The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-10-07
MRS. CASSLER
RELEASED IN
MURDER CASE
State Admits Inability to
FaSten Swamp Killing
Upon Woman.
VICTIM WAS LOVE RIVAL
Second Time in Shadow of
ScaffoId; Evidence Cir
cumStantiaI.
BU United Press

BU United Press
VALPARAISO, Oct. Another
chapter in the eventfu1 life of Mrs.
Catherine Basseler was closed today
with dismissal Of murder charges
brought against her in connection
with the death of Miss Cancel
Soutar, Chicago roller skater.
A motion to nolle PROSE- the
charges was filed last week and sus-
tanned in Porter circuit court here
today. The state admitted 1t could
not prove where Miss Soutar was
murdered and that its case against
Mrs. Cassler was weak.
Facing trial for murder was not O.
new experience in the defendants
life.
Late in 1928 she was tried and
found guilty along with another
woman and a man for the murder
in Chicago of William Timely. The
other two pleaded guilty and were
given life sentences. Mrs. Cassler
refused to make guilty plea, was
convicted and sentenced to hang.
While in the death cell, awaiting
execution, her husband brought Miss
Soutar to see her and intimated
that they were living together and
intended to get married.
Through efforts of her aged
mother, Mrs. CaSsler was granted
rehearing, but when the trial started
the state lacked evidence. The
other woman in the case had died
in prison and the man refused to
testify. Then the Illinois supreme
court freed Mrs. Cassler and she
went back to try to separate her
husband and his paramour.
Deaths Follow Joy Rides
On Sunday night there was a
Joy ride in which Cassler and the
girl participated. After the man
left her at her apartment, she was
not seen again until two youths
found her body on the edge of a
swamp near Hebron, Ind. She had
been dead for several days.
Well known national detective
firms and Chicago police began an
attempt to unravel the mystery. In
substance, their findings were:
Mrs. Cassler had hated Miss Sous
tar. She told her husband the day
after the Sunday night ride, your
sweet patootie has gone away. She
won't bother any more"
Miss Soutar was killed by bullet
from revolver of 80 caliber-the
same size as one owned by Mrs.
Cassler. Another coincidence was
that Miss Soutars shoes were miss
ing, and police remembered that the
chief clew in solving the other mur-
der for which Mrs. Cassler was held
was the fact that the soles of the
mans shoes were dry when the
pavement was wet.
Son Released
All Of the evidence against Mrs,
Cassler and her son Edward, who
also was accused of completely in
the murder, was circumstantial. He
too was discharged today. Further
investigation revealed evidence that
virtually Offset that already
gathered.
Detectives proved it almost i'm
possible for Mrs. Cassler and her
son to have murdered Miss Soutar
in Chicago and taken her body TO
Hebron, because witnesses testified
that the accused wife was back in
Chicago before 10 Wednesday night
and she could not have left before
noon Tuesday.
No traces of blood were found in
Mrs. Casters automobile nor in her
fiat. No shot was heard by
neighborS.
Whether the roller skater was
lured to the swamp and then killed
was a matter of conjecture today.
Mrs. Casters connection with
courts started when she was a girl,
and just married. She had moved
to Hebron with her husband and
son. Alleged bootlegging activities
aroused the w. G T. U. and for sew
eral months she fought charges Of
LIQUOR law violation.