The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-11-01
YOUNG AUTO
Thief Kills
SELF IN JAIL
Police Capture Youth in
Halloween Mask After
Midnight Chase.
POISON CAUSES DEATH
Love Note Is Left to His
Mother by Boy; Seek
CIeW to Identity.

Sitting on rough iron bunk In a
private cell at city prison this morn
ing, a youthful unidentified auto
mobile thief chose death to public
disgrace.
Scribbling last love note to his
mother, the boy, we'll dressed and
apparently from a good family,
pressed powdered poison between
his lips and died.
Dear mother, love you and I
nope to see you in the next world"
was the message he had hastily
scraWled on piece of newspaper.
Ihere was no name or address.
Police have only meager and con-
t1icting clews to the identity of the
youth, who was about 81. Faint
letters on cardcase found in the
cell seem to spell the name Robert
ButvilaS. 1t was in this card-case
the boy secreted the powerful poison
with which he killed himself, police
believe.
They believe he may have come
from another city.
The boy was arrested at midnight
by Harold Morton, motorcycle Off
Ger, after a chase through downtown
streets.
Morton saw the youth in a Chew
rolet coupe stopped in a safety
zone at Alabama street and Massa-
chusetts. AS he approached the boy
speeded away. Morton caught him
at New Jersey and North streets.
Wore Black Mask
A black mask was pulled under
the youths hat. A .22-caliber re-
volver, an imitation toy revolver,
apd two open knives were in his
pockets. The youth feigned drunk
ennesS. He had only SO cents in
his pocketbook.
In his pockets Morton also found
certificate of title issued to John
Hauser, 215 North Beville avenue.
The youth mumbled that his
name was John Hauser.
But other police found Hauser at
his home. His automobile had been
stolen earlier in the evening from
near the statehouse, HauSer said.
Hauser's car later was found
abandoned at Twenty-first and Ala
bama streets and police discovered
that the car In which the unidenti-
fled youth was captured was stolen
from in front of 2020 North New
Jersey street where its owner Mar.
garet Specs, Greencastle, had left
it.
The youth evidently had aban-
doned Hauser's car just before he
stole the Chevrolet.
He was arrested twenty minutes
after the theft of the Chevrolet.
No Answers to Questions
In the meantime the youth had
been taken to police headquarters.
Captain Walter Claffey attempted
to question him, but he muttered
drunken, incoherent answers.
After he had been thoroughly
searched Claffey then ordered him
put in private cell.
At 2:45 a. m. Claffey and Turnkey
Erwin McClain went to the cell to
resume the quizzing, believing that
the youth would have had time to
recover his senses if he had been
drunk.
They found his body sprawled on
the iron bunk in the small cell with
bits of grayish powder scattered
over the floor.
Taken to MOrgue
Deputy Coroner o. H. Bakemeier
was called and sent the body to city
morgue.
The youth was an extreme blonde.
He was about 81 years of age, about
5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed
about 140 to 145 pounds. He had
gray eyes and fair complexion.
He wore plain black suit, dark
brown overcoat, a bright red, rose
and brown stiped necktie, and q
gray hat with black band.
The head covering was a Perfec-
ton brand hat, with the lettering
Sarnoss-Irving inside, evidently a
| dealers name.
A rose and the word mother"
was tattooed on his right arm. He
wore knights of Columbus ring.
Wears Imported Coat
Although the name on the card
case seemed to be Robert Butvilas,
the clothing carried the laundry
Identification mark, B. 2. He had
three handkerchiefs. One was an
orange colored woman's handker-
chief, another was Of good quality
linen, initiated B, and the third, Of
white silk with a blue border, bore
the monogram w. T.
The overcoat was evidently one
imported from England. The suit
coat never had been dry cleaned
and was we'll pressed. Apparently
the only article of his clothing
bought from local dealers was the
tie, which bore a Schioss Brothers
label This firm went out of busi-
ness months ago.
Local Knights of Columbus Off
cials said they had no one of the
name of Robert Butvilas on their
rolls and that no one of that name