The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-03-06
Gary High School Youth
Takes Stand in Fight
for Life.
LAYS DEATH TO FALL
Began and Grew
in Dance Hall, Accused
Boy Asserts.
(other details ON Page 81

VALPARAISO, Marcn D.
Twice this morning silence
of a courtroom was tribute to
the sobs of Virgil Kirkland as
the debonair composure of the
youth, at which, spectators
have marveled, succumbed to
emotion as he testified Of his
love for Arlene braves, for
whose murder he is on trial.
His first breakdown followed the
question Of Defense Attorney Bar
rett O'Hara, former Lieutenant
Governor of Illinois, who after a
dramatic pause, gently asked:
"Did you love Arlene, Virgil?"
The boys voice choked as he
answered: "Of course I did"
Case to Jury Soon
Again he was shaken when he
recounted a love scene on a daven-
port and their intimacies on the
porch<o Of their hosts home during
the gin party, Nov. 90, to which Ar
lene's death was a fateful sequence.
Kirkland stepped blithely to the
stand, the first witness today, and
next to the last witness the defense
will produce. His mother will tes-
tify to the youths age and then
O'Hara will prepare the closing ar
gurnent on which doubtless viii
hinge Virgil's fate with the jury.
What is your name?" O'Hara
asked.
Virgil kirkland"
Mother Took in Washings
"You are the defendant in this
case?"
Eyes, sir"
'T.yhere we're you born?'
"Kaskee, Mo, in 1870"
"Now describe your early life"
"VYe lived there three years, and
then went to Williamsville."
SIN Missouri"
eyes, Missouri. Father died when
I was a baby, Is months old. Mother
took in washings to. support us
She went to st. Louis and married
my stepfather. He was a locomotive
engineer. We were in st. Louis
two years, and then dad went tc
Gary. Later on he sent for the
family. I was 8 years old then"
where did you go to high
SCHOOL,"
cat Horace Mann, in Gary"
How He Met Arlene
"Tell the jury, Virgil, where and
when you first met Arlene Braves
give known Arlene three years
I met her the first time in the Gay
Mill dance hall, near Gary. I went
there, like other boys do, to dance
I saw Arlene and she attracted me
SO /. asked her for a dance. W.
danced together"
what happened after that?'
O'Hara asked.
"We danced and talked anc
kidded each other. I asked her fol
a date. She said her folks wouldn't
allow her to make any appointments
because she was only IS. In the
kidding, I told her I was a sopho'
more at Purdue, and she told me
she was a senior at Emerson high
school in Gary"
when did you see her agaln?"
Romance Grew in Dance Hall
"The next night. We danced to.
gether Sunday night and I saw he.
Monday night"
"How did you happen to see her?'
IL was carrying ice. She saw
me and hollered, What va doin'
training for football?' Then I asked
her where she lived, and she tolt
me. I said I'd be over that night
and did go over. When I knocked
at the door she asked, Who's there?
IT said, It's Virgil and we talked
about a date. I was II then.
cater that I used to meet her al
the Gay Mill. We danced all tht
dances together. But she wouldn'
let me take her home because she
wasn't old enough to make dates.
zone night we were dancing
there, and she asked if I'd like tt
take her for a ride. I said I would
and she told me her sister Carolyn
and her sisters boy friend were 60
ing to drive to Chicago and We
could go along.
Tells of First Kiss
"We left before the dance was ovel
and went to Chicago, up to Caro-.
lyn's place. She worked at the Uni.
versity of Chicago. We rode in the
back seat up and back"
"Had you ever kissed Arlene?"
mo, not then"
when did you first kiss her?"
eWen in a football game, it was
between Horace Mann and Froebe
high schools, I got hurt, and hac
to go to the hospital. Arlene anc
a girl named Marguerite Hook usec
to come and see me.
"One day Marcy said, Babes go-
something to tell you :. she's 60
ing to surprise YOU When the.
left, Babe leaned over and kissed
me on the lips. That was a kiss
never forgot" Kirkland said.
Engaged, Boy Asserts
Before the next question Attorne,
oyHara paused. kirkland stare'
grinnly ahead as the lawyer leanet
over the table and asked:
did you love Arlene, Virgil?"
For a moment the boy did no