Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-05
ATTORNEYS OPPOSE
SHOOK CONFESSION
Defense Contends Admis'
Sions of Murder Obtained
Under DureSs.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
COURTROOM, COLUMBUS, Ohio.
August 5.-The defense in the murder
trial Of James H. Shook launched its
attack today on the confession made
killed Theora Hix. 24-year-old Ohio
State coed.
The defense move came when the
State put w. c. Howells, Cleveland
Plain Dealer reporter, on tine stand to
testify as to an interview with the
ousted professor the night after he
confessed. =
Immediately E. o. Ricketts, of de-
fense counsel was on his feet protest.
ing against the admission of any testi-
mony relating to the admissions made
by DR.. Shook on the grounds that they
were obtained under duress.
The confession was not voluntary"
he said. THE party umeaning those
at the interview, was organized by
the prosecution because he was afraid
of the validity of the confession. DR..
Shook was acting on advice volunteered
by those present. He was denied counsel
and the effect of the confession was
misrepresented to him. 1t was obtained
through duress and fear.
Chemists Testify.
With counsel on both sides fortified
defense locked horns as the defense
sought to tear down the allegations
that Dr. Snook's clothing bore marks
of human blood the day after the killing
and that an emotional stimulant had
been found in the girls stomach.
G. F. Long, Columbus City chemist,
the man who testified Saturday for the
State that he had found the blood
stains and the stimulant, was recalled
to the stand and submitted to a search
ing cross-examination by John F. Seidel.
At Seidel'S shoulder sat o. M. Urbane,
Columbus chemist, who prompted the
attorney as he led the witness through a
long repetition of the technical details
of the examinations on which he based
his previous testimony. Long stuck close
to his first account Of how he made the
tests, several times repeating the con-
clusions he explained Saturday.
Assistant Aids Attorney.
On his side of the floor Prosecutor
John j. Chester had the help of Miss
Doris Coss, Longs laboratory assistant,
who kept the prosecutor abreast of the
examination as technical terms were
passed back and forth between the de-
tense table and the witness chair.
Seidel questioned Long as to the ac-
curacy Of the test by which he said he
determined that spots on DR.. Snook's
clothing, the hammer with which he Is
alleged to have killed the girl and on
his automobile were caused by human
blood.
Isn't 1t a fact" Seidel asked, "that
the leading authorities are at wide
variance in their opinion as to the ac-
curacy of this test when the test is
delayed several days, particularly In
warm weather."
"The test is accurate so long as there
is a SUFFICIENT amount of blood to make
the test" Long replied.
Finds Piece Of Paper.
Long said he took small piece of
paper from Miss Hix's stomach. Later
he went to a roadside stand near the
New York Central Rifle Range, where
the girl was killed and bought a sand
wich.
He said he then compared the paper
in the stomach with the bag in which
the sandwich was delivered and found
them identical.
Chester had Long identify piece of
waste found near the death scene which
contained a few strands of hair.
did you compare the hair in the
waste with Miss Hix's hair?" Chester
asked.
II did. Microscopically they, were
Identical" the witness replied.
Long was excused and John McKin-
| non, q reporter, identified the gloves
on which Long found blood stains as
n3vae, a
also Identified cap, blood stained, as
being discovered In DR.. Snook's home
and said he had seen stains on the
| inside Of the professors car.