The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-02-05

Wednesday night after the murder
had been plotted for the following
night, it is alleged.
Charges that Mr.. Saunders was
losing his mind, were denied by his
brother. the Rev. Eldridge Saunders,
pastor of the Methodist church at
Uniondale.
Brother Defends Pastor
Mr.. Saunders never drank, never
smoked and was entirely sane and
of good moral character, the
brother said.
Because of this statement, Chief
Morrissey halted plans of the widow
for cremation of the body immedi-
ately after services yesterday.
Mrs. Saunders, Mathers, Roe and
Mrs. Bake were taken before NUM-
cipal Judge Dewey Myers today, the
first three on murder affidavits and
Mrs. Bake on Yagrancy charges.
The cases were continued until
Thursday morning to give the grand
jury time TO act.
Curtis appeared at headquarters
from Wabash this morning and was
slated on vagrancy charges, being
released Immediately on his own
recognizance, indicating that he
may be used as a states witness.
Prosecutor Herbert Wilson today
issued orders to Chief Mike Nor
rissey that no further statements,
which may be made by the defend
ants, be made public.
Suicide Attempt Reported
He also barred newspaper men
and others. except police, from talk
ing with the defendants.
L don't like all this publicity
about a case of this type Mr.. Will
son explained later. Il don't want
this to turn into another cheap
Wynekoop case"
Relatives and friends of MatherS
and Roe came TO Indianapolis to-
day in a vain effort to talk to them.
One of Mathers' friends said Mathers
shot himself with a .22-caliber rifle
last August, the bullet ranging
around his ribs and inf1icting only
a superficial wound. There was
suspicion that the incident was not
an accident, it was said.
The friends added that Mr.. and
Mrs. Saunders visited Mathers at
his home in Coalmont Christmas,
both Mr.. and Mrs. Saunders kissing
Mathers when they met.
Exact location of the Staying is
not yet known definitely. Mathers
and Roe told police, he said, that
they drove into the country, riding
for some time, and getting out at
one place, where the minister was
shot as Mathers crawled back in
the car.
Two Nabbed at Wabash
Police today still were picking up
loose ends of evidence in the trag-
edy which began to be unrsveled
late Saturday with the purported
confession of Roe, in which he i'm
plicated Mathers.
Detectives working on the case
were driven TO Wabash by Chief
Mike MorrisSey, to pick up Mathers,
who had gone to wabash with Mrs.
Saunders, after the preliminary
questioning, to arrange funeral
services.
There, MatherS and Mrs. Saunders
were questioned, both breaking down
and signing purported confessions,
police said, naming Mrs. Bake and
Curtis.
Aided by Chief Harry Ridgeway
and other Wabash officers, Chief
Morrissey and the local detectives
infinitely searched the home of Mrs.
Bake for pieces of the revolver and
ring of Mr.. Saunders, which Curtis
is said to have admitted breaking
up there. Several small pieces were
found.
Yesterday Curtis showed police
where he threw the remainder of
the pieces in the Salamonie river,
near Largo, and the parts we're re-
covered from the water.
Diamond Is Found
The diamond from the ring,
weighing nearly one karat, was
found yesterday under a rug in
Mrs. Balke'S home, police said.
Funeral services for Mr.. Saun-
ders were held yesterday in the
Wabash Street NJ. E. church, where
he preached his last sermon week
before after resigning the pastorate
he had held five years.
Detectives who worked on the case
were praised by Chief Morrissey for
their work in unraveling the myS-
terry, which at first gave the ap-
pearance of having been committed
during robbery.
Hourly Temperatures
q n, 90 IN a ~, %