Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-06
STATE RESTS CASE
IN TRIAL Of SHOOK
Last Prosecution Witness
RecountS ConfeSSic'I of
Former Professor.

BY the Associated Press.
COURTROOM, COLUMNS, Ohio,
August 6.-The State rested It's first
degree murder case against DR.. James
H. Shook, former Ohio State University
professor. shortly before noon today,
after completing its picture of his
three-year love affair with Theora Xix.
the medical student he is alleged to
have killed.
The final details of the story we're
told by Howard Lavely. county detec-
tive, who testified in regard to the ques-
tioning of DR.. Shook that resulted in
his confession last June 20 that he beat
the 24-year-old coed into unconscious
ness after quarrel and then cut her
throat
Approximately five days were re-
quired for the State to put into the
records the evidence on which it seeks
to send DR.. Shook to the electric chair
Many Details Told.
The story included some of the de-
tails of the friendship starting in 1926
between the 49-year-old professor and
the girl who came to his department at
the university as a Stenographer. of the
room they shared as man and wife
and Of the trip to the lonely rife range.
where DR.. Shook admitted killing her.
Also in the States testimony was the
that two emotional stimu-
lants were found in the girls stomach.
The State maintained that DR.. Shook
gave her the connections and killed her
when she refused to continue their in
innate relations.
The defense awaited its chance to
prove that the professor was mentally
impaired" and in fear of his life when
he killed the girl last June.
Defense counsel, in q brief opening
said merely that they would
stand on two propositions, self-defenSe
and the impaired mental condition of
the defendant.
The State brought its case virtually
to a conclusion yesterday with an ac-
count from the witness stand of the In
terview Shook gave two newspaper men.
in which he recounted the details of
the killing and his love affair.
w. C. Howells and James Fusco told
of Shocks story of driving with the girl
to a rife range near the city, of his
assertions that she threatened to kill
him, his wife and small daughter dur
ing a quarrel and his admissions that
he then beat her into insenSibility with
a hammer and slit her throat. They
denied that they saw evidences OF
rough treatment during the question
ing which brought about Shocks con-
feSSion.
The testimony was introduced to
evade use Of the confession, which the
The defense asserts was obtained under
duress.
Lavely. the last State witness. took
he stand at the opening OF the eleventh
day of the trial.
Lavely Identified the hammer and
knife with which the former professor
is alleged to have killed the student.
Lavely said he found the hammer in a
tool box in the basement of DR.. Shocks
home and the knife on a shelf near by.
I,avely said he brought them to the
jail and showed them to DR.. Shook. ask
Ing If they we're the hammer and knife
professor replied in the az
hrmatiVe.
Lavely was then cross-examined.
Asked About Myers.
Max Seyfert Of defense counsel ques-
Toned Lavely about the arrest of Marion
T. Myers. Ohio State department of
agriculture employe. held for a few days
after the killing. Myers was an admitted
sutton Of Miss Xix. Lavely said he was
present during much Of the Myers ques-
tioning. but denied that he heard ANY
or threats during the inevesti-
alton.
The attorney wanted to know whether
DR.. Shook was given food and drink
while he was undergoing the long grill
ing that ended in the confession. Lave
~ said that DR.. Shook was given sand
milk and fruit. Pressed further
the methods used in the ques-
,ioning. Lavely admitted that he had
used rough words" in talking to the
prisoner.
Lavely testified that during the long
grilling he never heard Prosecutor
Chester curse the prisoner or SAY any
thing out OF the ordinary"
When, Lavely had finished Chester
picked up the States exhibits one by
one and asked that they be admitted In
evidence. They included Miss Hix's and
DR.. Shocks blOod-Stained clothing, the
implements alleged to have been used
In the killing. the bottles containing
emotional stimulants alleged to have
been given the girl by DR.. Shook, the
keys to their room and several other
articles.