The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1929-08-14
CASE Goes
iT0PANEL
TODAY
Continued from first l.asN

FrOSeCuI0r donu y. (HSbler gEsg .NA
San octopus, 3 sea devil with nine
arms" He classed the police who
helped Chester set the confession
from Shook e. wolves"
'Tbey are trying 70 send DR..
shook to the chair on tfunnpei-up
testimony" seyfert sh0slted.
seyfert portrayed Shook as a man
who was led On BY q woman, much
younger than himself. who finally
tsdominated' him.
Shook ''had to kill' Miss Xix.
Heyfert told the jury. He related the
events that transpired ct the rifle
range the night OF the crime ana
OF her attack" upon Shook IN the
parked car.
'Tie was veaIly afraid Of her
afrnid she would kill him." said
letic girl, weighing las pounds. She
.o. 1 S,s ssSs; t ss j a g G e
GIistaTco Of 90 feet. And when she
reaoied for her handbag during
Their quarrel he thought she was
after the pistol TO KIN him. as she
threatened TO DO.
Expects Square Deal"
'.something must have snapped in
Shocks brain after he hit her the
first time. The next thing he
knew he was sitting on the run
ming board, his head in his hands. ;"
Seyfert pictured Theora as two
man woman, a man for the after.
moo nand another for the evening.
Seyfert concluded by telling the
fury he felt sure they would
give this defendant fair and
square deal"
Shook, slumped down on the
small OF his back, IL listening to
the closing arguments TO the jury
with the same detached, almost
bored manner that has character.
lied his demeaYlor throughout al.
most all Of the trial. The only
time he has manifested any emo.
ton was when he wept on the
stand for q few seconds the day
he told why he hammered ard
slaghed the coed to death on q
lonely rifle range on the night Of
June IS.
Has Nerves Of Steel
Now and then the bald.headed,
rather scholarly looking defendant,
removes his nose glasses and
closes his eyes. He remains lost
in thought for long stretches at a
time. No matter what Is being said
in court, whether he is being as.
sailed or cOndcned, his poker
face" never reveals his own reac.
ton, He has the steel nerves that
"a "a -
was for years the worlds champion
rapid fire pistol shot.
Judge Henry L. Scarlet, presid.
ing at the trial, will give his in.
stfucttons to the jury at the after.
noon session and then the case
will so to the jury. The Judge will
instruct the jury they can return
any one Of at least six verdicts,
namely: Guilty of murder In the
first degree without any recon.
Inendation of mercy, carrying with
It the penalty of death in the cleo.
trio chair; guilty of murder in the
first degree with mercy, carrying
life imprisonment; guilty of second
degree murder, which provides life
imprisonment with hope Of parole;
guilty of manslaughter, which pro-
vides imprisonment OF one to 20
years; acquittal on the grounds of
insanity and finally out and out
acquittal.
II may also instruct that a yer,
dict OF assault and battery might
be returned, Judge Scarlet told
International News Service '"The
defense contends that the cause of
death has not been definitely estab.
lighed--that il, whether Miss Hix
was killed by the hammer blows or
BY the slash from the penknife. /
could, Of course, take broad view
OF this and conclude that she was
slain, regardless Of the manner in
which the crime was committed.
The grand jury indictment, how
ever, charges she was killed by the
knife wound in the throat"
The contentious oe both the state
and defense were revealed in the
opening Of the closing arguments
to the jury by Hicks and Ricketts,.
Attorney Hicks told tho jury that
"Snook is entitled to no mercy at
your hands for he took away Gods
greatest gift-the right to live"
Ricketts,, on the other hand, con-
tended that the State has failed to
establish q motive for the Staying
and that cit must have been in.
sanity or fear" At most, sit is q
case Of manslaughter," Ricketts,
said, and even less than that If the
jury felt sure, as Ricketts, said he
did, that the defendant killed in self
defense.
Scouts Defense Plea
The main point is that Theora
Xix was premeditativcly murdered, :"
Hicks declared. "Snook has admit.
ted he killed this young girl. There
are no mitigating circumstances. He
was perfectly sane when he did it.
There is no justification for any
claim of self-defense. II he killed
her in self.defense, why was it
necessary, after he had beaten her
down with a hammr, for him to
slash her throat and mutilate her
body?''
Ricketts,, after contending the Jury
should pay no attention to Shocks
confession because it was wrung
from him against his will and in de-
fiance OF his rights under the Con.
stitution," said:
Shook was afraid Of this girl. She
dominated him and was threatening
him. He thought she was going to
kill him and his wife and baby. Fear
and insanity-an unbalanced mind
was what drove this man to what
he did. This was crime Of passion,
and not OF premeditation."
a1IPaTIPnNa ~A.ns