The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-13

William DAD Haines, 70.
Called as a defense witness,
h e viii tie haired, rosy
checked foster father told how
Saunders had whipped his
two sons, Bill, II, and Jim, 8,
with a piece of hose for no
apparent reason.
1T sounded like some one whip
ping a horse in a stable" Mr..
Haines declared. Mr.. Haines was
questioned at length by Defense At
torney Merle N. Walker regarding
life in the Saunders home.
During the time I lived with him,
Saunders whipped his children frs
quently, the witness said.
Used SpatuIa Once
zone time he used a spatula. It
reminded me of slave days. He was
abusive to his wife as well.
"One time after they came home
late from party, they had a violent
argument. Saunders called his wife
a yellow '"
Asked by Mr.. Walker whether he
thought Saunders was in his right
mind during the year or so preced-
ing his death, Mr.. Haines replied.
Il would say he was insane"
Mr.. Haines revealed that Saun-
| ders came to his home voluntarily
in 1909 and stayed to live with him.
MY wife and I had been kind
to him. He was poorly dressed and
his father was near death. One day
the lad came to our house and
stayed there"
| Under Mr.. Walkers questioning,
Mr.. Haines said that Mrs. Saunders
appeared to be in much better
health now than she was at the time
her husband was killed.
Mrs. Saunders Weeps
''She looks like different woman
he added.
Mrs. Saunders wept through most
Of Mr.. Haines' testimony, sobbing
audibly when he described the whip
pings her sons had received.
A surprise witness expected to
testify later today is Grover Arnold,
Wabash County clerk who was ex-
pected to declare that Mrs. Saunders
actually had signed a petition for
a sanity inquest against her ius-
band prior to the murder.
Mr.. Arnold revealed to the press
yesterday that Mrs. Saunders COM
planned in the request for a sanity
hearing that her husband had been
guilty of drunkenness, threatening
life of wife and family; mad fits;
physical attacks on wife and
friends"
After the character witnesses have
been questioned and cross examined,
Mrs. Saunders is expected to testify
III her own defense. The comedy,
black-haired widow is charged with
first and second-degree murder.
Defense Wins Point
After her case is completed, Theo-
OO4L AfAaNAlIA1s Los A<OdAtl1O4lts WILL HE
tried on the same charges. 1t was
to Mathers, the state charges, Mrs.
Saunders paid the $40 with which
to end the life of Mr. Saunders, who
had been Mather's roommate at In
dianapolis.
The defense won a bitterly fought
for point yesterday as the Rev. w.
Earl Pittenger, pastor of the First
M. E. Church, Wabash, charged
that he was convinced Saunders
rapidly was deteriorating into insan-
ity weeks before the murder.
L persuaded Mrs. Saunders to
file papers to have bin committed
to an institution. becalEe I felt he
was a desperate character and was
too dangerous to be living with his
family" Mr. Pittenger said.
Mr.. Pittenger told of his COL
leagues growing obsession with sex
and how Mr.. Saunders had fire.
quently embarrassed him with ques-
tons pertaining to the sex life.
Once Threatened Mathers
When Prosecutor John j. Kelly,
indianapolis, objected to mud
singing at Mr.. Saunders, Eliza Rog-
ers, defense counsel, replied:
we intend to show that this man
was moral pervert who was going
crazy and driving his wife insane"
The crowds that have jammed the
courtroom waiting impatiently for
sensational testimony were rewarded
YESTERDAY as Ross Curtis, 20, Wa
bash. family friend, admitted re-
luctantly that he had kissed Mrs.
Saunders on several occasions.
Curtis is alleged to have thrown
away the gun used 70 kill Ar. Saun-
ders at the request Of Mrs. atm
ders.
I kissed Mrs. Saunders several
times while we were alone and sev-
eral times while other persons we're
present" Curtis testified after Mr..
Kelly had stubbornly demanded an
answer TO his direct question.
Curtis also told the jury that Mr..
Saunders once threatened to Kill
MEIhers with a butcher knife.
II interviewed and Saunders bit