Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-11-18
BROWN ADMITS
TAXI HIT NUN
Trial of Man for ManSlaughter
Nears Completion.

Admitting it was a taxi that he was
driving which fatally struck Sister Mary
Blanche Mccormick, a sister of hte Order
OF Providence and Sister Superior OF the
Holy Rosary School. and acknowledging
that he made false statements to the po-
lice following the accident on April D
last, Ollie Brown, %. who has served
time in the Indiana State Reformary as
we'll as on the Indiana State Farm, tes-
titled in his own behalf before jury
In the Criminal Court today.
The admission Of Brown that 1t was his
taxi which struck the sister and not one
driven by his friend, Clifton CoOmer, who
Is also indicted and waiting trial ON
charge of manslaughter, virtually clears
Coomer of the manslsughter charge.
Brown denied he was racing with Coomer
but admitted Coomer passed his machine
prior to entering Monument Place.
Brown contended he never exceeded
twelve miles an hour while driving around
the Circle but said his car went about
thirty feet before he was able to stop 1t.
He maintained he was driving close to
Coomer's car and when his friends car
struck the curbing he turned his taxi to
the right, and as he turned out TO avoid
hitting Coomers car, he saw a nun stand
said he gave his wheel a jerk to turn
the car as far to the right as possible.
He claimed If the sister had not stepped
back two or three feet the taxi would not
have struck here.
SAY FRONT WHEEL
STRUCK SISTER.
Brown testified that his left front wheel
struck the sister, but said he did not
know II the wheels passed over her body.
He admitted Coomer told his employees
that 1t was a truck that hit the sister,
but denied he asked Coomer to make the
statement
Brown said he was released from the
reformatory In January and had been
working only a few days for the taxi
company. He admitted his reformatory
and penal farm record and asked that
he be excused from answering q question
Of the State. regarding the date Of his
marriage. He was not required to an
swer. His wife and baby are in Louis
Vile, KY. and were not living with him
at the time OF the fatal accident
Brown admitted he escaped from the
Marion County Jail July with other
prisoners and went to Oklahoma but
denied thai he planned or aided in the
Jail delivery. He did admit IN answer
to a question Of Prosecutor Claris Adams
that the sheriff told him saws were
found concealed In a loaf OF bread in
package which was addressed 10 him.
Clifton Coomer took the stand in in
terest Of Brown and maintained that they
were not racing or speeding He claimed
his car did not strike the sister.
ARGUMENTS OF
ATTORNEYS HEARD
Deputy Prosecutor William Evans
made the first argument for the State
and was followed by Frank Symms.
pauper attorney and counsel for Brown.
Symms concluded shortly before 2 80
o'clock and was followed by Prosecutor
Adams
Jddge James NJ. feathers was sched-
uled TO begin instructing the jury about
O'Clock.
Sister Theodata. companion OF Sister
Mary at the time Of the accident, proved
10 be one of the most important wit
nesses for the State as she was positive
the car was going from % to 80 miles
an hour at the time her companion WIS
knocked down By It. The defense failed
to show that the. witness was not com
petent to Judge speed Of n car.
Sister Mary Blanche Mccormick was
80 years old at the time OF the fatal
/ accident. and had been for seven years
Sister Superior Of the Holy Rosary
School, a free school conducted in this
city for Italian children by the Sisters
OF Providence. The Sisters were on a
shopping tour at the time OF the tragedy
at noon Of April o.
Sister Theodata testified they were
leaving the Office Of the water company
and were preparing TO cross the Circle
when two yellow taxicabs entered Mon
( ument Place from East Market street
{ Both Of the Sisters started to cross the
I street and when Sister TheOdata had
crossed she looked back, but did not
see Sister Mary. People started running
/ toward a huddled form in the street
Sister Theodats recognized the black
hsbit and then realized the tragedy Sis
I ter Mary died shortly after being taken
/ to the hospital.
Oma Anchlin, IS Pleasant Run park
way, WAS another eyewitness Of the
tragedy and followed Sister Theodata on
the stand.
Police officers and other witnesses tes-
tifed for the State. While Sister Theo-
data was testifying Brown, the indicted
driver Of the taxi, watched the effect Of
the sisters testimony on the jury
Brown is being held in jail because he
has failed TO give bond. Brown Is one
OF the men who broke jail July last
and fed to Oklahoma where he was
caught and returned to face trial.
The maximum punishment in this case
upon convicitnon is imprisonment from
two to twenty-one years.