The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-01-06
Crouch Refutes Guilty
Plea as Bargain With
State in Bank HOldup
Alleged DiIIinger MobSter to
Seek Freedom in Hear
ing Monday.
BY HEZE CLARK
Times staff Writer

Hilton U. Crouch. alleged terror
mobster, will not plead guilty Mon
day, Notwithstanding any purported
twenty-year sentence bargain with
the state, Miss Bess Robbins, his
attorney, asserted today.
Miss Robbins, Marion county state
representative, announced plans to
fight for Crouch'S liberty after she
succeeded in comforting with him
this morning for the first time since
last Tuesday.
BY "twenty-year sentence bar
gain Miss Robbins meant the an
nouncement of Prosecutor Herbert
Wilson that Crouch had called him,
dickered with him for a guilty plea
Monday in criminal court, and
agreed to accept sentence of twen-
ty years in the state prison for COM
plicity with John Dillinger in the
Massachusetts Avenue State Bank
holdup here last September.
THE trouble with Prosecutor Will
son is" observed Miss Robbins, that
he wants to be attorney for the
prosecution and the defense as
we'll"
Unable to See Client
Miss Robbins declared today she
had encountered difficulty after diff
ficulty in seeing her client, who has
been held incommunicado in city
prison. Only filing of habeas corpus
proceedings before Superior Judge
William A. Pickens cleared the way
for police permission to see Crouch,
she asserted.
Judge Baker told me I could see
Crouch next Tuesday" Miss Robbins
declared. II replied, by that time
he won't need me, judge, he'll need
an undertaken
to Prosecutor Wilson was because I
was not allowed to see him." Miss
Robbins asserted. when I saw
him today and he greeted me with,
I thought you had forgotten me-
II explained to him I had been
unable to confer with him and he
has agreed to plead not guilty Mon
day"
Claims State Case Weak
Miss Robbins said she would ap-
pear in criminal court Monday and
ask a continuance, offering proof to
the court she can produce new evil
damon Ioift7n1-+A i1a1
THE facts are" asserted Miss
Robbins, that the state has weak
case against Crouch and that prob
ably was the reason for the state
striking a bargain on the twenty
year basis"
Crouch, according to Prosecutor
Wilson, telephoned him yesterday
and said he was ready to talk
business"
II want to talk with you about
the Massachusetts, Avenue bank
holdup. What will you give ME if
I plead guilty?" Mr.. Wilson said
Crouch asked him.
Twenty years." the prosecutor
replied.
That's O. k. with me-" Crouch
replied, according to Mr.. Wilson.
Loot $4,000, He Says
John Dillinger, John Vincent
and I stuck up the bank. We got
about $4,000, which we split three
ways. drove the car away from
the bank" the prosecutor quoted
Crouch as saying.
Stating in detail the route he
covered in getting out of town,
Crouch said, according to Mr.
Wilson, that when they were
we'll on the way to Chicago and
while I was driving about eighty
miles an hour, Dillinger sat in the
back seat and counted the money.
Each of us got about $4,000.
eve split up soon after we got
to Chicago, and I haven't seen
Dillinger since" he said
Vincent is an Indianapolis resi-
dent for whom local police have
been searching for some time in
connection with the bank robbery.