The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-12-09
FIGHT SUICIDE
HINT IN DEATH
OF WHITAKER
Coroner Still of Opinion Man
Found in Alley Was
Murdered.
REPORTER IS ON STAND
RefuteS Brothers InSinua-
ton That He Secreted
Missing Gun.

Whether Clarence Whitaker, %,
whose body was found in south
side alley carly Friday, was muir
dered or committed suicide, was de-
bated in Coroner c. H. Keevers
Offices today.
The coroner summoned Heze
Clark, Times police reporter, one of
the first persons on the scene, and
recalled the dead mans twin brother
Harold, 21O7 North Pennsylvania
street, for questioning.
The brother reversed his previous
opinion that Clarence was muir
dered, and his body deposited in the
alley, and stated he thought he
committed suicide. Clarence had
been subject to melancholy and
mental unrest since an auto acct
dent last fall, and relatives feared
he might take his life.
Reporter Blocks Theory
However, testimony of Clark,
much of which was supported by
Deputy Coroner o. H. Bakemeier,
who performed the autopsy on the
body, blocked attempts to convince
the coroner that Whitaker killed
himself.
Argument against suicide chiefly
was that while DR.. Bakemeier and
Deputy Coroner l.. A. Lewis agreed
the bullet of a large caliber re-
volver piercing Whitaker's heart
would have rendered him uncon-
scious instantly and caused death
in at most four minutes, the gun
could not be found in the vicinity
Of the body.
A revolver is missing from an
other brother in Beech Grove. 1t
was taken, with two cartridges, in
a hunting coat, and was said to
have been in Harold's apartment.
1t has disappeared.
Denies He Saw Weapon
Where do you think the gun
may be?" Coroner Keever asked
Whitaker.
Probably some newspaper man
picked it up and hid it to make a
good murder story" Whitaker in
simulated, looking at Clark.
The latter denied he ever had
seen a weapon near the spot where
the body was discovered, and point
ed out that three policemen were on
hand before he arrived with an
emergency squad of four other po-
lice under lieutenant.
Possibility of his secreting the
gun, he added, would have been
slight. Clark was the only news
paper man on the scene when
police first went to the alley, and
an unsuccessful search for
weapon was made then.
Trips Described by Clark
Trying to break down the theory
that Whitaker struggled with some
one before he died, the coroner
asked Whitaker if he recognized
clothing worn by the dead man.
The brother said Clarence wore mis-
shirt, tie and oYercoat. The shirt,
he said, was torn at the collar.
The shirt on Clarence was torn
on the right side, but not at tho
collar.
Finding Harold at his apartment,
Clark took him in his auto to a sis
ter's home, and then to the home
of the brother in Beech Grove. He
described these trips to the coroner.
DR.. Bakelneier attacked the sui
eide theory when he described his
efforts to take the dead mans hat
from his head.
Confident" Man Was Slain
Il had to use both hands, he
declared. 1T was damned down well
over his forehead. On the inner
band there was a bloody thumb
print. and there was a drop of blood
on the rim. I TN confident Whitaker
was murdered
Detectives Roy PeatS and Morris
Corbin conducting the police inveS-
tigation, will continue their search,
and Coroner Keever asked Bert
Perott. Bertillon expert at police
headquarters, to try again to OBJ
tain a legible fingerprint from the
hat band. When the hat was
damned over the hair the print
was smudged badly.
Miss Clona Whitaker, sister of the
dead man. arrived here today from
Washington, and attended the in
quest this morning. She asked an
early verdict. but the coroner told
her he would return none until mis-
Investigations we're complete. She
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