The Washington times., 1929-08-15
NOT
GIVEN A
THOUGHT
tcontinued from First Pagel

lett Monday IL the Judge over
rules the motion. he will immedi-
ately set the date for Shocks exc
cution.
II the death conviction is speed
fly affirmed he may go to the cleo.
trio chair Thanksgiving week--100
days from the day of conviction, az
is necessary by law. Appeals, how
ever, may delay the execution much
longer.
Attorneys for the defense insisted
today that the demonstration that
greeted Chester's address was pre-.
arranged and that spectators inim.
ical to Shook were planted" in
the crowded court room.
Attorney John r. SeideI said he
had heard the day before that a
demonstration was coming.
Efforts to delay the carrying out
of the sentence win be fought by
the State. Prosecutor Chester's
only comment on the punishment
melted out to Shook was: THE
verdict Of the jury speaks for
itself"
Reading Magazine
The "poker-faced." steel.nerved
hammer slayer was reading maya
zine when visited by reporters. He
was unperturbed, as usual.
Have you any statement to
maker" he was asked.
No. he replied, before could
do anything like that would have
to consult my counsel"
Did you tell everything about
this case when you were on the
stand?" was another question.
No" he answered. IT have lots
left over. There are salient facts
yet to be told"
He reminded his audience that his
''affair" with Miss Xix lasted three
years, whereas he had only six or
eight hours to tell it.
He evidently meant his direct
examination, for he had been on the
witness stand II hours, including
cross-examination.
Asked IL he had recalled Sitting
the goods throat with his pen knife.
he replied he had not.
Els there any truth to the report
that Mrs. Shook plans to divorce
your" he was asked.
mo. indeed" he retorted. "She
was in court yesterday. wasn't si1e?''
Shook refused to comment upon
the plans of his lawyers to file mo-
ton for new trial. He said he felt
pretty good, everything considered"
II he felt in any way apprehensive
over the prospect of going to his
death in the electric chair he con-
cealed it well beneath his icy exterior.
His appetite remains good He ate
a hearty meal of pork and beans an
hour after he heard the verdict and
this morning partook OF a substan-
tial breakfast.
Public approval of the verdict was
expressed on all sides in Columbus
today. Never in this city's history
has sentiment been so pronounced
against a defendant. Interviews
with men in the streets" carried In
a Columbus newspaper today could
be epitomized in the phrase "tickled
to death that the jury gave him the
limit"
Prosecutor Praised
On all sides the people were sing.
ing the praises of the boy prose
cutor,'' John J. ("Handsome Jack'0
Chester, 81 years of age, whose
scathing denunciation of the former
professor in his closing address to
the jury is hailed as legal master
piece. His address so swayed the
emotions of the tremendous throng
in the courtroom. they broke into
applause when he concluded his
Grafton.
81 want you members of the
jury" said Chester in his ringing
finale, ito bring back verdict thar
will tell the parents Of Theora Xix
sitting over there and through
those parents the parents of the
$4,000 Ohio State University stu
dents that Columbus, Ohio, and our
great State university, is a safe
place for them to send their chill.
dren: that they won't meet dirty
dogs like that man down here any
more; that the State of Ohio, that
Franklin county and all the rest Of
us here will not permit such things
TO happen. Bring back a verdict
that the whole State of Ohio is
going to be proud of; verdict that
everybody knows is Just and right.
Jury Out % Minutes
The jury was out only % minutes.
They reached their verdict on the
first ballot. 1t was "Ohio justice"
with a vengeance. Shook had been
brought to trial quickly, and he got
his medicine from the jury exactly
two months to the day after the
girls mutilated body was found on
the rifle range.
Shook heard the verdict with.
out q flicker of emotion. He never
batted an eye lash. His poker face"
never changed expression. He
seemed the calmest person in the
crowded court room. He was as
self-possessed as he must have been
in those by-gone days When he
rang up bull's-eyes as the cham
pion rapid-fire pistol shot of the
world.
Drama and thrills marked the
closing hours of the trial. There
were the brilliant closing addresses
of the lawyers for both sides: the
sudden appearance of the de-
PENDANTS aged mother, Mrs. Abner
Shook, and his wife. Mrs. Helen
Shook, in the courtroom shortly be-
fore the jury retired; the mother
throwing her arms around her son
and kissing him while she .wept in
full view of the jury; the prosecu-
tors impassioned plea to the jury
to send the defendant to the chair;
the demonstration in court when
the prosecutor concluded; the retire
ment of the jury for elaboration:
their return; the dramatic announce
ment OF the verdict; the collapse of
Shocks wife and mother when they
met him In an anteroom, and the
pitifui plight Of the slain girls par
ents. Mr.. and Mrs. Melvin T. sHix
as, arm in arm. they tottered from