
rape case, involving an airline
hostess.
Last Friday, the prosecution
elected to try Watson first on a
charge of raping a 23-year-old
airline hostess last May / in her
apartment in the TOO block of
P street NV. Assistant United
States Attorney Frederick G.
Smithson, who is assigned to
prosecute Watson, said he will
ask the jury to recommend the
death penalty on the rape charge.
A rape conviction carries the
death penalty only when recon-
mended by a jury. Otherwise
the maximum penalty is 10 to 80
years.
Rape Trial Set.
Trial on the rape charge has
been set for November Is. If the
jury fails to convict Watson or
to recommend the death penalty
on the rape charge. he will be
brought to trial promptly on the
charge of numbering Miss Tag
CART, Mr.. Smithson said last
week.
In the motion asking for trial
of the murder case first, the de-
fense counsel declared Watson
'iS ready. willing and able to
prove his innocence" in both the
murder and rape cases. The de-
fense also asked the court to
allow them to inspect any writ
ten confessions"
1t was recalled that defense
counsel have said they would
fight Watson's confession in the
murder case on the ground that
he was held nearly II hours be-
fore he signed a confession.
The defense attorneys also
asked that the prosecution be
required to furnish them with a
bill of particulars, setting forth
in more detail the charges in the
Taggart murder case.
Would Inspect Records.
The defense attorneys ask the
court, in another motion, to sup
press as evidence several articles
Of Watson's clothing they con-
tend were illegally seized at his
residence. Another motion asks
for court authority for Watson's
attorneys to inspect grand jury
records to determine how many
grand jurors voted to indict
Watson.
The indictment charging Wat
son with the first-degree murder
of Miss Taggart accuses him of
hitting her about the head with
a blunt instrument. Other
counts accuse him of killing her
while perpetrating houSebreak-
ing and while attempting to rape
her.