South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-12-09
LEGAL BATTLE
FOR WRIGHT'S
LIFE STARTED
Jones Opens Fight to Send
Alleged Muessel Muir
derer TO Chair.

80 \ ~ p III tttA fAGE D-N Pc
desks. William Muessel vas check
in8 up tho work OF Frank CnrobOt a
driver FOR the company. and robert
Muessel came over 20 the brewery
10 Use a telephone, He mad com.
plctcd pnOuiAs ana was leaving Lue
building when he met Lne robbers.
Describes tIODpcry.
Describing the InClueAt me attOr-
neg ssId. ~ nen hOberL Muesae4
closed the Office door ne was con-
tronted b. two men win drawn re-
solyers. one or the men Nas i4sLsA-
"a ana the other was uumaslAed. /
rhey ordered kODerJ aluesseI 90 90
back into the oMce. The unmask,d
man. Jack Nrlsnt carTyIl-s tyU
suns dlQ most or nc LdIhIug r1Is
partner. Charles DduIutucr. Jne
shorter OF tne pair. Was heavily
masked and carried t"O automatic
guns 81
when they entered The OFFICES Of
the brewery, they found tnS Two
AluesseLs anu frank CurOaOL" Inc
attorney then gave a viva picture vi
the wOrk OI the bandits In Oruerlug
tne men about. lie tOId how tAey
ordered Henry MuesseI 20 open tne
SAFE ana now II was found ImpOsaI-
bic since he had only the keys Tor
tnc ugnt side. DeLurutner tuen eN-
amined the keys and IS sad 10 nave
said, hes all rIgut. JacH. We
needn't worry about hIm."
Jack Wright tnen began 70 TIC
Robert Mueasels less, LILcr Henry
MuesscI hau protested 20 Oeiu5 put
into the sale wnICn ne said would
mean suuOcaJiOn TOR the lot. MrgnL
said, How do you know. nave you
ever been In there % ~ men NrIlnt
began the work of tying Robert
Muessel ne deposited ms Two guns
IN The coat Oh Danrutner. W hIle
Wright was engaged ia tying hOD-
crL Mucssel. CurObOt, SAINT OF
strength leaped forward. and Dau-
ruther started shooting COnLnu-
ing, the prosecution tod how Henry
MueSsel was snOt four times by one
az the bandits and that Jack W rll at
VINO IN some manner recovered as
guns. hit William MuesseI under tue
cnIn, cutting deep gasn and floor
inB ann, nc then nred a shot which
entered ms abdomen
Tells OF Escape.
Continuing, Jones sud AT the
same time the first shot was Tired. I
Robert Muesscls CrepJ outside the
door. tore the rope from ms feet,
ran 10 nearby roOmins house and
called FOR help. " men the police
arrived Wright and Ddnruther mad
escaped. Tney found Henry AIuessel
and ChrObOt lyIus in a pool Of
blood Wright lost his wig In the
scuHciing and a part OF his raincoat. /
The two men ran down EwoOd av. |
and Danrutner was IN the lead since
he knew the ground. In making
tnelr getaway " right ran into suy
wire and injured ms stomach.
"Danruther went TO Benton Har-
N.rnH ~ a
house al IL W. Las5alle av., where
talked the case over with August
schultz. Wright complained thaL ne
had a sore stomach and was treated
by Mrs. schultz Wright and
Schultz went 10 holland, Mich, and
shortly after disappeared from slgut
until they were apprehended IN De- /
trOI few months ago. While
Wright was talking over the case
with Schultz Mrs. Schultz overheard
the conversation and schultz at that
time said that he would k.ll her IL
she gave them away-and mad no
ton 10 kill her anyway"
Gave False Name"
When arrested, the state contends
that Wright gave has name as
George " alker, but later admitted
mat ne was Jack Wright.
The defense IN their opening
statement did not make an euort TO
deny any OF the details OF the muir
der, except that II insisted that Jack
Wright was not there at all. and
that August Schultz was the tail
man I'm The story, Arthur GilhOm.
who with Attorney Ralph smith OF
LapoTte are defending Wright. de-
HFered the opening statement. He
said that this was a case where two
men committed "a crime, one of
whom has not been caught. and two
others are being tried for having
played the part of the second man.
lie said Wright changed his name
at the time of mis- arrest 10 prevent
cmbarTasm ent on being tried for a
crime in which ne had no part, He
insisted that Wright would take the
stand and open his life as a book.
Concluding Gilhom said the taller
man in the case has confessed and
IS IN custody.
Mucsscl Tcstifcs.
Attorney J. ". McInerny. who
has been retained 10 defend schultz
who viii be given n hearing i'm the
St Joseph superior court took
notes on the opening statements in
he case
Robert Muessei. 1915 Portage av..
20 civE engineer student az AIinneso-
"a university. took the stand and
told OF the shooting affray. Robert
Muessel is a cousin OF che late Hem
~ Muessel and was just leaving the
OffiCe when he was forced 10 return
by the two bandits.
He told how he was tied hv Jack
Wright and clearly related the Incl
dents in connection with the muir
der. The rope was exhibited 90 Lhe
jury.
Wright stopped his iucessant
chewing OF gum for a short time
when Robert Muessel pointed 10
him and said Jack Wright was one
one or the two men that entered the
Office on Dec so. 1915. This was
the only time that Wright showed
any emotion during the day
William AIuesseI. secretary OF the
Brewing Co. who was shot. presu-
mably By Wright, while he was W.
ing on the floor following a fight
with a tai bandit. he showed the
jurors the bullet that was sent into
his abdomen. When the state fn-
shed questioning the witness. the
court adjourned for The day.
Jury Personnel