The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-08-12
ATTORNEYS IN
WORD WAR At
SHOOK TRIAL
Counsel for Professor Say
Court Order Necessary
to See Client.
CHARGES REPEATED
CHARGES REPEATED
Lawyer Says Prosecutor
Threatened TO Ruin
Him in 10 Minutes.
BY MORRIS DE HAVEN TRACY
United Press staff Correspondent

kOIuS were passed. Dy PROSECUTOR
John j. Chester Jr. at the opening
of today's proceedings in the Shook
Hix muroer trial in cross-examina-
ton of John F. Seidel.
Seidel is a member of counsel de-
Tending DR.. James Howard Shook
who is accused of the murder OF
Theora .Hix.
You say you have known Shook
twenty years?' queried Chester.
Yes, sir" said Seidel.
Q-Is it not fact that when you
came to police headquarters to take
up Snook's defense that you asked a
detective to point out Shook to you?
Al didn't and anyone who says
did is a liar.
Denies Confession Threat
Chester flushed, but Judge Henry
L. Scarlet demanded order and eau
toned the attorney to proceed with
his questioning in a regular way
We'll, don't bite my head off, -
seidel snapped at. Chester.
Nobody is going to bite your head
off" answered the prosecutor. 1t
wouldn't taste good
The questioning passed. to the
examination of Shook after his ar
rest. Seidel had charged that CheS-
ter had promised to ruin me in ten
minutes" if he did not make Shook
confess.
Chester maintained he had called
Seidel and told him Shook was about
to confess and probably would as
soon as he talked with his attor-
ney. Then, according to Chester,
Sefdel talked privately with Shook,
whereupon Shook refused to con-
fess.
Seidel denied Chester's version
heatedly.
eMr. Chester and I went to
Shook" shouted Seidel, "and I said,
Jack, you say this man has con-
fessed; Doc, you say you haven't
confessed. Now how in the he'll
can make him confess, Jack, if
he says he hasn't anything to say?' "
Seidel testified Shook had denied
the murder to him, giving him his
word of honor and that he had been
so confident of Snooks innocence he
had told newspaper men:
IF Shook did this murder then
I helped him do it,
Later Told of Killing
O-That doesn't go now does it?
A-No
Q--Why? A-Because later he
told me he killed the girl but told
him he was not guilty OF murder.
O-Do your glasses magnify? A
Not half as much as your magma
tion.
Q-Then how did you see those
marks on DR.. Snook's face when TO
one else did?
He was referring to marks from
blows that Chester was alleged 10
have struck Shook.
Al didn't see them until twen-
tv-four hours after the blows we're
struck. When I've been struck in
the face it always takes twenty
four hours for the marks to show.
Finally Seidel said slowly:
''I told my associate, Mr.. Rick
etts. that I knew Mr.. Chester'S tao
tics and that he would not hesitate
at ANYTHING when his own public
itv was at stake and that we
wouldn't monkey with that pup
any more. I felt that way then ana
do now
No Love Lost
There seems to be no love lost
between US" commented Chester
NO. Jack" said Seidel, looking
souarely at Chester. You are Won
derful fellow, but you have your
faults and I have mine"
Seidel said it was then he got a
court order permitting him to see
Shook.
Seidel told of another meeting
with Chester.
I'VE both cursed each other
pretty loud" he said
what was said?" asked an at
torney.
II don't want to repeat those vile
words" said Seidel, and he didn't
DR.. Frederick NJ. Stanton, Shook S
personal physician and a shooting
companion, testified Snook's mark
manship had fallen of in the last
two years.
He had been making an occa-
eional wild shot" he said.
Stanton couldn't remember hav-
ing ever said that Shook had told
him: II can have any girl IN
America"
DR.. Eugene Mccampbell, former
dean OF the medical school of Ohio
State university, answering a hypo-
thetical question describing the
autopsy performed on Miss Hix, de-
clared 1T would be very difficult
TO determine the true cause OF
death from such an autopsy.
The coroner has reported a knife
wound caused death and the state
bases its claims Of premeditation
necessary in first degree murder on
that report. The defense was at
tacking the methods and findings
cf the autopsy.