Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 312, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 December 1919 — NEW WANTED TO TAME CRAB, SAYS SANITY WITNESS. [ARTICLE]

NEW WANTED TO TAME CRAB, SAYS SANITY WITNESS.

I Los Angeles, Cal., Dec. 29.-—The prosecution scored what was regarded by it as an important victory today at the resumption of the trial of Harry New, charged with the j murder of his sweetheart, ' Freda Lesser, whenyfit succeeded in block- | ing attempts of fche defense attorneys to introduce testimony bearing on New’s sanity or insanity by witnesses not qualified as experts or intimate friends. Albert F. Nathan, a newspaper reporter, was the first of the witnesses by whom the defense hoped to establish New’s mental unsoundness. -After Nathan had testified he had interview New while” the accused was in the city jail, Lecompte Davis, for the defense, asked if in Nathan’s opinion New was sane or insane. Objections by District Attorney Woolwine were sustained by Judge Gavin W. Craig temporarily at least. ' The defense then announced that lit would switch the line of testimony. It was expected that several witnesses would be called to testify that New was sincerely in love with Miss Lesser and had made preparations just before her death to marry her as quickly as possible. Catching crabs, taking “dry baths” and fleeing from imaginary enemies were favorite pursuits of Harry New, according to the testimony today of Gustave Leonhardt, of Venice. “I saw him under a wharf one day,” the witness said, “catching crabs and apparently having a fine time. I asked him what he was going to do with them and he said, ‘take them home and tame them.’ “Another time he was visiting at my house,” the witness continued. “I found him in a tub, clad in underwear and socks, at 1 o’clock in the morning. There was no water in the tub. I said to him, ‘what’s the grand idea?’ “ ‘Oh,’ he said, ‘I thought I’d take a good bath and get ready for tomorrow.’ ” Numerous other strange acts were Attributed to New by the witness in the course of an examination which brought many sharp clashes between opposing counsel. When the afternoon session was begun the prosecution was ready to undertake cross-examination of Leonhardt.