The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-03-05
FALL CAUSED
BRAVES DEATH.
SAYS DOCTOR
Autopsy BareS No Evidence
of Criminal Attack,
Court Told.
HITS BURCHAM FINDINGS
Chicago Expert TeStifieS
for Kirkland Defense
at Valparaiso.
By Times Special

By Times Special
VALPARAISO, Ind, March s.
Strongest defense to date of Virgil
Kirkland in his trial for murder of
Arlene braves was built up today
when DR.. Joseph Springer, Chicago
criminologist, testified that in the
autopsy Of the girls body Wednes-
day he found no evidence of crimi-
nal assault.
DR.. Springer qualified as med
ical expert witness by statement
that in his thirty-six years of prac-
tice he has conducted more than
$50 post mortems on women victims
Of criminal attacks.
His statement, in answer to oues-
lions by defense attorneys that he
had participated in $4,000 post NOR
TENS, was halted by the state with
an objection.
DR.. Springer was put on the stand
after Judge Grant Crumpacker over
ruled contention of the state that
only physicians licensed in Indiana
should testify. Deputy Prosecutor
John Underwood had asked the
court TO place that limitation. but
the request was refused, said Judge
Crumpacker.
Tells Of Autopsy
What did you find in the auton-
sy?" asked Richard Oldham, de-
Tense attorney.
DR.. Springer described eXamina-
ton of the head, discovery of a
round swelling on the outside about
the size of an dollar, and evidence
inside the skull of hemorrhage.
He disagreed with testimony of
DR.. James Burcham, coroner'S phy-
stefan and star witness for the state.
Attorney Oldham asked a lengthy
hypothetical question, which in
substance was:
In your opinion, doctor, was
Arlene braves assaulted criminally."
Objection of the state was over
ruled, and DR.. Springer replied,
NO"
Another long question asked the
cause of her death.
"A cerebral hemorrhage," DR..
Springer replied.
WAS a fall the sole and direct
cause Of death?"
Il believe So,' said the physician.
He added that the brain injury
was accompanied by shock.
On crosS-examination he described
each of the numerous bruises on the
body, and said he counted fifteen,
although the state alleged there
were more than twenty.
Some of them might have been
caused during the other post
morten," the physician said.
Findings Not Exact
Some of the sting of DR..
Springer's testimony was removed
when Prosecutor Underwood asked:
Gould shock Of attacks and ex-
posure to near freezing tempera-
lures have contributed to Arlene's
death?"
EYES," DR.. Springer said.
Gould the fact of a criminal at
tack have been determined in the
autopsy with medical exactitude?"
mo"
Question of whether the girl was
attacked may resolve on conflicting
opinions of physicians, and it may
become the work of the jury to de-
termine qualifications of opposing
medical experts.
Early Wednesday morning labor
ers under direction of Coroner w.
K. Henderson, at Reynolds, gathered
at the blanketed little ceme-
terry near the town, and when the
party arrived from Valparaiso they
began to open the grave.
The grey casket was lifted from
| its resting place at the side of
Arlene's mothers grave, and borne
through a crowd of more than
400 townspeople to small, one-story
frame building that serves as town
hall.
Attorneys Clash
There the crowd pressed inside,
despite efforts to keep the room
empty. One man stepped forward
and dropped a spray of roses on
the coffin. With Carolyn braves,
the girls sister, at one end, and
Carol, a brother, at the other, the
lid was raised.
The body was in an excellent state
of preservation. The cheeks were
rouged, and the lips were frozen in
a smile.
Sheriff Ray Fisher cleared the
room of all except the physicians
and coroner. In little restaurant
nearby Underwood, Attorney Rob-
ert Moore of Gary, who is defense
counsel for the other four boys
charged in the crime; Coroner
Watts of Lake county, and DR..
Burcham organized a bridge ~ame.
Newspaper men, unheeding a ban
on their presence at the autopsy,
congregated by wood stove in the
restaurant to await the announce
ment that autopsy was completed.
Reporters Near Accident
Several Of them narrowly escaped
rT--