The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-09-08
OF
SCHROEDER AS
KILLER ASKED
Grand Jury Opens Probe
Into Mystery of Fire
Car Death.
FOUR GIVE TESTIMONY
Mobile Man Is Relieved
and Glad Quiz Is
Under Way.

AS witnesses today filed into the
Marion county grand jury room
where Prosecutor Judson L. Stark
is demanding murder indictment
against Harold Herbert Schroeder,
central figure in the High School
road torch car murder mystery,
Schroeder, in his cell in county jail,
expressed relief that his case is COM
ing to head.
1--we been in here ninety days,
and I'm glad they're acting" he
said without a trace of worry. "Td
be glad of either an indictment-or
freedom"
The grand jury'S probe into the
murder mystery opened today with
the appearance of four witnesses.
They were Sheriff George l..
Winkler, Detective P. o. Stump,
Fred Fouts, Sixteenth and Me-
ridian streets, with whom Schroeder
is alleged to have had a CONVERSE
ton at the Memorial day Speedway
race, and DR.. Lawrence A. Lewis,
Negro deputy coroner, who made an
investigation of the charred body
found in Schroeders blazing car on
High School road on the night of
May 81.
Second Bill Is Asked
Prosecutor Stark is asking a sec
ond bill, accusing Schroeder, Mo-
bile (Ala) garage owner, of arson.
Jack Allen Clayton and Miss Ruby
Blue, IT'S North Delaware street,
who on the night of May 81 hauled
hitchhiker from the locality of
the torch car to Senate avenue and
Washington street are expected be-
fore the grand jury Tuesday.
Returned by Winkler
Since his capture in weed patch
near his home in Mobile June 20
when he was returned to Indianapo-
lis by Sheriff George L. Winkler,
Schroeder has been held in the
county jail and has evaded being
questioned by police through ruling
of Criminal Judge James A. Collins.
Schroeder's three months impris-
onment hasn't affected him per-
ceptibly. In his cell today, he
chatted cheerfully with a Times re-
porter, but obeyed his attorneys in
junction not to go into the details
of his case. Clean shaven, he wore
clean white shirt and dark trou-
sers and shoes.
1--WE been in here so long, it
doesn't seem fair" he said. I'm
glad they're on my case. was dis
appointed when they didn't take it
up last week"
Delay Is Deplored
cts about time they were investi-
eating this matter" was the COM
ment of Ira Holmes, Schroeder's at
torney. "They should indict Schroe-
der or turn him loose"
Deploring the delay in Schroeder's
trial, Holmes repeated his charge
that Schroeder was "browbeaten
and subjected to third degree tao
tics, not by slugging, but by every
other MEANS" by officers who ques-
toned him.
Lets go. Let's have the trial
and get it over WITH" Holmes de-
clared, confident the prosecution
can not disprove Schroeder's story.
Attempts meanwhile of authori-
ties to identify the charred body of
a man found in SchroederS blazing
sedan have failed. Autopsy revealed
the man probably was stabbed to
death before the fire.
The grand jury faces the task of
piecing together the story as told by
Schroeder how he believed this I'M
known passenger was killed when
the car crashed into a ditch near
Terre Haute, and vague explanation
of setting fire to the car without
first removing the lifeleSs cargo.
Schroeder has been held since
his arrest on an affidavit charging
him with arson.