South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-02-27

ORA. Ind. Feb. 26.-"I did not
shoot Benny Slavin!"-a boys brown
eyes look squarely into yours.
He did soi"-the eyes OF other
children look sQuarely into yours.
And there you have Ora's child
murder mystery"
Benny Slavin. Z. died 90 hours
after a rife bullet pierced his body
Thanksgiving Day.
Cecil Burkett, II, playmate and
next door neighbor. goes to trial
at Knox late next month on a first
/ degree murder Indictment.
Every important witness for the
prosecution and defense is a child
of tender years.
Thus children's hearts must be
plumbed for truth by the y adults
in the jury box.
Eyes Are Battling.
Cecil's eyes never leave yours as
he tells and retells the story of the
tragedy without variation.
He carefully draws a diagram OF
the Burkett house and yard where
Benny Slavin was shot. On this
plat he traces his every step at the
time Of the shooting without hesita-
ton.
Cecil Burkett's Story.
Burkett tells this story: Freddy
Schermann and were cleaning
the straw out of the martin house
I was just going into the house
with some straw to burn when 1
heard a shot.
THE door is on the east side.
The shot came from the south
side of the house.
Il dropped the straw and ran
around the corner of the house.
Bonnie Slavin was crying and run
ming down the hill 70 his house.
II had put the gun against the
house so we could chase off the
sparrows if they came about the
martin house.
IT did not shoot Benny. He
must have been playing with the
rifle or dragging it on the ground
when the trigger caught in the
weeds.
Il was where I couldn't see
Benny when he was shot"
The states star witness is Fred
erick Schermann. also H.
He, too, tells a straightforward
story-and It directly contradicts al
most every detail OF Cecil's story.
Schermann's Story.
Schermann's version is: 1--WE
were playing. me and Cecil Bur
ket, and Cecil told me TO go get
the bird nests.
Cecil and Benny came up there
and Cecil had the gun and while
1 was trying to get the nest out
Of the bird box I heard a shot
fired and I heard Benny crying
and when I turned around Cecil
had the gun and I ran and told
Mrs. Slavin.
Cecil never did like Benny.
They never could get along.
"The Burkett children were al
ways picking on Benny.
Benny was a nice boy TO play
with and easy 10 get along with.
After the shot was fired Alfred
Burkett said to HIS brother, Cecil
Burkett. Now, you are going TO
get it'll"
When the word Of Cecil is weighed
against that OF Frederick. each will
have other children of lesser years
to corrObOrate their statements.
other Witnesses.
CeciTs nine-year-old brother, AL
fred, will be in court 10 support his
story. Others Of the seven Burkett
children will be in court 10 testify,
though none of them saw Benny
shot.
Little Elsie Slavin. six. will be
there. and If Albert Slavin. three and
a half is adjudged accountable, his
piping voice viii be added to the
chorus against Cecil.
The only facts that prosecution
and defense agree on are:
That Benny Slavin is dead.
That a bullet from a rife owned
by Cecil Burkett killed him.
That the tragedy occurred in the
Burkett yard.
Or. G. W. Campbell. deputy cor
oner. says that Benny died from a
wound caused by a bullet that en-
tered below the eleventh rib, coursed