Evening star., 1925-06-26
GROVE DENOUNCES
SHEPHERD COUNSEL
IN HIS FINAL PLEA
Defendant Is Branded as
"NeW Kind of Murderer"
and Liar.
SCORES HIS OPPONENTS
FOR LEVITY IN TRIAL
Germ Murder Case Nears End,
With Attorneys for Both
Sides Confident.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO. June 26.--The greatest
crowd of the six weeks trial fought
for admission TO the courtroom today
to hear Robert F.. Grove. States at
torney. make the closing jury plea in
the Shepherd trial.
Prosecutor Grove. who began talk
ing in an easy conversational tone.
led with denuncia tion of w. :.
Stewart and w w. O'Brien, the de
fense attorneys. for their spirit of
levity throughout the trial.
He defended himself. Judge Harry
Olson and Alexander F. Reichmann
from the defense's allegation that the
accusation against Shepherd and his
trial were steps in a vicious conspir-
acy against Shepherd to prevent him
inheriting the s1,000,000 estate willed
TO him by the boy he is charged with
using typhoid germs to slay.
His Sacred Duty.
Il am here because it is my sacred
duty to be here" Grove shouted
They have introduced a new kind
of murder here. and because of that
il is the most important murder trial
in the history of Illinois
Yet, Stewart and O'Brien would
have YOU believe l am so vile, venal
and corrupt that l would be forced
to become a party TO a conspiracy to
Stra ngle an innocent man"
Prosecutor Groves face redeemed
and his eyes narrowed as he turned
and glared at Shepherd when he ar
raigned the defendant as 'perpetrator
of a new species of murder"
Stewart and O'Brien were on their
feet with a half dozen objections as
Prosecutor Grove talked. and O'Brien
from his seat.
They wanted to laugh this case
out of court" Grove forced between
clenched teeth. They wanted to call
it a comedy, make a burlesque OUT
of it, using the laughter of the hired
claquers they brought here"
Grove said the reason he put Judge
Olson on the stand was to give
Stewart and O'Brien an opportunity
to make good their jury choosing
statement that I'VE will show this
case is a frame-up; Harry Olson has
q financial interest in it."
Attacks Opponents.
What do you think of tactics of
that Sort" demanded Grove as he ac-
cused Stewart and O'Brien. What
do you think of the method with
which this case has been defended.
oft proclaims the man. You can
often tell whether or not the de-
fendant is guilty by the kind of de-
fense he presents to a jury
The prosecutor criticized Shepherd
for living 16- years in a millionaire
home in a fashionable suburb, prac-
ticing law and not having a host of
influential friends to rush to his res
cue, and for waiting until the last
moment to deny the charges against
him.
The defense objected that by in
sinuating that Shepherd should have
called character witnesses the prose
cution was committing a reversible
error.
Mr.. Grove dilated upon his charge
that Shepherd was a shiftless pan
handler" who had been content to
live 16 wars in plenty provided by
another.
My only purpose in cross-examining
this man was to prove he was a liar"
Prosecutor Grove declared, as he
pointed a finger at Shepherd.
Il had him branding himself liar
with his own words as he left the
witness stand. That was the only
purpose in going back into records
of the Probate Court and cross-eXa m
lining him as TO what he said them
Shepherd was doubly caught, Grove
said when he took the witness stand
and denied he murdered Billy McClin-
took. but did not deny the converse
rions State witnesses said they had
with him.
Calls Shepherd Liar.
Stewart wanted me to ask him for
deniaIs. ] am not Shepherds lawyer.
Why did he not have Shepherd deny
them? Something had happened when
Shepherd wrote to Miss Stella Cabling
that he had been pauperiZed and that
he was considering closing his Office
and drifting away from it ALL the
prosecutor said. He was a liar when
he swore he was lying when he said
nothing had happened. Something had
happened"
Grove held the defense tactics of
Stewart and O'Bricn responsible for
the difficulty in controlling the Chi.
cago situation.
Mrs Julie Shepherd, wife of the de-
fendant, was not in the courtroom.
She cried when Mr.. Groves first as
sistant, George f. German, was max
INK lHe SldlS > opening pea ana Ola
not return for the afternoon session,
while German was talking.
Shepherd heard the States attor-
ney's plea without visible emotion. He
did not glance at Mr.. Grove.
None of the States attorneys staff
would entertain consideration today
OF shepherds acquittal, but II was
indicated that II the present trial does
not result in conviction Shepherd
probably never would be forced to
trial for either of two other deaths in
connection with which he has been
accused of murder.
Was Best Case.
Judge Harry Olson openly accused
Shepherd of the murder of Mrs. Emma
McClintock and DIR. Oscar Olson
The same coroner's jury which rec.
commended Shepherd be held for Billy s
murder recommended that Shepherd
be indicted for Mrs. McClintock's muir.
der. The death of DR.. Olson was rec
commended left open for investigation
This was our best case" said a
member Of the States attorneys staff
We are confident of conviction in it
If. however, we had cases in the other
instances we thought we could obtain
convictions upon we would have had
indictments already"
Prosecutor Grove had not concluded
when court recessed for lunch.