Thursday, July 28, 2022

Lawyer Trying to Show W.W. Campbell Unbalanced When He Killed Mrs. Annie Smathers, July 26, 1922

Attempting to Show Campbell Unbalanced. . . Introduction of Testimony in Murder Trial Shows Hands of Defense

Asheville, July 25—Introduction of testimony tending to show that W.W. Campbell, slayer of Mrs. Annie Smathers, a young widow, in the past was subject to fits that rendered him unconscious and that one time, when in this condition, he attempted to kill his six-year-old nephew in Baltimore with a Hawaiian stiletto, marked the second day of his trial on the charge of murder. This was brought out in witnesses for the defense, which is endeavoring to show that Campbell was not of sound mind when the killing occurred on the Fairview road on May 6.

In order to follow up this testimony which was brought out on the witness stand for Thomas Campbell, of Baltimore, brother of the accused and his wife who accompanied him to Ashville, attorneys for the slayer placed on the stand Dr. William R. Griffin, specialist in mental and nervous diseases. The physician stated he had practiced his profession for about 13 years and for more than 10 years he had specialized in the treatment of mental and nervous patients.

From the Raleigh News & Observer, July 26, 1922

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