The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-07-02
INDICTMENT IN
POISON DEATH
CASE IS NEAR
Grand Jury to ReConvene
Friday for Action,
Is Report.
CORONER is SILENT
Mother of Picnic Victims
Not Brought Before
Quiz Body.
BY ARCH STEINEL
Times staff Correspondent


LEBANON, Ind, July 2.-Indict-
ments charging murder in connec-
ton with the strychnine deaths OF
the daughters Mr.. and Mrs. John
Simmons of Greenfield, here ter
days ago, will be returned by the
Boone county grand jury Friday
it was learned from authoritative
sources today.
The children, Virginia and Alice
Jean Simmons, died following a
mortal park. Capsules, loaded with
family reunion and picnic at Me-
strychnine, were found in food
which members of the picnic party
ate and which resulted in the deaths
of the girls.
Verdict Awaited
The grand jury adjourned about
noon today for the express purpose
Of permitting farmers to return tc
their work. However, it was estab-
lished definitely that Prosecutor Ben
Scifres would prepare the murde,
charges late today and tonight.
Judge John w. Hornaday of the
circuit court will be prepared to re-
ceive the jurys report Friday morn
ing, it was learned.
Sudden completion of the Jury
probe came as a surprise. Six wit
nesSeS testified about circumstances
at the picnic and physicians told
that Strychnine poison caused the
childrenS deaths. Other persons
gave dispositions to authorities.
Mrs. Simmons, held in the Boone
county jail, was not brought before
the quiz body, composed of six
farmers, all of them married men.
Her husband was not summoned.
Meanwhile, the verdict of Coroner
G. A. Owsley after his investigation
into the death still is awaited and
it is reported it may be made just
before the grand jury announces its
findings.
Defense attorneys conferred with
Mrs. Simmons late Wednesday and
it was reported she had told them
she left the sandwiches unguarded
fifteen minutes while she dressed in
her farm home near Greenfield.
Previously she told authorities no
one was near the sandwiches except
her from the time she prepared
them until the picnic started in Lee
banon.
Mother stood Around"
Testimony that Mrs. Simmons
displayed indifference while her
children were dying, was given the
grand jury today by Horace Jack
son, neighbor of the Simmons fam
lily and one of those who became
i'll from eating the poison.
Jackson told how the mother
merely "stood around" while he1
daughters were in the throes OF
poison.
1t is expected that Owsley's YER
dict will point out that Mrs. Sim
mons prepared the sandwiches and
that according to her own state
ment no one could have tempered
with them while they were being
made, except herself.
Efforts of the Boone county prose-
cutor and Owsley to locate the place
of purchase of the poison capsules
have proved futile.
Numerous clewS as to strychnine
buys" in drug stores of towns in
Hancock as well as Boone county
have proven to be dead trails.
Husband Visits Suspect
Mrs. Simmons was visited in her
hospital cell Wednesday by her hus-
band. He was locked in the cell
with her throughout two-hour
tete-a-tete.
With the appearance of the huS-
band on the streets of Lebanon
daily comes the hum of courthouse
hangers-on and townfolk Of There
he goes" and That's the husband
of the woman who's in jail"
The bias of Hancock county in
the investigation of the poison
murders is not in evidence in Leb-
anon. The citizens of Boone coun-
ty talk but one thing; Lets get to
the bottom of this"
But in Hancock any trend of the
probe that points toward a member
of the Simmons family receives in