The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-10-27
YOUTH QUIZZED
ON EVENTS AT
POISON PICNIC
Dale Simmons Admits That
He Made No Inquiries
About Murderer.
MYSTERY MAN ENTERS
Witness Says He Told His
Father of Stranger
Near Outing Scene.
81 STAFF CORREsPONDENT

BY a CORRESPONDENT
LEBANON, Ind, Oct. 27.-Al-
though he aided in attempts to save
the life Of Alice Jean Simmons, his
sister, Dale Simmons admitted to-
day that he never made inquiry to
determine who might be the strych-
nine murderer Of the child.
Simmons was on the stand as one
of the star defense witnesses in the
trial of his mother, Mrs. Carrie w
Simmons, charged with the poison
Staying Of Alice Jean, whose sister
Virginia Simmons, also was a victim
here June 81.
Dale said he had been in the car
in which Alice Jean was taken to
the hospital before her death. He
said the girl sat in the real seat
between his father and his mother,
and he did not hear any discussion
about the strychnine capsules found
in the picnic food.
Never Made Inquiry
Did you ever make any inquiry
about the death of your sister?" he
vas asked by states attorneys.
mo-" Dale replied.
Another twist of mystery was in
jected into the trial when the wit
ness said he had informed his
father that a "suspicious-looking
man with Shell-rimmed glasses"
had driven past the picnic site of
the Simmons-Pollard group eight
or ten times before the poison was
found.
Did you think to ask your sis
ters if they had eaten any of the
sandwiches" Dale was asked.
mo"
Were you thinking of anything
that day?"
Il think I was"
Defense Halls Answer
when you didn't ask them if
they had eaten any of the sand
wici1es you made a fatal error,
didn't your"
Defense objections prevented Dale
Simmons from answering the
states question.
Circumstances surrounding the
youths statement at the coroner'S
inquest were told after the court
upheld the defense motion for adj
mission Of the evidence. 1t estab-
lished the time Of the groups de-
parture from the Pollard home be-
tween 1870 and noon the fatal pic
mic day.
Humor found its way into the
questioning of Harry Chappell,
Hancock county plumber, who again
brought Horace Jackson, Hancock
county farmer and unofficial de-
fendent," to the fore.
He said he saw Jackson in New
Palestine June 8. Chapel said he
resided in the Garden of Eden"
in Hancock county and had gone
to get a dead black horse for a
man named st. John when he saw
Jackson and waved at him.
Humor in Case
Harry Short, drug store operator,
near whose store Chappell saw him,
has said Jackson bought Strychnine
from him several days before the
fatal picnic.
Asked how many times he had
testified in cases, Chappell said it
would take a minute or two to
figure it out"
Take the time; it won't be hard
for a man of your standing" Prose-
cutor Ben Scifres said.
Chappell answered five times
after studying over the question,
while spec eators giggled.
He said lie had a book" to show
he was in New Palestine June 8.
AS the defense today neared the
end Of its testimony, and reached
within twenty-four hours of pre-
senting Mrs. Simmons to a throng
waiting to hear her story, they have
given twists to the reunion picnic
murder mystery that would rival
the tale of a Conan Doyle.
Youth Is Belligerent
Today, Dale Simmons was belli-
gerent as he defended his mother.
Dale testified members Of his
family at no time during the picnic
talked with members of the Jack
son family. He said both families
remained "at a distance" during the
picnic.
And what was true today was true
Monday afternoon, An alleged
threat made seventeen years ago by
jackson against John Simmons,
husband of the defendant, proved
to be more newsy, more interesting
to spectators, and more of an eye
opener to jurors than the oft-re-
: peated tale of how the sandwiches
{ were made in the Simmons home.
. An Indianapolis merchant, John
! Efroymson, 918 South Meridian
: street, even popped" proceedings
when he attempted to relate how
: he overheard Miss Louise Robinson
= of Bargersville identify herself as a
poison purchaser to Charles w,
Friedman, druggist.
EfroymSon tried v~aliantly to inject
Miss Robinson's own words to Fried
man in his testimony, but the state
won a point in establishing inadmis-
Sibility of the conversation.
John Simmons was expected to
testify later today, with Mrs. Sim
mons defending herself Wednesday
or Thursday from the witness box.
1t is probable the trial will not
J reach the stage of jury deliberations
before early next week.