The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-20
TO ASSAULT A WITNESS
ATTEMPT BY CLYDE JONES IN THE
BERGER ASSAULT CASE.
Sensational Incident I'm the Peru
Courthouse George Ray Dis
missed ON "a Technical Point.
sreciaI 70 the InaIanapoIIs journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
PERU. Ind. June 1.-THE Clyde Jones
case was made of more than usual interest
to-day by reason of a verbal and an at
tempted physical assault by Jones upon
one of the witnesses testifying against him.
1t was all the court officer could do to
replace Jones in his seat.
In concluding the cross-examination of
Jones the State tried to get him to tell in
detail how he got rid of the $40 he claimed
a minister had given him as an aid in re-
moving Miss Berger, but Jones had no
satisfactory responses. He claimed the
money was all gone when they reached
Freetown. the place where Nellie was res
cued.
This afternoon the State introduced its
evidence in rebuttal. and brought in several
young women from the vicinity of the Ber-
ger home, north of the city. to show that
Jones had been TO their houses before 60
ing to Berger's. and had tried to hire them
10 work for him at what he said was his
stepmother's farm. To some he said it was
one distance and to others it was another
distance away. He told one that the house
had thirty rooms, and that he had race
horses. In Jones's own testimony he
acknowledge that he had to borrow a clean
shirt when he went to a party at the time
i'm question. One OF the young women
mentioned said Jones offered her $40 for two
weeks work. This evidence was introduced
for the purpose of showing that Jones had
been using the same story. with variation,
FOR some time in his search for victims, and
only repeated it at the Berger home, in
stead OF. as he claimed in his testimony,
A.wfr- 1911. "a -. ~ sas.~e .a4A MI
In the testimony given by Miss Berger
she said Jones had repeatedly threatened
to shoot her and to follow and kill her IL
she told on him or II she escaped. Jones
denied this when he took the stand. and
said that he had not had a revolver for
three or four years. This afternoon G. ..
Biggs. of the vicinity Of Sugar Grove. Full
told that Jones had stopped at his home a
day or SO before the departure OF Miss
Berger. While at the barn getting out the
vehicle Jones told him that he mad two
friends-a living friend and a bulldog
friend, then drew a revolver from his hip
pocket and showed it. The moment the
witness said revolver the prisoner shouted
at him: You are a liar''
The witness was not disturbed, and con-
tinued his testimony as begun. When he
had about finished Jones asked the court
III he could not say a word in his behalf,
but was not permitted. Jones then arose
and was about to spring toward the wit
ness stand, when officer Potter was at his
side. commanding him 10 sit down. Jones
was white with passion and trembling with
excitement and would not obey. He had
TO be pushed TO his seat.
Court was adjourned at this time, as the
customary hour had been reached, and
when Jones saw he was powerless to do
anything, either by word or force, he be-
gan crying and mutterlng all kinds of
names and curses under his breath. He
was led away at once 10 Jail. The witness
was not iuffmida ted and said a4lpfWard
that he would nave welcomed Jones had he
come at him.