The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-08-02
Shook SIumps in Chair as
Coroner Points Picture
of Tragedy.
STRUGGLE is DESCRIBED
Alleged Eyewitness Tells
Of Glimpse of Pair at
Rifle Range.
BY MORRIS DE HAVEN TRACY
United Press staff Correspondent

United Press staff Correspondent
COLUMBUS, O., Aug. 2.-Dr.
James Howard Shook heard grue-
some story Of the death of Theora
Hix, his college girl inarmorata, re-
counted in court today. But he
showked not the slightest emotion
or interest. He slipped down so
low he could not see the witnesses
snd made no effort to raise him
eelf.
DR.. Joseph Murphy, coroner, de-
-cribed in detail the score of knife
and hammer wounds The autopsy
revealed and dangled Miss Hix'S
clothing before the jury.
From the point Of view of DR..
Suook'S defense, the most impor-
tant development of the morning
perhaps was the testimony of the
coroner and a police photographer
that they had found strands of hair
between the fingers of Theora'S S
hand when they first saw the body.
Hair Is Stressed
This hair vas described as about
six inches long. The coroner thought
at first II might be z, little lighter
than Theora's but he had compared
it with hers and decided it was from
her head. Her hair. however. was
about eighteen-incheS long. The hair
was lost in the removal of the body.
The defense laid much stress on
this point, obviously hoping they
might be able to hint that a third
person was at the rifle range the
night OF the murder.
The coroner named the severance
of the iuglar vein as the actual
cause of death.
Homer Richter. police pilotog-
rapher. described the photographlng
of the body and identified the pho
tographs. The pictures included one
of DR.. Snook's hands taken three
days after the murder showing his
Enuckles bruised. Shook had said
the injury came when a wrench
slipped while he was working on
his car.
Photos Handled Gingerly
The photos we're offered in evi-
dence. One Of Miss HiX before her
death. an attractive portrait. drew
objections from the defense as did
the picture OF the professors hand.
Both pictures we're temporarily ex-
cluded
The jury was then shown the pic
lures. They we're not pretty sight
and were handled gingerly.
Earlier the jury heard Clarence r.
Murray describe as an alleged eye
witness what the state claimed was
the beginning Of the death strug-
gle of Theora HiX.
Il was driving with MY boy past
the New York Central rife range.
he said "on the night OF June l3.'
That was the night OF the murder.
7 saw a man and a woman near
3 blue Ford coupe at the east en-
trance Of the range. He had his
arms around her waist like this The
embraced Myron GeSAnan, states
attorney. to show the jury) and she
had her hands on his breast like
this (and again he demonstrated on
GesSmanl.
flushing Him Away
at vas like she was pushing him
away. Her hair was down around
her shoulders.
when I came along the man let
20 and went around to the other
side of the car and the woman went
over and stood beside the car fixing
her hair"
III you saw some scuf1ing. why
didn't you Stop?" Attorney John F.
Seidel. Of the defense, asked on
cross-examination.
I didn't think it was my buSi-
ness" the witness said.
Paul Krumlauf, the neXt witness,
clean cut lad OF l6, told how he
and a companion found Theora' S
body June Il.
We we're preparing TO shoot at
targets when We saw the body Ii
the grass" the youth said
They called a NEARBY farmer to
guard the body while they drove to
police headquarters. returning TO
the range with police
Ephraim Johnson. IS, the farmer,
Srav. bald and barked by toll told
how the boys called him.
Fisher road, where the gun
range is located, took its place with
the famous De RusSey lane Of the
Hau-Mills murder case. as a place
for petting parties.
johnson said he never heard Fish
er road called "shirt-tal lane"
Have you ever seen petting par
ties there?" he was asked.
Lots OF them" he said.