The Indianapolis times., 1927-02-01

the job. He is back. by solid
and harmonious group of Demo-
crats.
self in a mess and had to support his
story"
Turning dramatically to the jury,
Smith said:
"llave you ever seen any one lean
against your car? But Ford had q
detectives commission. He had
never made an arrest. He thought
it was about time to begin. So he
walked over to Gene and asked him
what he was doing to that car. And
Gene said; I'm not stealing this car.
I'm not doing anything.
Record Crowd
The greatest crowd in the history
of the Hendricks County courtroom
Monday afternoon heard Judson l..
Stark, Marion County chief deputy
prosecutor open final arguments for
the State. He dramatically re-en-
acted the fatal shooting Of the Of
ficer at the Boyer House 225 n.
Capitol Ave. He was followed by At
tOrney John T. Hume of Danville,
who is aiding the prosecution.
II am not thirsty for human
blood" Hume declared, but human
life in Indiana must be protected"
I'm the light of the crime wave
that is almost sweeping us off our
feet, "A reform is needed.
Warns Against Sympathy
ANY fleeting sympathy you may
have for the defendant must be
discounted; it seals the fountain of
Justice; it thwarts administration of
the law"
"There will be pleas for mercy
for Alger. Is he worthy of mer-
cy? What pity or compassion
did he have for Buchanan? The
mercy he showed TO Buchanan,
show that mercy to him."
Hume went over the different
points of the youths defense. He
pointed out that the advantages
Gene had had in college and high
school should have made him inn
munte to suggestions of crime; that
his youth should not be considered
as that is apparently the right age
for crime these days" He poirt ed
to the widow of Buchanan, who sat
weeping in the courtroom, and after
an eloquent tribute to the dead Of
ficer declared Mrs. Buchanan would
suffer all her days for this crime
of Gene Alger's."
Gene Alger on the morning of
July 9 conducted himself in a way
that Jesse James would have been
ashamed Of" Hume declared.
Stark pictured Alger as a youth
who went out presumably to hunt
work, yet armed to kill, who car
ried overalls, presumably to wear
when he got the job. but more rea-
sonably to wear in driving away
from Indianapolis in a stolen auto;
who. trapped in a closet, placed a
revolver against door and fired at
somebody he almost knew was an
officer; fired without warning.
Stark told how Gene Alger shot
another man while lying fiat on his
face, of sticking a gun in a woman's
back and telling her to drive like
hell; a youth who stopped at nothing
in his way.
Stark began his opening statement
after Judge Edgar Blessing over
ruled a motion of the State to re-
open the case to permit a newly dis
covered eyewitness to the shooting
t. testify.
Stark, in opening the argument,
declared that if Gene Alger one mo-
ment before he fired the shot that
killed Buchanan premeditated mur.
der. he was guilty.
There is legal assumption, too,
that he meant to kill when he car
ried this gun," Stark said, waving
the gun with which Alger shot the
officer.
"This young man was way past
the line of accountability, he de-
clared. This young man with ad-
vantages, with high school and col
lege training was not in dire need
of money. His father was working
as railroad man, at least for IL
reasonable wage; his mother was
working.
This young man started on
quest for work with a revolver he
had drawn in some sort of a game.
1t had also been said he got the
gun from his younger brother. He
knew that gun was loaded. He also
knew he had thirteen cartridges.
The defendant also had small
piece of steel with him necessary
when he wanted to reload the gun.
He knew what he had that piece
of steel for.
with this gun, this piece of
steel, he started out to AUNT work