The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-03-19
HAAG MURDER
JURY TO GET
CASE TONIGHT
State Strikes Hard at Two
Alleged SIayers as Trial
Nears Close.
GHERE is ON STAND
Arguments in Mcdonald
Hearing Expected to End
This Evening.

The state struck hard at the al
legged murderers of wilkinson Haag,
Haag Drug Company official, as the
trial of one of them, Rupert Nc
Donald, Chicago, drew near an end
today in criminal court.
Court will remain in session to-
night until the case is turned over
to the jury Judge James A. Collins
announced.
The defense rested at 10 a. m.
when Prosecutor Judson l.. Stark
finished a grilling cross -examina-
ton of Lawrence Ghere, also walt
ing trial for the Haag murder May
II. 1926, at the Green Mill barbecue.
Lawrence Ghere, who Monday
grandly took the stand over oblec-
tions of his attorney, Lloyd Clay
combe, to attempt to save his al
legged pal, today fell back on silence
as the state attack shifted to him.
State Bares Trump Gard
The state produced a trump card
when M. G. Rasmussen, 1851 Eu-
gene street, took the stand as g. re-
buttal witness.
Mcdonald, Ghere and Arthur Nc
Clelland, whom the state contends
Grove the car which took the other
two from the murder scene, were in
Indianapolis in September, 1926, he
said.
He saw the three together early in
September. he said. On Sept. %,
1926, NIcClelland took him to q room
in the Spink-Arms, from which Nc
Donald came and talked to McClel-
land, he said.
At that time he was a salesman
for the Arn1acost Automobile Com
pany and had gone to the hotel to
see about a Stutz car they had taken
the day before for tryout and
not returned. Later he was paid
$1,000 in 500 bills for the car, he
said.
Ghere Shields Mcdonald
Mcdonald has testified he went to
California in August, 1926, and was
there until his arrest few months
ago. Recalled to the stand today he
denied being in indianapolis, having
room at the Sphinx in Sep
tember or knowing Rasmussen.
Ghere Monday told the jury:
Mcdonald was not at the Green
Mill barbecue May II"
Today he refused to tell the jury
how he knows Mcdonald was not
there.
was Mcdonald with you May II,
1926, when Haag was shot and
killed." was the first question
Prosecutor Stark asked when court
opened.
Ghere remained silent.
Were you there?" Stark asked.
ST refuse to answer without advice
of attorney" said Ghere.
Refuses to Answer
Then followed an argument
among the attorneys in which Clay
combe stated he had advised against
Ghere taking the stand and Eph
Inmsn, McDonald's attorney, de-
clared he had forced Ghere to the
stand.
'I'm not going to answer any more
questions. I'll endanger my con-
Stitutional rights" Ghere finally
said.
Disregarding Ghere's refusal to
answer, Stark questioned Ghere
about each point in the states the
ory of the crime that Mcdonald,
McC1elland and Ghere saw Haag
wearing his $1,100 diamond ring at
the Kentucky derby at Louisville
and followed him here; that Nc
Clellaud stayed in their automobile
while Mcdonald and Ghere staged
the hold-up In which Ghere fired
the death shot.
Ghere remained silent or grunted
mos"
Waving a statement which the
state declares Ghere signed when
arrested at Englewood, N. j., Stark
asked.
''You signed a statement in Engle-
wood saying you shot Haag, didn't
you?"
Two More Witnesses
Ghere remained silent. as he did
later, when Stark asked:
Didn't you also say in the state
ment that you had gotten a
sprained wrist a few years before,
that Haag hit that wrist and the
gun went off and Haag fell"
Ghere answered, mo sir, when
Stark ending his quiz asked,
Wouldn't you like to help McDon-
aid some more"
The state was to offer two more
rebuttsl witnesses this afternoon.
With two hours and a half for argu-
ment for each side the case likely
viii go to the jury about p. m.