New Britain herald., 1925-06-26
States Attorney Rebakes 0ppos. ing Counsel for Their LeVity
 in Court
ALSO HOTLY DENIES HE
 IS PARTY TO ANY PLOT

Calls Case Most Important Mur- der Trial Ever Held in State of Illinois.
 By The Associated Press
 Chicago, June 26.-The greatest crowd of the six weeks trial fought for admission to the court room to- day to hear Robert F. Grove, states attorney. make the closing jury plea in the Shepherd trial.
 Prosecutor Grove. who began talking in an easy conversational tone, led with a denunciation of W. s. Stewart and W. W. O'Brien the defense attorneys, for their spirit of levity throughout the trial.
 Defends Prosecution
 He denfended himself, Judge Harry Olson and Alexander F. Reichmann from the defense's ale gation that the accusation against shepherd and his trial were steps in q various conspiracy against Shep- Htlu tO plGNNAiI illhi lhS S2,000,000 estate willed to him by the boy he Is charged with using ty- phoid germs to say.
 T am here because 1t is my sa- cred duty to be here" Grove shout ed. "They have introduced new kind of murder here and because of that it is the most important mur- der trial in the history of Illinois.
 "Yet. Stewart and OiBrien would have you believe I am so vile. venial and corrupt and that l would be forced to become a party to a con- spiracy to strangle an innocent man."
 Arraigns Accused
 Prosecutor Crowc's face reddened and his eyes narrowed as he turned and glared at Shepherd when he ar raigned the defendant as ''perpetra- tor of a new species of murder"
 Stewart and O'Brien were on their feet with a half dozen objections as Prosecutor Grove talked. and OBnen made numerous sarcastic comments form his seat.
 They wanted to laugh this case out of court" Grove forced between clenched teeth. Then wanted to call 1t a comedy. make a burlesque out of 1t, using the laughter of the hired chapters they brought here"
 Grove said the reason he put t~ give Stewart and OBrien an oppor- tunity 10 make good their jury closing statement that We will show this case is frame-up: Harry Olson has 8 financial interest in it." What do you think of tactics of that sort" demanded Grove as he accused Stewart and O'Brien. What do you think of the record with which this case has been defended :? Shakespeare has said that the ap- parel oft proclams the man You can often tell whether the defend- ant is guilty by the kind of defense he presents to the jury"
 Criticizes Shepherds Life
 The prosecutor criticized Shep- herd for living sixteen years in a millionaire home in a fashionable suburb. practicing law and not hay ing a host of influential friends to rush to his rescue. 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 prosecutor was committing a re- versible error.
 Mir. Grove dilated upon his charge that Shepherd was shift less "panhandler," who had been content 10 live sixteen years in plenty provided by another
 Calls Accused a Liar
 My only purpose in cross-exam- ming this man was to prove he was & liar" Prosecutor Grove declared as he pointed a finger at Shepherd. Mrs. Julie Shepherd. wife of the defendant was not in the court room. She cried when Mir. Crowe's first assistant, George E. German was making the states opening plea and did not return for the afternoon session while German was talking.
 Shepherd heard the states att torneys plea without visible emo- ton. He did not glance at Mir. Grove.
 State Expects Conviction
 None of the states attorneys 8 staff would entertain consideration today of Shepherds acquittal,' but it was indicated that if 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 rnur- der.
 Judge Harry Olson openly accused Shepherd of the murder of Mrs. Emma Nelson McClintock and of Dr. Oscar Olson. The same cor oner's jury which recommended Shepherd be held for Billy's mur- der, recommended that Shepherd be indicted for Mrs. McChntock's murder. The death of Dr. Olson was recommended left open for in- vestigation.
 This was our best case" said a member of the states attorney staff. We are confident Of conviction in it. IT. however. we had cases in the
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