Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-06-07
DECKER'S CHUM
TELLS OF TALK
DAY OF MURDER
Says He Saw Virgil at Atwood
POstOffice in Muddy
Clothes.
snecial to The Times.

WARSAW, Ind, June Harry Suth-
erland, a bosom friend Of Virgil Decker,
aided the State in weaving its web of cir
cumstantial evidence around young Deck
er in the insurance murder trial here to-
day.
The two boys ran around the country
side together before Virgil was indicted
for the murder of Leroy Lovett, their
mutual friend.
Sutherland told the jury he saw Virgil
at the Atwood postoffice on the day
Lovett met his death. 1t was an odd
place for the youth to be at the time OF
the day, be said, ana his clothes Were
greazy and muddy
whats the matter with you l asked
him." Sutherland testified Virgil said
4 don't give a damn what happens tc
me-"
EFFORT TO IMPLICATE
DECKERS IN PLOT.
Other questions were put to Sutherland
by State attorneys in their efforts to
implicate Decker and his mother and two
brothers in a plot to Identify Lovett's
body as that of Virgil, and collect $24, ,O0l
life insurance which Virgil, $40 month
farm hand, carried on himself
Richard Funk. a fisherman, testified he
was going down the Tippecanoe River
in a boat and as he passed ''the murder
cabin" on the rear of the Fred Decker
farm, he saw Virgil running at top speed
from the home of his brother toward the
cabin. Virgil circled the cabin once, he
said, and then when he saw Funk in
the middle of the river he sat down on
a stump. As Funk passed on his way,
Virgil followed him for nearly half mile
the fisherman said
DOCTOR WHO ATTENDED
LOVETT TEsTIFIES.
DIR. George l.. Marshall. who cared for
Lovett when he was found dying on the
Pennsylvania right ht-of-way at Atwood,
was called as witness for the State.
He said he found that Lovett's skull had
been fractured by blunt instrument and
that his jaw had been broken.
The body was rushed to a hospital
under his care he said, and an operation
was started In an effort to save his lie.
At that time, the impression prevailed.
he said, that the body was that of
Virgil Decker. Fred Decker brother of
Virgil entered the operating room and
watched the operation without emotion,
the physician said.
John Harmon, who has known the
Deckers forty years, told of their life
In the nelghDorhood. he was summoned
for jury duty. but was excused when
he told the court he was well acquainted
with the defendants. Defense attorneys
declared then they would want him as a
witness, but the State sprung another
surprise by calling him for testimony
against the~Deckers.
LISTENED IN
ON TELEPHONE.
Another of Virgirs sweethearts entered
into the case when Gladys De Ford, a
farmer girl came in to testify regarding
some conversation she overheard on a
telephone between Virgil and Miss Violet
Barth Miss De Ford picked up the re-
ceiver on party line and said she heard
Virgil make an engagement to meet Miss
Barth at the end of the Barth lane on
the night the murder was supposed to
have been committed
Men and women fought for admission
to the little court room. The trial was
resumed at Q o'clock and long before Z 30,
when the doors were opened, a crowd was
standing down the court house corridor.
AS the doors swung open, the crowd
rushed in and there was a scramble for
standing room.