The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-11-28
mot GUILTY." SAYS
DR.. CRAIG, ACCUSED
SLAYING DR. KNABE
Attempt to Unravel Death
Mystery of Prominent
Woman Begun.
EXPECT LONG TRIAL
Indianapolis Murder Case Is
Staged in Circuit Court
of Shelby County.

SHELBYNILLE. Ind. Nov 2S-Dr
William B. Craig. head OF the Indian
apolis Veterinary college. under indict-
ment charged with the murder or DR.
Helene knabe. who was found dead in
her apartments in Indianapolis, Octo-
ber "a. 1911, entered a formal plea of
not guilty when arraigned in the Shell
by county court at $50 o'clock this
morning Dr.. Craig. who was accom-
panied by his l5-year-old daughter.
apparently was cool and unconcerned.
During the half hour delay before
court opened he chatted freely with
his friends and counsel. A motion
filed by his attorneys 10 quash the in
diCtment was Immediately overruled
and members OF the regular panel OF
veniremen were called into court
General interest in the trial at the
opening did not come up TO eSpecta-
ton, and the crowd in the court room
did not reach great proportions. A
heavy rain to some extent accounted
for the meagre attendance, and an air
OF deep gloom prevailed.
Poses For Photographers.
DR.. Craig and his party Cheerfully
posed for newspaper photographers
before court opened.
THAT the state expects A long trial
was indicated by questions put to pros
pective jurors as to their physical
ability to sit through a long case
Ollie Harrell, 81. farmer of Hen
bricks township. was temporarily pass
ed by the state after he had denied
having any opinion in the case.
Never read any Indianapolis news
papers, and have no prejudice against
The trial of a person on circumstantial
evidence" said Harrell
The second juror temporarily passed
by the state was E. D Willard Al,
farmer of Van Buren, township, the
father of six children.
The state exercised its first peremp-
tory challenge by dismissing Edgar
Money, so, who stated that he was a
veterinary and farmer. had attended
college under DR.. Craig. and had a
very kindly regard for him.
Dr. Helen Elsie Hermine Knabe,
former state pathologist and perhaps
the most widely known woman physi-
clan in Indiana. was found dead on
her bed in her apartments in the Del
aware Flats, corner of North Della
ware and Michigan streets, with her
throat cut in such a clever manner
that it probably caused almost instant
death without the severance of an
/ artery. This caused the blood to
flow steadily instead of squirting.
The CHASTITY discovery was made
about o'clock on the morning of
October 4, 1911, by Miss Katherine
Mcpherson, office assistant to the
physician, when she reported for
duty Miss Mcpherson Immediately
summoned Miss Augustus Knabe, a
cousin of the victim, who lived some
distance away. and the latter called
in several physicians before the pO-
lice finally were notified.
I No Weapon Found.
The death wound was between
three and four inches long and extend
ed through to the spinal column. the
/ cartilage of which was slightly mark
| ed by the sharp blade. No weapon
was ever found and the only unusual
conditions presented in the room were
the displacement of a rug and the ab-
sence OF Miss Knabe's slippers from
their accustomed place at her bedside
/ An electric light bulb bore what was
declared to be a blood stain. The vic
TINS body was lying with the head 10
/ the foot of the bed. The breast and
bed clothing were saturated with
/ blood which had also dripped from
! the soaked nightgown to the hard
wood floor. The right hand rested
under the chin while the left arm was
outstretched. Two telephones, one OF
a stand and the other upright on the
| floor were within easy reach Of any
one lying on the bed.
The murder, II murder il was, Is
! thought to have occurred about one
O'Clock in the morning, and as the
door had not been forced, il is believ
ed that the perpetrator escaped
through a rear exit into the alley after
passing through the main hallway
| The janitor testified to having heard
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