The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-03-25
GHERE GIVEN LIFE Term
IN Cell FOR HAAG DEATH,
after PLEADING GUILTY
Tells Tale of Intrigue in
Underworld, Startling
Prosecutors.
PLEADS FOR MCDONALD
Declares Green Mill Killing
Was Accident; Declares
Friend Innocent,

Lawrence Ghere, a, Chicago,
the man who shot and killed
Wilkinson Haag, Haag Drug
Company official, at the Green
Mill barbecue on May II, 1926,
bowed his head to law and or
der today
Pleading guilty" to the murder of
Haag, Ghere nonchantly heard
Judge Collins sentence him to In
diana state prison for life. Then
handcuffed he sauntered into
Prosecutor Judson L. Starke's Office
and talked, telling a story of un-
derworld intrigue, murder and rob-
berry which startled prosecutors and
police authorities.
Ghere was to have gone on trial
for the murder netX month. His
guilty plea in return for which he
escaped death penalty, was ar
ranged by his attorney Lloyd Clay
combe at a conference with Prose-
cutor Starke this morning.
Still Pleads for Mcdonald
In his statement Ghere first made
another attempt to exonerate Ru-
pert Mcdonald, 81, of any connec-
ton with the Haag killing. Nc
Donald was found guilty of the
murder by a jury last Wednesday
and this morning was sentenced to
life imprisonment with Ghere.
Prosecutors discredited Ghere'g
statement that Mcdonald had no
part in the shooting, as they did
his testimony at McDonald's trial.
Says Shooting Was Accident
Jewel Portuguese, now dead, was
with him and Arthur McClelland
was waiting in the car near the
barbecue when Haag was shot,
Ghere said.
Boys, it was an accident" he
stated, fidgeting in his chair. 81
didn't go out there to shoot Haag,
but he grabbed my hand and pulled
the gun and it went off,"
With that he ended his tale of the
Haag shooting and launched into his
activities for the past few years.
Gentlemen" he smiled" was
accused Of being a hoodlurn when 1
was arrested in Englewood, N. j.
That, assure you, is not true.
am a diamond racketeer.
"A hoodlum is low type gangster.
l specialize in my work. Diamonds
are my racket" His reference to the
hoodlum type was uttered with q
contemptuous sneer.
Not Numbering Type"
Chicago gangsters operate like
corporation" he went on. There is
no end to the chain and we will stop
at nothing AS yet, am not the
numbering type, unless it is as a last
resort.
There are gangs in Chicago and
Louisville, and Indianapolis is more
or less of a stopping off place.
This Portuguese was bumped off
in Chicago a couple of years ago,
and the guy that raped him got it
himself. Portuguese and worked
on lot of jobs. We held I'D
fellow named Gibbons, who was
state agency head for the Chrysler
Company. here outside Of his gar
age one night in 1925.
II got sore at Portuguese on that
job because he cussed and used such
vile language and the mans little
daughter was in the car. We got
a diamond from him.
In on Big Gem Robbery
"I was in on that 5000, 900 Jewel
robbery in the Palmer house at Chi
cago. was supposed to get $4,000
from Chicago guy who was acting
as our fence, but he double-crossed
me and I only got $4,000. He's in
Germany now living high and wide.
He skipped his bond.
"Portugese and also knocked of
a guy named Gottlieb in the Repub-
lican building up there and took
him for $375.000 worth of diamonds.
was supposed to get seventy grand
(S70,O00) on that one, but I didn't.
you know that when one of the
gang is in jail he gets, cut on the
working profits just like business
man away from his Office for
while" Ghere laughed.
Can't Stop at Anything
"Gangster and racketeers can't ar
ford to stop at anything. Killings
are common, although as said
try 10 keep out of those things. Nc
Clelland was a good racketeer and
he is serving a two year sentence In
the Bridewell house Of correction
in Chicago now. But McCIeIland
had given me nasty deal and that's
why I tied him up on the Haag
shooting in that statement I made
in New jersey"
Aged Man Fatally Burned