The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-12-05
STATE hints
REMUS STILL
HAS FORTUNE.
Launch Attack on Ex-Boot-
leo Kings Charge That
All Of Profits Are Gone.
BROKE AID ASSERTS
Wife Slayer Maintains Mate
and Dodge Robbed Him
of Booze Millions.
BY PAUL w. WHITE
United Press star Correspondent

Uu1teu Erco8 stan Correspondent
COURTROOM, CINCINNATI, O.,
Dec. 5.-The State today set out to
prove that George Remus retained
more of the money he made in
bootlegging than he will admit.
RemuS has maintained that his
wife and Franklin L. Dodge, Jr.,
former dry operative, stole the mil
lions taken from the liquor stream.
Their conspiracies, he said, led to
the "transitory insanity" which re-
suited two months agoain the shoot
ing to death of Mrs. Remus by her
husband.
Now, baked Of its chance to queS-
ton Remus himself because the de-
fendant announced today he would
not testify in his own behalf, the
prosecution lengthily crosS-exam-
ined George Conners, closest ally
Of Remus and one-time fellow pris-
oner, when both were sent to At
lanta Penitentiary for prohibition
law violation.
Conners, suave and imperturbable,
was a match for Walter K. Sibbald,
the towering, sonorous assistant
prosecutor. The courtroom crowd
audibly enjoyed the colloquy ber
tween the two, and when one spec
tator laughed, Judge Chester r.
Shook ordered him elected.
Says Remus Is Broke
The witness reiterated the con-
tention that Remus now is broke"
He accused Mrs. Remus of selling
nearly all of the family property
while her husband was in prison.
Don't you know he owns race
ho7ses?" Sibbald asked.
How could he, unless someone
gave him the horses?" asked Con-
ners.
No, Conners did not know whether
Rer1us' currently owned an interest
in dog track. And he was not
certain whether Renus had trans
ferred an office building to a law
yer so that it could not be seized.
He was only convinced of one thing
that Mrs. Remus and Dodge had
taken the bulk Of the Remus for
tune.
In fact, Conners directly accused
Dodge Of owning at the present time
500 shares in the Pogue Distilling
Company, formerly Remus' property
At one time ConnerS was shown
his own name on a piece of paper
and was asked if it were his sigma
ture. He said it was not and that
Harry F. Brown, brother of Mrs.
Remus, had forged the signature.
The witness was asked concerning
Mrs. RemuS' ownership of the
Fleischmann distillery here. He
said Mrs. Rendus had sold 1t for
$4,000 and had sent Remus 500.
Later he admitted she had paid off
a $4,000 mortgage owned by Miss
Blanche Watson, one time secretary
to the bootleg king.
Conners denied emphatically,
however, that Miss Watson was in
volved in the defendants Illicit
liquor transactions.
Remus persistently objected and
once was rebuked by the court.
Deputy Tugs at Sleeve
On orders from Sheriff Ander-
son, a deputy, tugged at Remus'
coat sleeves until he sat down.
Sibbald wanted to know whether
Mrs. Remus ever had engaged in
liquor instances. Conners recalled
two instances and said Miss Watson
advised her.
The cross examination then went
into Remus' claims to ownership Of
many distilling properties. Remus
and his co-counsel, Elston, both OBJ
iected on the ground of immateri-
ality.
I'VE want to show" Sibbald ex-
planned, "that when the defendant
told Corners he had peanuts while
his wife had millions, he was CIV
ing only one side of the picture"
Remus Not to Testify
Remus, while angrily denouncing
the writings OF New YORK news
paper man, announced the opening
of court today he would not testify
in his own behalf.
IT want to apologize for having
said previously I would be wit
ness" he told Chester R. Shook and
Charles P. Taft H., county prose-
cutor.
The statement came while sup
porting a motion directed against
the reporter for stories on the trial.
Remus is charged with the murder
of his wife, Imogene.
Remus asked that the newspaper
man show cause why he should not
be cited for contempt of court.
Judge Shook overruled the motion.
The reporter was Dudley Nichols
of the New York World.
The specific story objected to was
one in which Nichols used and COM
mented upon a statement signed by
Miss Ruth Remus, foster daughter
of the defendant, but actually pre-
pared by press agent.