South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-02-14
STULL SHOT IN
BACK IS THEORY
Of PROSECUTION
Attorneys Summing Up SenSa-
tiOnaI Murder Case at CraW-
fOrdSvilIe-May Not Finish
Until Wednesday.

CRAWFORDSVILL Ind, Feb. Il.
The theory that Walter Runyan,
charged with numbering Arlie Stull.
had shot his victim IN the back was
revived Saturday in Atty. Johnson's $
closing argument. Though three ply
sicians and an undertaken testified
that one bullet entered the right chest
the attorney said they had not said it
would be impossible for the shot in
the right side of the body TO have
entered the back.
Johnston declared Stull was lying
PROSTATE on the ground when the last
shot was fired and Runyan held the
gun close TO the body in a determined
effort 70 end the youths life.
StulRs bloody clothing was again
displayed in court while the attorney
described the course of the bullets.
Court adjourned at noon so that two
jurors could attend the funerals of
relatives who had died while the trial
has been in progress.
May Take Until Wednesday,
From present indications it may be
Wednesday before the case goes to the
jury The attorneys on each side are
making herculean efforts and in two
days of arguments have built up two
entirely different kinds of characters
for the chief actors in CraWfordsville'S
Both sides agreed as to the facts
that had precipitated the tragedy, that
Stull a former Notre Dame student
had told Mrs. Runyan to look into her
husbands pocket, which she did, find
ing an discriminating letter from a girl
named RoXie Hart, and that the fatal
quarrel between the two men follow
ed. Wound into the story was the
tale of a stain on StulPs birth which
Runyan knew Of and threatened to
expose.
Atty. Johnson. for the state, how
ever, pictured Runyan as a hypocrite
and a schemer, who pretending friend
ship for Stull and himself leading q
double life threatened Stull with
death should he reveal it, and worked
up a situation where he could kill his
enemy and still claim self defense.
Atty Jones, for the defense, on the
other hand, declared that Stull was
in love with Runyan's wife, that he
himself placed the RoXie Hart letter
in Runyan's pocket, then told his wife
where to find ii. that he was furious
hen Mrs. Runyan forgave her hus-
band. and believed that Runyan had
told her the story of StulPs birth in
order TO estrange them. Jealousy
working on a disordered mind drove
him, Jones declared, to try tn kill
Runyan, which he would have ac-
ipAASAlCU ioNA lAOL 1NuAJ OH siam MN
in self defense.
StuIl Man of Moods.
Jones painted Stull as a man of
moods, now light hearted, now sunken
in gloom, and tortured by jealousy and
half craZed by the belief that everyone
knew the secret OF his birth. He read
a letter written by Stull to Runyan
from Notre Dame two years ago, tell
ing of his plans to remain in South
Bend and take a job with the North
ern Indiana railway rather than go
home and face people who knew the
truth about him.
"I believe people know more about
me than 1 thought they did last sum-
mer. OF course II they did they
would never allude to IL while / was
near. They would never tell me un-
less in fit of anger. But if il should
ever be thrown in my teeth I would
throttle the - low down - right
then and there. l would never stand
for it. My mother has suffered
enough. l know she has paid the
price. 7 hardly feel that 1 can face
the music"