The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-27
Evidence Submitted by the Prose
cution in Sensational Case
COntradiCted.
RALPH M'BRIDE'S DEATH
Pictured Vividly and Strongly by
Mr.. Burns in Closing for
the State.
ON THE STAND
All Testified that Mcbride Was
Active and Never Complained of
Illness After Hazing.
Special 70 the INDIANAPOLIS Journal

Special TO the indianapolis Journal
BLUFFTOH, Ind, Dec 26.-The trial of
ten high school boys, members of the
secret fraternity. the L. S. S. b, for assault
and battery, was resumed here to-day. The
case is attracting widespread interest be-
cause, az alleged, the initiation ceremonies
were so severe as indirectly to cause the
death of boy. Four members of the fresh
men class are alleged to have been forced to
do all manner of queer things, such as
walking tin cans, taking an oath on a
tombstone in a cemetery, etc, and also are
said to have been padded" and otherwise
punished
Prosecutor John Burns to-day rested the
States case against the ten boys. The
State attempted to make a strong impress
sion upon the jury by vividly picturing the
death bed scene of Ralph Mcbride, whose
death from an abscess was alleged to be
indirectly due to the hazing.
The defense began introducing testimony
this afternoon and it is making a vigorous
effort in behalf of the students under in
dictment The defense put on the witness
stand all the high school teachers who
were instructors last April at the time the
so-called hazing occurred, Prof. N. D. Ham
ilton being brought here from Rock Island,
ILL., to testify.
Prof. Charles Daily, n. d. Hamilton, f. j.
Walter and Miss Blanche Karns. instructor
in languages, all testified that Ralph Nc
Bride was out of school only one day and
that during the rest of the term ne seemed
as active and mmble as ne had ever been
and that he never complained to them of
sickness. His botany teacher said he took
long walks with her. often four five miles
in day.
Young McBrides death did not occur
until Sept. Is. about five months after the
haZing occurred. 1t was told the time of
his sickness that he had been playing much
along the Wabash river during the summer
and that he had malarial and blood poison
ing.
DIR. L. II. Cook, the physician who at
tended Mcbride in his last sickness, stated
that there was no way of telling what
caused McBride's sickness. the abscess and
death, but that the sickness might have
resulted from number of different causes.
McBrides parents testified as TO his last
sickness, but did not claim that the hazing
caused it. but thought 1t might have
The defense introduced the testimony of
about twenty prominent citizens to show
that the reputation for peace and quiet of
the ten boys on trial is good.
One of the four boys hazed testified that
all of them petitioned 20 be taken into the
/ tunity to back out if they desired, but that
| all wanted to go entirely through. He said
/ they returned to town laughing and talk
| ing. He denied the story told by another
| witness the first day TO the effect that they
were not allowed to eat any of the sup
/ per purchased at n restaurant by them.
The case is attracting great interest from
| the prominence of all parties concerned
/ 1t is alleged that the father of one of the
| boys hazed is responsible for the prosecu-
| ton and that 1t was he who caused the
/ grand jury to Investigate and return the in
| dictmentS.
| Jesse and Paul Williamson, two of the
! boys indicted, graduated last spring and
/ < n in In Tr,fx or
J sity. Bruce Kiger, another boy, is a stu
| dent at Ohio University, and Joseph Fisher
| is teaching in the Bluffton city schools this
year
The defense probably will occupy two
more days and the cases will not likely be
| closed before Tuesday.