Ogden Daily Standard | 1917-01-20 | Page 5 | Spanell's Home Life Reviewed

SPANELL'S HOME LIFE REVIEWED State Permits Testimony in Murder Trial Regarding Defendant's De-fendant's Devotion to Family. San Angelo. Texas, Jan. 19. Testimony Testi-mony regarding Harry J. Spannell's devotion to his wife and child which the state sought to have excluded, was admitted today by Judge C. E. Dubois in the trial of Spannell, who Is charged charg-ed with killing his wife and Lieutenant Colonel M. C. Butler at Alpine, Texas, last July. The testimony was given during the cross examination of Mrs .1 W. Down-urn, Down-urn, who. with her husband. Is now operating tho bote) at Alpine formerly run by Spannell. State counsel contended that to be admissible the testimony should bear on the general reputation of the defendant. de-fendant. Tho defense argued thai iiny evidence tending to depict Spannel'a love for his wife was pertinent, because be-cause it would show his frame of mind towards Mrs. Spann II It was contended that the state already al-ready had Introduced testimony to show that Spannell "was spying" on his wife. The defense, it was aiut-a. had a right to refute this kind ol evi- I donee.