The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-10-28
WITNESS FOUND
IN MURDER QUIZ
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turned to see Martin grasp his right
shoulder with both hands and stag
ger on the landing.
There were a number Of other
persons on the stairway, Eilering
said. but he did not know them.
/ Eilering said he proceeded to the
/ dance hall, not caring TO become in
volved in the trouble.
Meanwhile detectives and Coroner
Paul F. Robinson discussed advisa-
bllity Of having Martins clothing
examined by a chemist in order TO
/ determine whether there are powder
burns upon it. Bad powder burns
would tend TO CorrobOrate Black
/ burns self-defense contention that
/ The shot was fired in q scuffie.
/ Ira Holmes. attorney for Lyness,
/ served notice today that Lyness viii
not testify at the Coroner's inquest
I Wednesday unless an assault and
battery charge against Lyness is dis
missed.
The coroner's Office announced
/ that similar notice had been served
+ by Frank Symmes. attorney for
! Ralph Purcell, IS. Of 2126 y. Meri-
dian St. brotherin-law OF Raymond
Powell who took out the police per
NIT for the dance.
Purcell Had Gun
Detec@es say that Blackburn
obtained the gun from Purcell.
I Purcell is charged with being an ac-
! cessory before the fact. unlawful
/ possession Of a firearm and carrying
/ concealed weapons.
Purcell according 70 detectives.
said ne had the gun to protect
money at the ticket office
Funeral services for Martin viii Q
held on Wednesday morning at s.
+ Peter and Paul Cathedral. Burial n
Holy Cross cemetery.
The pallbearers win be John
/ Hennessey. ORA Woody. William
Foley. Francis Feeney. Edwin SulI-
van and Joseph Mahoney. who We're
/ schoolmates and chums Of Martin.
The funeral arrangements We're
completed when Richard and Robert
Martin, brothers, arrived from New
York city.
Police Chief Herman F. Rikhof
today announced that he had or
dered the license granted Max Black.
burn and Powell to hold a dance adj
| vertised as a Butler-De PAW dance
next Saturday night AZ the Athe-
naeum revoked. Rikhoff said after
Investigation he found neither Of
the two schools had taken any
steps in promoting the affair. The
shooting last Saturday night at the
Athenaeum also Influenced him IN
revokirg the license, Rikhoff said.
Committee Waits Week
No final action in drafting q new
city ordinance to regulate public
dance halls viii be taken until after
election. The committee appointed
by Juvenile Judge Frank. J. Iahr
last spring left the actual work of
preparing the document to Attorney
Earl Gender, Of the Church Fedora
ton, who IS busy in politics just
now, It was stated.
Gender has the proposed ordinance
almost ready to present the commit
tee. Many changes are contemplat-
ed in the rules governing the dance
halls. Interest In the committee was
revived by the dance hall murder
Saturday evening.
Smith Martin. 80. Of 727 Congress
Ave, son-in-law Of William Black
burn. appeared at the coroner's Of
flee today and made a statement.
He bore out the statements Of
Blackburn. He was a ticket taker
at the dance, and, according to his
story, was attacked and beaten sew
eral times by Martin and Lyness be
fore the final rush in which the
shooting occurred.
Saw Blow Struck
Smith Martin testified that John
P. Martin and Lyness had him
backed up against a wall raining
blows upon him when he saw some
thing strike John P. Martin and
heard a shot.
The witness said the two young
men left and he went back to the
door he was guarding. He said he
asked Blackburn how the shot was
fired and Blackburn replied:
Il slapped one OF them on the
side Of the head with It and the
darned thing exploded"
Martin said he asked If anyone
was shot and some one replied: mo
the gun was loaded with blanks"
Martin told Of riding around with
his wife and son with the gun in the
back of his coupe, where Mrs. Will
liam Blackburn had tossed it. He
said his wife urged him to throw it
in Fall Creek and then White
River. and that finally he had his
son throw it into Crown Hill Gene
terry, where police found it.
Martin insisted -ke did not know
John P. Martin was shot until police
met him late Saturday night as he
and his wife were on the way to
William Blackburn's home, after the
gun had been disposed Of