South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-12-20
JOSEPH abby IS
CHARGED WITH
MURDER Of GIRL
Police Say They Have Evil
denCe Showing Poison Did
Not Cause Death.

''Not guilty was the plea made by
Joseph Abby when ne was formally
arraigned in the city court Friday
morning and charged with the muir
der % Florence Grisamer OF Goshen.
Ind. lie was held without bonds and
following the regular court proceed
ings was returned 90 his cell at DO
lice headquarters. "TriMe" Bates
The girl who slept with Florence
Ciriaamer the night before she died.
has been located by the police and
questioned Friday morning by Chief
of Detectives Cassidy, Chief OF Po-
lice Kline and Deputy Pros. George
A. Schock at police headquarters.
What the substance OF the cross
examination was they would not re-
veal. but they stated positively that
they were in possession OF evidence
that would show that the girl did
not have dope" OF any kind and
that 70 did not cause her death
Deputy Pros. Schock further stated
that the state was resting the case
waiting for the return OF the analy-
sis Of the stomach from Indian
apolis
In Good Spirits.
Abby seemed 20 be in the best Of
spirits during formalities in court
and talked and laughed with ac-
quaintances during the preliminar-
les. In an interview in his cell he
contradicted his statements made to
the police Thursday afternoon in
which he said that ne had never
known Of Florence Grisamer using
morphine or dope" Of any kind,
and said that he remembered of
her using it on one or two occasions.
DO you know the last name of the
girl called ''Trixie2" he was asked.
Yes. she went by the name Of
Bates. 'Trixie' Bates
WAS she addicted TO the use Of
drugs?"
she most certainly was"
How did she use it2"
she injected IL IN any part of her
body and when she could not get the
dope she would prick herself with
the needle anyway, to try to get the
effect"
How did Florence Grisamer use
the drug on the occasions that you
remember of her taking it2'
she took il internally"
Meaning she ate it2'
y Yes"
do you think 'Trixie' could have
induced her TO use some OF the drug
the night she slept with herr"
Sure / do. When heard that she
had stayed all night with her 1 said,
There's the one TO get for the muir
der"
What do you know about this
Bates girl?"
Il know that she was a dope flend
and that on the night she stayed all
night with Florence she was moving
from 119 IL W. washington av. TO
Madge Coles place. L don't know
where they stayed. Il might have
been at Belle Davis place and it
might not. 1 know where she is if
she has skipped town and that's
Cleveland. She is getting a divorce
from her husband there. She was
sending her husband money and on
"A trip there found her husband was
mixed up some way with another
81 woman and that is why she is get
ting a divorce"
Denies Acquaintance
When asked if he had ever gone
with the Bates girl any. Ably stated
emphatically that he had not as he
found out that she used drugs and
was afraid she might induce him to
use them. He stated further that he
was so intoxicated at the time he
beat Florence Grisamer that he had
absolutely no recollection of what
took place and did not even know
that ne had struck her until ne was
told afterward that she was serious
y hurt He said that he did not
think that ne injured her enough TO
cause her death as she had after
ward called up the Germania hotel
and said that she was all right and
not much hurt
The police continued their investi-