The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-11-03
MRS.. SIMMONS
LAWYER CALLS
JACKSON KILLER
Farmer Guilty of Murder.
Charge of Defense as
Trial NearS End.
fCnnfinu.l r. ~
Continued From Page u

the last statement to the jury in her
behalf was made.
The state has produced nothing
on which to base a conviction, D
T1ndall continued. They have
proved Mrs. Simmons made the
sandwiches, but they had that in
formation two hours after the pic
mic.
Scifres told you yesterday he was
too lenient with Mrs. Simmons. In
mat compassionate manner of his,
while the bodies of the two girls still
were warm, he was telling Mrs.
simmons he had enough evidence
70 send her to the electric chair.
NO one can make something out
Of nothing. If you jurors search
your memories, you will show by
the verdict that the defense has
made good"
The courtroom was damned to the
window sills today, as it was Mon
day.
Friends of attorneys for both sides
and friends of those friends formed
the proverbial bald headed row at
the trial today. y
Guesses as to the verdict rivaled
the praise given opposing counsel
Tor their capable oratory.
Pats Wife's Arm
Charges by the state in the open
ing argument by Prosecutor Sci
fres, that John Simmons and his
wife merely are united by adversely,
was given the lie today and Mon
Gay, as the defendant and her hus-
band displayed affection toward
each other.
On occasion Monday Sim
mons patted his wife'S arm, as de-
tense attorneys told of the dead
children.
Nearness of a verdict seems to
have depressed them. The scourg-
ing by states attorneys brings a
taraWay look to the eyes of Mrs.
Simmons, while her husband seems
strained and i'll at ease as the state
makes its attack.
Jackson had been given the di-
rect verbal spotlight by the defense
Monday afternoon, as Willett Parr
Jr., talked for the defense.
The young lawyer, battling in his
first big murder trial, gave the old
sters some oratory to shoot at when
he took Jackson for a ride" in
argument.
He gave Jackson an alleged mo-
tive for commission of the dual
murder-a seventeen-year-old threat
backed by i'll will.
Raps at Third Degree"
He charged Jackson was familiar
with the symptoms and reactions to
strychnine poisoning.
The state vas slapped for giving
Mrs. Simmons an alleged third de-
gree" in her cellroom in Boone
county Jail.
Divine Providence was credited
with bringing Miss Louise Robin
son, BargerSville woman, to the de-
fense's aid. after Friedman had tes-
titled that Mrs. Simmons purchased
strychnine.
He described the use of capsules
in the poisoning as showing that it
was a "hurry-up" job.
A representative of The Times
was attacked for bringing Fried
mans identification to the attention
of states attorneys.
He painted Jackson blacker than
Jackson painted himself while on
the witness with, "You wouldn't
want a transporter of women in
your home"
He described Jackson, by infer
ence, as "sullen, morose with a re-
vengeful mind
THE same mind that made the
threat that he'd get John Simmons
could do this" he charged.
Young Parr gave the jury its
choice of believing that Jackson
feigned illness at the park or that
he really was i'll.
and if he was i'll, then his words
of oh! God, this is awful and I'm
the cause of it all were the words
of a man who thought he was dying
and was making a confession to
clear his SOUL" the youthful bar
rister declared.
The numerous opportunities that
Mrs. Simmons had at her home to
poison her children was cited by
Parr as showing the improbability
of poisoning them at the reunion
picnic.
AT n point in his address he
said: There is no record of how
this mother guided little feet of the
children she loved. There's no rec
ord of how she slipped into their
rooms at night and covered them