The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-07-20
hint PRIESTS
PLOT IN DEATH
OF ODREGON
Mexican Police Officially
Lay Assassination at
Door of Church.
COMPLETE CRIME QUIZ
Execution of Young Killer
of President Elect Is
Expected Soon.
BY GESFORD F. FINE
FT.4t... Drn~. stoee rto--oA.....5j

OIGO = 1lNG
United Press staff Correspondent
MEXICO CITY, July 20,-Inves-
tigation of the assassination of Gen.
Alvayado Obregen-already officially
blar1ed to the Catholic clergy
may end today and the execution of
young Jose De Leon Toral may
come momentarily.
Ten persons, in addition to the
confessed murderer, now are held
and Chief of Police Rice Zertuche
said the general inspection of the
crime almost was concluded.
Zertuche blamed the church for
the assassination of the popular
former president, recently re-elect-
ed, Tuesday.
Police headquarters now is in a
position to make public that re-
sponsibility for the crime rests with
he Caholic clergy" zertuche's state
ment said.
Reporters See Killer
Previously, President Plutarco
Gales had blamed the murder of
his friend and political adviser to
religious fanatic"
zertuche yesterday had ordered
Toral, the young caricaturist who
walked up to Obregon in suburban
restaurant, fired five shots into the
former presidents body, then
claimed he had done what I came
to do" brought before a group of
newspaper men, including the for
eign correspondents.
I'VE want to prove he has not had
hard trteament as has been re-
ported" zertuche said.
Toral walked into the Office be-
tween two guards. He was young
in appearance, his face was set and
his eyes sparkled. His right eye was
swollen, the result police said, of an
attack just after Obregon had been
shot, but otherwise he appeared in
good physical condition. He wore
a brown suit and there were blood
stains on the coat lapel.
hllIer rs Years Old
zertuche ordered Toral to walk
back and forth across the room, to
proven he was not physically unfit.
The assassin did so, walking slowly
but with no hesitation.
"Sit down." the police head said
Toral slouched to a chair and
stared somewhat vacantly about the
room.
Can you talk?" zertuche asked
his prisoner.
Il think So" Toral said in a clear
and direct tone.
You see he is perfectly. we'll"
the police head said.
There was no effort made to uues-
ton the 23-year-old murderer. He
seemed at ease but offered no COM
ment on the crime that had robbed
Mexico of her former one-arned
leader. Finally, he was Jed from the
room.
Revenge Theory Probed
Semi-official reports said TODAY
that Toral would be granted a civil
trial Immediately. The general ex-
pectation was that his execution
would follow Immediately, Just as
did the execution of four men ac-
cused of attempting to bomb
General Obregon's motor car last
fall.
1t generally was believed that
Toral would be executed in the
same spot in the headquarters yard,
where the priest from Juarez and
the three other alleged bombers
were shot by firing squad last
fall.
Toral had carried a picture of the
executed priest in his pocket and it
seemed highly probably today that
police were attempting to definitely
connect the assassination of Obregon
and the bombing attempt. Among
the ten persons held with Toral are
members of Torars family and
relatives of Luis Segura Vilchis, one
of those four arrested in the bomb
ing attack.
An unofficial belief prevailed that
Toral may have shot Obregon in re-
venge for those four executions last
winer, although it is known there
we're five in the bombing car that
stopped Obregons machine last
winter. Only four were arrested.