The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-01-23
WITT DOOMED
TO Chair BY
Jury VERDICT
Gunman Is Found Guilty of
Murder of L. A. Jackson,
Chain Store Chief.

BIZ Times Special
LEBANON, Ind, Jan. 23.-Charles
Vernon Witt, today was condemned
to die in the electric chair at the
Indiana state prison for the robbery
Staying of Lafayette A. jackson, In
dianapolis chain store chief.
A jury of ten farmers and two
merchants, at 9:40 Friday night,
found him guilty of the murder,
after two hours and forty minutes
elaboration. Death penalty is man
datory under the charge that the
murder was committed during per-
petration of robbery.
Sentence against Witt will be
passed at $50 Thursday morning
by Judge John w. Hornaday, who
heard evidence against the Balm
bridge (Ind) outlaw for ten days.
Family Grief Stricken
While Witt took his fate calmly,
members of his family we're broken
with grief. His attorneys announced
they will appeal the case to the In
diana supreme court. Eliza o. Rog-
ers of the defense, said he was sat-
isfied with the trial, but Ira M.
Holmes, attorney, declared it was
not fair trial"
Only four ballots were taken by
the jury to reach the death penalty
verdict, the first one in the history
of Boone county.
Witt showed no sign of emotion
when the jury foreman announced
his guilt. On his way to the Jail,
his only remark was, Somebody
give me cigaret."
Jackson Shot Down
Witt was charged, with Louis E.
Hamilton, who will be tried later,
with entering the central store OF
the Standard Grocery Company, 4l9
East Washington street, May 81,
1881, to rob the company OF $4,000.
Lafayette A. Jackson, head of the
store. who often had threatened to
resist any holdup attempts, opened
fire on the bandits when Hamilton
is alleged to have leaped to the store
counter and demanded the money.
Jackson was shot three times and
died the day after the shooting from
a bullet wound in the abdomen.
Witt was captured in indianapolis
a month after the Staying. He was
trapped by detectives in north
side rooming house and for many
hours refused to admit to officers
that he was Witt declaring his name
was Carl Irwin.
Fled to Kansas
According to the charges, Witt
and Hamilton are alleged to have
fled from indianapolis in stolen
car a few hours after the shooting
and hidden at Hamilton'S home in
lola, Kan.
The defense alibi that Witt, his
wife, and Hamilton arrived in lola
five hours after the shooting, was
smashed by the state, with the
testimony of an invalid woman, a
neighbor of Hamiltons, who said
the trio did not arrive there until
May -, more than forty eight hours
after the shooting.
Hamilton probably will be tried
next month, the date to be set later
by Hornaday.
Witnesses to Be Same
State and defense witnesses in
the Hamilton trial will be the same
as those in the Witt case. These in
Guided employees of the store, po-
lice. newspaper men, and relatives
of Witt and Hamilton.
Whether Hamilton will attempt
the Iosa defense alibi in face of its
result in Wits case was not re-
vealed today by his attorneys.
HAMILTON. in purported state
ment to police, is said to have adj
mitted the robbery attempt, but
said he was dazed by bullet from
JackSon'S revolver which struck
him in the head and he did not re-
member anything about the shoot
ing.
His statement in the alleged con-
feSSioa was that he did not recall
the affair until he and Witt were en-
route to lola, Kan.