Evening star., 1925-04-03
OF CHAPMAN
IS GIVEN TO Jury
Judge Says One of Four
Verdicts May Be Returned
in Trial for Staying.
BH the Associated Press


HARTFORD, Conn, April a.-The
case against Gerald Chapman, mail
looter, accused of the murder of
policeman in New Britain store rob-
berry, was given to the jury this after
noon.
The court explained that the Jury
could return any one of four verdicts
against Chapman-f1rst or second de-
gree murder, manslaughter or ac-
quittal.
In his argument on behalf of Chap
man, Frederick ]. Groehl again attacked
Walter E. Shean, characterizing him as
a weakling," ''our angel friend.
Shean," ''piker," a 'lobbygow." and
rascal" 1t was Shean, son of a
wealthy hotel owner of Springfield,
Mass, who told the police that Chap
man was the murderer of Policeman
James Skelly of New Britain last Oc-
tober IL.
tilted that Chapman had induced him
to accompany him on a fe-looting
expedition in the department store of
Davidson & Leventhal. The police
interrupted one of the cracksmen at
work. He shot his way to freedom.
killing Skelly. Chapman was the
gunman, declared Shean.
Sarcastic About Shean.
DO you think it logical that Chap
man, this supercriminal, the supposed
looter of a New York mail truck,
would choose a weakling like Shean
as his partner on a safe-cracking ex-
pedition?" asked Groehl.
Groehl also attacked the States
method of permitting it's identified
xrff m "a at
the prisoner before they took the
stand to swear to their identifica-
tion.
Let him live to repent" declared
Groehl, in closing his summation.
Don't let the pleas of the States at
torney that this man may again es-
cape from Atlanta, may again be at
large, may take your life, or may go
out and kill another policeman, un-
duly influence you. That is an old
prosecution trick-putting fear into
the hearts of jurors.
This man, If acquitted, will go
back to a prison dungeon to die. He
is not strong physically, he has not
many years to live
Sees Confession of Guilt.
States Attorney Hugh NJ. Alcorn
opened his summation with char
Chapman be permitted Ito live to re-
pent- as the defense counsePs con
fession of guilt" He declared Groehl's
allusion in his argument yesterday to
his (Alcorn's) motives in spending "a
fortune to convict Chapman, was a
"vipers sting" -
He could answer the imputation of
self-interest, he said, by telling the
fact that his investigation had re-
~
most desperate criminals, Chapman
and Anderson" lived in the heart of
one of our. New England hamlets.
within 10 miles of the humble home
of the President of the United States.
His subsequent investigation, he In
sisted and the resultant evidence had
proven that the prosecution of Chap
man was not inspired by self-interest.
Alcorn characterized the defendant
as desperate criminal who went W
and down the land pillaging and MUIR
dering."
Shean has not been granted i'm
munity, Alcorn said. He characterized
Shean as simple child" and pleaded
that his love of women, his drinking
and his gambling are traits common
to many men,"
Called Desperate Man.
Alcorn's argument dealt largely with
Chapman's desperate character and
concerned itself little with analysis OF
the testimony. He painted in contrast
ing words the two chief actors in the
drama-Chapman and Shean.
The defense, Alcorn said, was fight
ing for a disagreement of the jury,
"and with little hope of that"
Shean could have had no motive for
"pinnfng" the murder on Chapman.
the State prosecutor insisted. They
were friends, good friends, he said.
why should he have liedT'
He attacked Chapman's statement
that he had left Springfield at 4.10
o'clock and arrived at Lyle Chastane's
store, In Brooklyn, N. y, at about
p.m., Saturday, October IL, the eve of
the murder. 1t was impossible for him
to have done it in that time, Alcorn
said.
He also called attention to the lack
of testimony as to Chapman's where
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