The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-18
Three Ballots Taken, and at the Last
the Vote Was Unanimous for
Conviction.
ATTORNEYS ABUSE EACH oTHEl
PROSECUTOR RUCKELSHAUS AND
MCRAY PASS THE LIE.
Both Fined Five Dollars by Judge
Thornton and Apology Made
to the Court.

Sam Martin a member Of the band Of
self-confessed grave robbers. was convicted
In the Criminal Court yesterday evening.
The Jury which found him guilty was not
out more than twenty-five minutes. The
Jurors took three ballots, the vote standing
eleven to one for conviction two of the
ballots. The third ballot all were for con-
viction. 1. N. Cotton was foreman of the
Jury. The case had been on trial since last
Tuesday. An exciting feature of yester-
days proceedings was a sharp and rather
violent debate between County Prosecutor
Ruckelshaus and former Judge McCray.
one of the attorneys for the defense. These
gentlemen very cheerfully called each other
liars and were promptly fined IS each by
Judge Thornton.
The chief witness yesterday morning was
Attorney Cass Connaway, whose name has
been frequently used in this case. A strong
part of the defense has been that the con-
fession which Martin made to the grand
jury, in which he told of helping to rob
several graves, was procured from him
under duress. The defense claimed that
Connaway had good deal to do with getting
Martin intoxicated so that he would go be-
fore the grand jury and testify. Connaway
denied all of the charges against him while
on the stand yesterday. Detective Adolph
Asch also made denial of charges against
him of a similar character.
CHARGE MADE BY DEFENSE.
The argument consisted of speeches by
County Prosecutor Ruckelshaus and his
deputy. Charles Benedict, and by former
Judge McCray and Taylor Gronninger, OF
the defense. Benedict opened the argument
for the State and Ruckelshaus closed 1t.
The prisoners attorneys made two points in
their argument. They claimed that the
confession from Martin was wrung from
him and that the indictment against him
was drawn under the wrong law, one that
was repealed by the law of 1893. covering
these offenses. They did not admit that
their client was guilty as accused. and nei-
ther did they deny it. In his remarks At
torney Gronninger made the charge that
the States attorneys are trying to railroad
these colored men TO the penitentiary Ito
save the DOCTORS" and challenged Ruckels-
haus to explain to the jury why he did not
try DIR. Alexander last Monday according
to the original plans.
In the afternoon, when the county prose-
cutor rose to address the jury, he had fire
in his eye and at the start declared that he
wanted TO resent personal insult to his
office ..Our conduct has shown that we
have tried to convict DR.. Alexander" he
said. "and that is why these colored men
have not been tried sooner. Mr.. Gronninger
in saying that we have tried to screen DR..
Alexander has told willful and malicious
lie" The prosecutor went on to say that
the reason the State has not tried Alexan-
der is because McCray and Gronninger have
sealed the colored mems lips so that IL has
been impossible for the State TO try the
case. The prosecutor defied the prisoners
attorney to deny this charge.
LAWYERS PASS THE LIE.
At one point in the prosecutors argu-
ment he became involved In an alteration
with Attorney McCray over some remarks
that he had made at the noon hour. II
seems that Ruckelshaus had said to Nc
Cray. after Groninger's speech. that he
proposed to show that the doctors were