Las Vegas age. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1947, 1929-08-03
Arguments Are
Framed For
Murder Trial

the law.
This exclamation is expected by
District Attorney Harley A. Harmon
to be one of the strong points il
his prosecution of Clarence Hodge
Lag Vegas negro, against whom he
filed charge of murder Thursday
because of the shooting to death oil
Hodges stepfather. Sam NettleS
Wednesday afternoon.
Hodge is still oeing hunted by
officers both locally and in adjoin-
ing states, no definite trace of his
whereabouts having been run to
earth out of all the rumorS which
have been current since the negro
jumped into his Dodge car and sped
away after the fatal shooting.
Mrs. Hattie Hodge, common law
wife of the hunted man. testified at
the coroner's irquest that Mrs.
Nettles ran out OF the house to the
porch. where Mrs. Hodge was sit
ting during the atfray. and made
the exclamation about the shooting.
This coupled with other evidence
available, is expected to establish the
fact that Hodge did the shooting.
Life Not In Danger"
The self defense plea which the
defense is expected to enter will be
met by district attorney with evil
denee to show that Hodges life was
not in danger at the time he is al
legged to have killed NettleS. one OF
.he prime essentials to the success
of a self-defense plea.
That the alleged slayer had plenty
of time to cool off" between the
time of the threat to kill him, said
to have been made by Nettles, and
the time when the fatal bullets were
fired into Nettles body, will be the
contention of Harmon.
He had no business, in the eyes
of the state. to go into that house
at that time said Harmon yeSter-
day.
Both Mrs. Nettles and Hodge
wrestled with Nettles to take the
gun away from him, Mrs Nettles
testified at the moueSt.
Circumstantial Evidence
The angle at which the bullets
struck Nettles' body, piercing his
upper chest and travelling in a
downward direction, and the fact
that there were no powder burns
near the wounds, will be used by the
prosecution to prove that the re-
volver shotst were fired after Hodges
was out of danger from his step
father, according 10 Harmon.
IJNIna Oh hnnntycn
of threats the latter had just made
to shoot both Hodge and Mrs. Net
ties. is the contention upon which
the defense will base its case, ac-
cording to B. j. Engle, who will
have charge of the defense for
Hodge.
The three were sitting i'll the eat
ine house which Mrs Hodge runs
next door to the NettleS home, and
in the course Of a dispute, the de-
fenSe will endeavor to show. NettleS
threatened the lives of both Mrs,
NettleS and Hodge.
This led to the break for the
house, and. it is said, the elderly
man got to the gun first, and Hodge
took it away from him.
That NettleS had threatened
their lives before, while in one Of
his fits of temper, will be shown by
the defense. Bullet holes will be
exhibited in the kitchen of the
Nettles residence, according to En-
gle, bullet holes alleged to have been
made by shots fired by Nettles dur
ino one of his spells" ="
NettleS, who is said to have been
a user of dope, has had such de-
lusionS that he imagined he was in
Africa hunting lions, and that he
was in South America, according to
Attorney Engle, who will introduce
evidence to prove this when the
case comes up for trial
This. he says, will be in SubStan-
tiation of the contention that the
young man killed his step-father to
defend himself and his mother, who
it will be contended. were endanger-
ed by Nettles' spells.
He was in a terrific rage just
before the fatal shooting took place
it is stated, curSing and threatening
his wife and Step-Son, who were the
only ones present during the shoot
ing.
Hodges wife, who was on the
premises at the time of the fatal
affray. was on the front porch at
the time of its occurrence, running
into the house only after it was
over, it has been established.
Engle. who was engaged by Mrs.
NettleS TO defend her son, came to
Las Vegas, July 21, TO establish him
self in law practice here. He prac-
ticed law in Newton. Iowa, for 25
years, during which time he won
nine out of fourteen murder cases
the defense for which he handled,
Engle practiced in Los Angeles
from 1921 to 1926. Results of an
automobile accident kept him mac
tive for a long period but he is now