The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-08-06
STATES CASE
|. IS RESTED IN
SHOOK TRIAL
Third Degree to Obtain
Confession Described
to Jury.
CALLED DIRTY RAT
Officers Cursed Professor,
Branded Him yellow
Dog in Quiz.
CALLED DIRTY RAT
BY MORRIS DE HAVEN TRACEY
United Press staff Correspondent

COLUMBUS, o., Aug. 6.-The
state today rested its case against
DR.. James Howard Shook, accused
of the murder of Theora Hix.
The questioning which led to the
alleged confession was described in
court today.
Howard Lavely, detective, de-
scribed the questioning, admitted it
was accomplished by rough words
and by the use of stool pigeon"
He had been called by the state to
identify the hammer and knife with
which Theora was killed.
Shook didn't listen to Lavely's de-
scription of how he had found the
hammer and knife. When Lavely
walked over ard exhibited them to
the jury, pointing out blood stains,
Shook had his back turned and was
watching a bailif bandage a sore
thumb.
On cross examination the defense
brought out admissions that Lavely
and others cursed Shook and called
him yellow dog" and "a rat" during
the questioning which led to the
purported confession of the pro-
fessor.
"StOOI Pigeon" Used
A side-ight on police method
was given when Lavely describee
how he placed a forger whom hi
had done a favor" in Snook's Gel
as a stool pigeon"
Lavely testified that he found the
hammer in tool box in the base
ment of the Shook home. 1t was
covered with other tools. The knife
he found on shelf in the basement.
"I took them to Shook in the
county JAIL" Lavely said, and asked
Shook if I had the right ones. He
said, Yes, those were the right ones
I said, You didn't wash them of
very we'll, DOCTOR and he said, No,
just held them under faucet.
On croSs-examination the defense
went into the questioning Of Shook
after his arrest.
Did any one abuse, curse or
threaten Snook?" Lavely was asked.
mot that I remember" said
Lavely.
Worked in Relays
Lavely told how police officers
worked in relays in questioning
Shook, first one and then another,
conducting the examination. After
brief questioning on previous days
beginning with Snook's arrest on
Saturday, the former professor was
taken on Wednesday afternoon to
the office of chief of police. 1t was
then that the long hours of ques-
tioning which eliminated in the
confession began.
Q-What was DR.. Shook doing?
A-Balancing back on his chair.
Q-Were people smoking in that
room? Ayes.
Odd he smoke A-No.
Q-What did he think of the
questioning? Ale thought it was
a joke.
Odd he have foodP Ayes;
milk and sandwiches.
Q-Did you curse him? Ayes,
I used some curse words and told
him he was dirty dog.
Odd you call him a God
damned rat? Ayes, I told him if
he was a man he would tell the
truth. Odd the chief of police
curse him? Ayes.
Q-What did he say? Ale said
damn or something like that.
The questioning, Lavely said, last
ed to 5 a. m, when Shook was taken
back to Jail.
Excepting for the milk Shook was
given nothing to drink during the
entire questioning.
Asked Many Questions
Lavely revealed that he had ar
ranged to have Charles Carrie ac-
cused of forgery, made Shocks cell
mate, to observe "Snook's reaction
and see what he would tell"
"I had done Carrie favor and
he was willing to help me-" said
Lavely.
Carrie, he said, would communi-
cate with him when he had some
thing to tell"
But he told me very little that
amounted to anything" Lavely
added.
On redirect examination Lavely
testified that at a. m. when ques-
tioning was interrupted, "Chief of
Police French said DR.. Shook looked
better than any of us"
Lavely took a chair and rocked in
it to show the jury how Shook sat
during the questioning.
HE asked us about as many ques-
tions as we asked him." he said.
He was trying to out-think us all