The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-11-19
REMUS FIGHTS
TO remain AS
own COUNSEL
Doubts Whether Judge viii
Keep Threat to Bar His
Questions.
TAFT TO ASK ACTION
Next Outbreak Will Be
Signal for Request of
BaiIiff Guard.
TAFT TO ASK ACTION
BY PAUL w. WHITE
United Press STAFF CorresDonden4


CINCINNATI, Nov 19.-Over-
shadowing any question as to the
guilt or innocence of George Remus
in connection with the shooting to
death of his wife, Imogene, today
lay the problem as to whether he
would continue long as co-counSel
for defense.
With Judge Chester P. Shook,
who will decide the issue in case
the dynamic defendant decides to
make any more perorations in his
own behalf, visiting Columbus to
watch a football game, no ruling
could come over the weekend.
But Judge Shook declared late
yesterday that if Remus continued
to pay no attention to his dictumS
Remus would no longer be active in
direction of the defense.
Remus. interviewed in his cell by
the United Press correspondent,
was emphatic in his belief that he
would not be barred as an attorney
in the case.
"Wait Till 1 Get Going"
"Did you think I was effective in
denouncing the prosecutor?" He
asked. "Wait until get going.
I'll be in there at the finish and you
can bet on that.
This defendant stands on trial
with his life at stake. To have q
fair trial he must examine such
witnesses as he may choose and
must make the opening and closing
statements to the jury. Surely no
court would deny a man the right
to speak the truth
But Charles P. Taft, II, county
prosecutor, and son of Chief Justice
william Howard Taft, thought
otherwise.
In the closing minutes of Fridays
session RemuS thundered, with the
Jury excluded from the courtroom,
that he would like to wreck you
CTaft) physically"
Taft to Ask Expulsion
"If Remus is guilty of another
such outburst," the prosecutor said,
II shall move his exclusion as CO.
counsel and ask that two bailtttS be
stationed beside him to maintain
order, meanwhile I shall be pre-
pared for any assault" Taft smiled.
He is a former football and basket
ball player at Yale and has an adj
vantage of at least six inches over
the short but we'll conditioned Re-
mus. Taft also is twenty years the
junior of the defendant.
Remus said after court, however.
that he would relish the oppor-
tunity of hand-to-hand conflict
with the prosecutor whom he terms
"persecutor."
Remus daily has been shadow
boxing in the jail to keep fit.
Strain in Courtroom
For a moment yesterday it looked
as though he would have more
than one antagonist. That was
when he singled out Earl E. Basler
and said the latter drank "pints and
pints" Of liquor and had not been
caught yet. Basler then told Re-
mus that If the defendant came
nearer he would punch" him.
With such threats of physical vio-
lence and the taunt by Remus that
Taft was, in effect a "pitiful off,
shoot Of his great renowned father"
the first week of the trial ended in
burst Of excitement and outside
the courtroom the atmosphere was
strained.
For here in Cincinnati former
convictS and gangsters are ready to
testify either for State or defense.
Threats OF Violence
In the ballroom of a downtown
hotel, last night, a man who served
sentence with the former "l1ing
Of bootleggers" pulled a revolver
from his pocket, tapped it signifi-
cantly, and said "a bullet in there
goes for anybody who thinks that
Remus is going to be tapped for this
racket"
That sounds too melodramatic to
be true of course, but it actually
happened. There is not a reporter
assigned to the case who hasn't
heard threat of violent death from
at least one Of the many prospective
witnesses in the case.
All Of which keeps the temperature
on high.
There are those who believe that
anything may happen II Remus is
permitted to roSs-examine Frank
lin L. Dodge Jr., the former Depart
ment of Justice operative he con-
SiderS as the lover of Mrs. RemuS
and his arch enemy.
Here's a Good Lead"
After the roaring attack upon
Taft and Basler, two of the three
alienists appointed by the court
hurried forward to confer with
Judge Shook. Their conversation
was not overheard. But, as effecting
RemuS' sanity, testimony that did
not go into the court records must
figure.
One reporter swore that before
the vocal explosion Remus turned
and whispered: Here's good lead
for your morning papers. Watch
me burn UP Taft"