Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-21
SHOOK CONFESSES
/ TO Staying COED
Beat Girl to Death Because
+ She Threatened to Kill
[ Wife, He Says.
~ the Associated Press.

confession of Or. James H. Shook, 40
dismissed Ohio State University pro-
fessor, that he killed 2S-year-old Theora
Xix, his pupil paramour. was ready for
the county grand jury today, just ont
week from the day the girl was beaten
and slashed to death. He killed her
he said. because she threatened the
life of his wife and child.
The confession, announced at mid
night by County Prosecutor John j
Chester, IT.. was held for the grand
jury with Chester's prediction that q
flrst-degree murder indictment would
be returned before evening.
Brirg ing to an end % hours OF
grueling examination, Shook lost the
iron nerve that had carried him
through six days of investigation and
sobbing like child, told the prosecutor
and police heads that he was ready to
tell everything"
Struck Her During Quarrel.
The confession that followed declared
that he had struck the girl on the
head with a hammer during a violent
quarrel in his automobile, parked al
a lonely rifle range near here, on the
night of June Is, and that, realizing
her skull was fractured, he took out
his penknife and slit her throat ito
relieve her suffering"
The quarrel, he said, followed the
girls protests against his plan to leave
the city over the week end with his
family, and her threat to kill his wife
and two-year-old daughter il he went
As the alteration became more bitter
the confession said. Miss Hix reached
for her handbag In which at times she
carried a small pistol that DR.. Shook
had given her. Then followed the
struggle in which DR.. Shook said he
snatched UP the hammer in the car
and struck her on the head.
She continued Ito fght) desperately
and an increasing number of blows OF
increasing force were necessary to stop
her" he said. ''Realizinr then, nc
doubt, that her skull was fractured
and to relieve her suffering, I severed
her jugular vein with my pocket knife. >
After he was convinced the girl was
dead, DR. Shook said he proceeded to
pick UP the things that had been scat
tered during the struggle and hurried
~ left the scene of the struggle, leav-
ing her body at that point"
Gun Not In Purse.
Dr.. Shook said he then went home
tossing the girls handbag in the
Sctoto River as he drove over a bridge
The gun, he said, was not in the purse
The confession was made early yes
terday afternoon, but Prosecutor Ches-
ter. following an agreement he said,
he made with Shook, did not give 1t
his official announcement until mid
night. This he explained was TO permit
Shook to arrange in his mind the facts
for an interview at midnight with press
representatives.
The prosecutors tardy announcement
of the confession ended a day of cross
statements from investigators. w, G.
Shellenbarger, chief of detectives, an
nounced early In the day that Shook
had confessed after grilling OF more
than 10 hours ending at $50 am
Chester came In promptly with a denial
and throughout the day the conflict
ing statements stood.
Later Chester said that the actual
confession had been made about ]
O'Clock In the afternoon, and Shellen-
barger, simplifying his announcement
said that he based his statement on an
admission from Shook that he had
taken key from the girls keyrinR
when the murder was committed. The
admission regarding the key closed the
questioning for the time and SheIlen-
barger said he considered the fact as
a confession Of guilt. Chester, how
ever. insisted that the confession
should be point blank and specific,
and this was obtained after Shook,
given an hours respite, was hauled
back into the inquisitorial room at
the police station and again put under
the barrage Of questions.
Friendship Is Described.
Shocks confession was made to Ches-
ter, Shellenbarger. Police Chief Harry
French, Detectives Otto Phillips and
Ralph Paul. The statement sets out
the details Of the alleged three-year
friendship between the girl and. the
man she FIRST met as her classroom
instructor, and later came to know SC
intimately that she objected when he
told her he intended to be gone over
the week end with his family.
Earlier in the Investigation of the
o1ime, police uncovered the fact that
Shook and the girl maintained a room
in downtown apartment house, where
they went frequently under the guise of
man and wife, and Shook admitted it
readily. DR.. Shook made it clear, how
ever, that his association with Miss Xix
was not "a love affair in any sense of
the word" but that 1t was merely q
pheasant arrangement" He helped de-
fray her university expenses and she
was "a good companion" he said.
Two salient points precipitated the
confession-one, the wringing from
Shook of the admission that he had
taken the key to their room from the
girls keyring at the scene Of the MUIR
der, and the other coming just at the
peak of the questions about the key, a
report from DR.. c. e. Long. chemist,
that stains on the professors car and
clothing had been established as blood
marks.
Shook on Verge Of Collapse.
Whiting under the cross-fire of cues
tons until he admitted that he took
the key from the body" Shook was on
the verge of collapse when Chief
Erench's secretary brought In the report
Shook paled and few minutes later
the prosecutor said. he was sobbing
Thereafter he talked freely and seem
ing with feeling of relief, Chester
said.
Marion T. Meyers, a member of the
university horticultural experiment staff
and former sutton, was arrested in
connection with the killing after the
body had been discovered by two boys
He spoke Of her friendship for Shook
and the two were held while authorities
assembled evidence In the killing
Meyers was released Wednesday and a
day later Shook was taken before his
inquisitors.
DAM 0M CANADIAN