The Indianapolis times., 1931-03-16
LEO BROTHERS
ON TRIAL FOR
L|NGLE DEATH
go -Year-0Id St. Louis
Man Accused as Hired
Killer of Reporter.
STATES PLANS SECRET
Suspects Attorneys Conf
dent They Can Prove He
Is Not Murderer.
BY WILLIAM E. HALLBERG
United Press staff Correspondent

CHICAGO, March 16-The long
awaited trial of Leo V. Brothers on
charges of committing Chicago's
most sensational crime-the murder
OF Alfred (Jake) Lingle-opened to-
day in Judge Joseph Sabath's
criminal court.
A clash between opposing coun-
sci over witnesses called by the
state started the trial.
Tyrell V. Krum, chief defense
counsel, attempted unsuccessfully
to obtain Immediately the names OF
state witnesses living outside Chi
cago.
The defense charged a previous
list produced by the state in
cluded the names OF persons with
out the remotest connection with
the Lingle murder. The quarrel
ended with the state promising to
identify its remaining witnesses "in
ample time"
The 30-year-old st. Louis man.
whom the state charged with the
hired killing of the Tribune re-
porter and secretive racketeer. ap-
peared nervous as attorneys pre-
pared to spend at least a week in
selection of a jury.
Plans Of the state in the trial were
as mysterious as was the killing of
Lingle last June 8. Brothers him
self confessed he knew nothing Of
the evidence to be offered against
him.
Both Sides Are Confident
Attorneys for both state and de-
fense were sure of victory.
I'll stake my professional repu-
tation Brothers goes to the electric
chair" was the comment of Pat
Roche, chief investigator for John
A. Swanson, states attorney.
Brothers attorneys we're just as
positive he would be acquitted.
They based their belief on the list
of twenty-one witnesses the state
had said it would produce. None
of these witnesses, they contended,
could do more than say ne saw
the murder and that Brothers was
the slayer.
To offset testimony of this kind,
the defense was ready to produce
other witnesses Of the Staying who
would testify Brothers was not
the man.
Predict States Failure
The possibility was discussed
that Charles F. Rathbun and
James E. McShane, special pros
ecutors appointed to solve the case.
might withdraw as attorneys to act
as witnesses. Since the killing last
June these men have done little else
but investigate the crime.
Tyrrel Krum and Louis Piuuett,
defense attorneys, predicted the
state would fail because a motive
for the Staying could not be proved
unless it was proved some one had
paid Brothers and who that some
one was.
Brothers was arrested last Dec.
81 at hotel where he had been in
hiding for many months. He was
held a secret prisoner until Jan. 9,
seven months to a day after the
when Roche summoned
men, pointed to Broth
ers and announced, There is the
slayer of Alfred Lingle."
Started Crime Cleanup
That was all Roche or any of his
ever has said except to
repeat time after time that they
knew" Brothers was the slayer
and that he would be positively
identified.
No crime in Chicago's history has
had a more far reaching effect than
the murder Of Lingle, which so
aroused the city that numerous
drives against criminals were start
ed, grating and corruption were
revealed, and such demand for a
up started that gangsters
were put on the defense for the first
time in years.