South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-24
HEAR NEIGHBORS
Of ACCUSED IN
MURDER TRIAL
Two Children Testify Concern
ing 0uaTreIing at Zette Home
in Michigan City Previous to
Killing of Allen PierSOn.

Evidence TO show that James Zette /.
and Allen Pierson quarreied in zette's I
home in Michigan City during the eve
ming of Aug g, when the latter was
shot was given i'm the circuit court
Thursday morning through the testi- |
mOny OF Alvina and Clara Gleason. |
Alvina, 10 years old, and Clara, nine
years old. were with Lottie LOGAN, [
nine years old. on that evening and /
they had gone TO the Zette home for
the purpose Of selling some perfume
10 the Zettc boys While they were
there trouble arose over rabbit which
LOtte had carried with nor The tes-
timOny Of Alvina and Clara corrcbo- /
rated that given by LOttie Wednesday
afternoon.
The state also put on Mrs. Anna La
born and Mrs. Selma Jackson. neigh
boTs OF the Zettes. Mrs. LabOrn testi
fed that she had seen the Zettes and
Pierson through the window as they
sat at supper. She said that she saw
PiersOn leave the table and two min
utes later saw Zette follow. Within
a few minutes after that she heard the
shot Mrs Jackson said that Zette
came TO her house and telcphOned TO
the police that man had dropped
dead in his house and that ne wanted
them TO come ana get MIN.
Adjourn Until Monday.
Court was adjourned at noon until I
Monday morning, when the case viii I
be taken up at $50 o'clock. The state
expects 10 finish with their evidence
within an hour.
Jury l. Accepted.
Zette is charged with having killed !
Pierson in Michigan City on the night
of Aug. 3. His plea Will be that of !
self defense The case was taken up
Tuesday morning but the jury was not
accepted until 2 o'clock Wednesday I
afternoon. The state had exercised 13
peremptOry challenges and the de- !
Tense six. Three of the veniremen
had been excused for cause.
John h. Thornton, larry +. Run |
nels, Clayton Krupp and a. A Bor- !
den were the only members of the reg !
ular panel who were accepted. The |
other members of the jury are: James
Andrews. Gus Schultz, q. s. Immel, !
Frank Fash. Jacob Klingel. Fred |
Raab. j. Edward Stein and John Nc !
EndaTfer. The prosecution is being
conducted by Pros. People of LapOrte I
county and r. J. Lewis Meyer of this /
city. W. a. McInerny of this city and |
Matthew Kenehck of Michigan City
represent the defendant
Hear Five Witnesses.
Five Witnesses were put on by the
state Wednesday afternoon. The wit I
nesses were August j. Funk. chief of
police Of Michigan City; William =. |
White. policeman; Harold Binks, La
porte county coroner's son; Joseph !
Munning merchant. and Otto Hirsch- /
can. saiOOnkeepeT all of Michigan city. 1
1t was sought by the state 10 show that
Mr. and Mrs. Zette and Pierson had !
enjoyed themselves at the Zette I
home during the afternoon of Aug.
%. and that in the evening PiersOn (
"a nj n
order that he might eat supper with /
the Zettes Evidence was also pro-
duced To show that after the shooting
Mrs Zette had said that it was mean
for Zette 10 invite PiersOn to his house
and then shot him"
fottie Logan. nine years old. was
also placed ON the stand by the state.
she was frightened at first but she !
gained courage she told in her child
ish way how she and two girl friends
had run over 90 sell the perfume TO
Mr. Zette's boys.
She said that she went into the
kitchen and that there she saw Mr..
and Mrs. Zette and Pierson seated at
the table eating their supper. she
related how she had a rabbit with
her-"iust a little rabbit'-and how
Mrs. Zette took the little rabbit to pet
il and when she did SO the rabbit
scratched her ON the neck.
The Trouble Starts.
1t seems that then it was that the
trouble started. for. Lottie testified. (
Mr. Zette became angry because the
rabbit had scratched Mrs. Zette's
neck and ordered Lottie to take the
rabbit ont doors. Lottie said that he
swore and that Pierson told him that
he shouldn't swear when children
were around.
Lottie did not remember much con-
corning what happened after that but
she knew that Pierson had gotten mp
from the table and had gone toward !
the door and had said TO Zette that IL
would take rs men TO put him out. !
She also remembered that Zette had
said that he could take care of him
self and Pierson had replied that he
had not come there TO make trouble. !
The girls then went across the
street 20 another house and in a few
minutes they had heard the report OF
q gun from the Zette house. The
state sought Co show 10y the other wit
neSses that Persons body was found
living I'm such a position as TO indicate
that he was ON his way to the street
door when ne was shot Testimony
was also introduced 20 show that
neither of the men were drunk at the
time Of the trouble