The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-10-24
MRS. SIMMONS
DUE TO GO ON
WITNESS STAND
Two Sons and Husband
Precede Her, as Case
Enters Last Week.
CALL FRIEDMAN AGAIN
Druggist Will Reaffirm His
Identification of
Farm Wife.
BY STAFF CORRESPONDENT


LEBANON, Ind, oct. 24-The big
parade of star actors in the court
oom drama of Mrs. Carrie Sim
mons, charged with the poisoning
of her daughters, opens Monday in
Boone circuit court.
Every heavy role played by state
and defense witnesses will pass in
review during the ensuing week
the last Of the trial.
George and Dale Simmons, sons
Of the accused woman, will start the
parade to the witness box on Mon
day, followed by their father, John
w. Simmons.
And as their grilling by prosecu-
tors ends, Mrs. Carrie Simmons,
benefited by the weekend recess,
will take the stand to tell how she
made the poison sandwiches and
deny vehemently that she placed
strychnine capsules in them in the
kitchen of her home.
Jackson to Appear Again
Then with rebuttal testimony of
the state, spectators will get a
chance to see Horace N. jackson,
the alleged villain" of the defense's
inner trial, when he is recalled to
deny identihcations of Cumberland
and New Palestine druggists that he
purchased poison prior to the re-
union picnic on June II in Lebanon.
Charles w. Friedman, Indianap-
oils pharmacist who identified Mrs.
Simmons as the buyer of strychnine
on June 10, will take his second bow
in the court spotlight when he is
returned to the stand to reaffirm
his original identification of Mrs.
Simmons and to deny charges of
Miss Louise Robinson of Bargers-
vile, that she was the woman to
whom he sold sixty grains of the
fatal drug.
The defense rebuttal testimony
may bring Miss Robinson back to
the stand to attest to Friedman
being mistaken in his identity of
the poison purchaser.
Trial observers believe Jury de-
~llberations on the fate of Mrs. Sim
mons will not begin before the end
of the week.
Defense Hopes Mount
A day will be required for clos
ing arguments and One-half of a dav
Tor the jury instructions of Judge
John w. Hornaday.
Hope of the defense to stuff
every crack in the alibi that Mrs.
Simmons could not have bought
poison on the day she visited IN
dianapolis, June Is, mounted Fri
day while George Simmons was in
the witness box.
The youth was asked regarding
the purchase of a brown tie by his
father and mother in indianapolis
and given to him as a gift.
He told how, after receiving the
tie, he bought a suit to match the
tie.
How About Underwear, TOO?'
AS the tie was introduced as a de-
Tense exhibit the courtroom was
conyulsed in laughter by an obiec-
ton to the exhibit on the part of
Roy Adney, special prosecutor.
Let the tie be marked as defense
exhibit" requested n of the Sim
mons family's attorneys.
well how about his underwear.
too. Why not introduce that as an
exhibit?" queried Adney sarcas-
tically.
The spectators Uttered. w. H.
Parr Sr, defense counsel. jumped to
his feet and shouted, Your honor.
I object to counseIS remarks"
Prosecutor Is Rebuked
The face of the witness redeemed
Judge Hornaday raped his gavel
for court order.
That wasn't called for, Mr.. Ad-
ney," the judge reproved.
Young Simmons declared he was
in the kitchen throughout the en-
tire time his mother made the sand
wicheS. He told of the strained re-
lations between his family and
Jackson. He put the finger of &C
cusation on Jackson by intimating
that his uncle was feigning illness
at the picnic.
approximately $4,000 words. or
two fat novels, in testimony have
been jotted down by the court re-
porter during the month duration
of the trial.