The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-01-17

Ionia Reformatory at 80 a. m.
today, being held incommuni-
cado there.
The precaution was more than
justified, in view of the riot a few
hours earlier, when a mob of $4,000
stormed the approaches to the
Genesee County Jail in an effort to
wreak vengeance on the perpetrator
of a crime comparable in flendish-
ness to the recent Hickman atrocity
in Los Angeles.
HOwling Mob Gathers
No sooner had word spread
through Flint, despite utmost efforts
at secrecy, that Dorothy's slayer
had been caught, than a bowling
mob surrounded the Jail and threat
ened to overwhelm the handful Of
police posted there.
Surging to and fro in frenzy,
the mob choruSed its intention of
crashing the gates and beating
Hoteliing to death.
Sheriff'S officers rushed an appeal
to the fire department to route the
crowd with high pressure water
hoses. The fire chief refused, as his
men were unprotected, declaring the
rioters would cut the hose and leave
the city without fire protection.
Militia Called Out
Mayor William McKeighan COM
inundated with Governor Fred w.
Green at Ionia, who authorized
calling out the militia.
About seventy-f1ve men OF the
18th Field Artillery were drilling in
the local armory at the time. They
we're hustled into marching order,
served with ammunition, and held
in readiness.
Defenders still hoped diplomacy
would save the day. They sent out
word that two cousins of Hotelling
could go through the Jail and testify
whether the slayer was there.
The offer was accepted and the
cousins returned declaring that
their relative no longer was in the
jail. But the crowd was too angry
to be appeased so easily, and the
rock throwing broke out again.
Police made another concession.
Twelve members of the crowd were
invited to go through the Jail and
satisfy themselves that their quarry
had been removed. That offer also
was accepted, this time with better
results.
HOtelIing Is Found
The prelude to the mob violence
was the arrest of Hotelling. He
had been found in Owosso under
circumstances that pointed to his
guilt. Questioned briefly, he con-
fessed.
Oscar G. Olander, State police
commissioner, lost no time. Barely
had the county prosecutor, William
r. Roberts, obtained a detailed
statement from the man than
Sheriff Frank A. Green and his
deputies cleared the office Of all
persons.
These persons were hustled to the
rear of the Jail. A few minutes
later a limousine shot from the
front entrance. 1t contained Hotel
ling, Prosecutor Roberts, Commits
sioner Olander, Police Chief
Scavarja.
His arrest came from information
volunteered by fellow officer of
the Church of Christ in Owosso.
The latter was Harold Lottridge,
a deacon of the church, who was
ordained Sunday night. In the
course of the same ceremonies, Ho-
telling was ordained elder, after be-
ing a deacon for many years.
1t was Hotelling who lit the small
candle held in Lottridge's hand
from the larger candle which he
held, symbolic Of the passing Of the
light of Christ from the greater to
the smaller vessel.
"This morning when I woke up"
Lottridge said, IT had Hotelling on
my mind. I don't know why. But
his image was there in sinister
fashion and I could not get ria
of it,"
Lottridge told his boss on a school
construction job at Flushing of his
thoughts. During the conversation,
he clcimed. Deputy Sheriff Mark