The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-07-17
CITY WOMAN
HEARS STATE
DEMAND DEATH
Murder of Carl Thompson
Premeditated, Cries
Prosecutor.
INSANITY MAY BE PLEA
Mrs. SandStrom Suffered
Enough Will Remy
Tells Court.

CHARLESTON. H., July IA
figurative rope of romance, alleged
to be illicit, was dangled before a
jury's eyes today and coupled with
demand for the death penalty as
the state began its first-degree muir
der case against Mrs. Anna Sand
strom, Indianapolis woman.
She was at the end of her rope.
It's too bad she didn't have enough
left for herself" Numbered j. V.
Dilsaver, states attorney.
Mr.. Dilsaver repeatedly scored
Mrs. Sandstrom for her alleged
Staying of Carl Thompson, Indian
apolis caSket salesman, in a hotel
room in nearby Nation, III.
In his opening statement to the
jury, he charged that the murder
was premeditated and pleaded for
electrocution for the woman who
he said, killed when her alleged
lover told her that their romance
had ended.
The states attorney charged that
Mrs. Sandstrom followed Mr.
Thompson to NATION from Indian
apolis in an effort to effect a
reconciliation.
Plea May Be Insanity
Replying to the states plea for
the death penalty, William H
Remy, defense counsel, and former
Marion county prosecutor, said,
This woman has suffered enough.
She was suffering untold mental
agony as a result of her failure to
bring about a reconciliation when
the murder was committed"
This was interpreted as meaning
that Mr.. Remy's defense would be
an insanity plea.
First witnesses for the state were
three men who were guests in the
hotel at the time Mr.. Thompson
allegedly was slain.
Joseph Rice testified that he saw
Mrs. Sandstrom toss the gun at the
feet of the slain man after firing
five shots.
Mrs. Sandstrom's eyes lifted occa-
sionally as the prosecutor spoke and
then dropped to study the pattern
of her brown cotton ensemble, or
to glance at the f1amboyant bath
ing girls that decorated the back of
her cheap pasteboard fan.
Shooting Occurred May 8
She is alleged to have shot and
killed Thompson on May 9 in the
U. S. Grant hotel at Nation,
twelve miles from Charleston.
The tragedy climaxed three years
of "behind-the-curtain" romance.
according to both defense and
prosecution.
Harvey M. Thompson, secretary
treasurer of the Indianapolis Cas-
ket Company and father of the
slain man, entered the courtroom
as the trial began yesterday. Mrs.
SandStrom deferentiany bowed her
head to the father. He returned the
courtesy.
Charleston is apathetic toward
the trial The barber shop goSSiperS.
unacquainted with the persons in
volved, pass it off with wave of the
hand as lust another murder"
Mrs. Sandstrom'S son, John, Is,
was expected to arrive in Charles
ton today to aid his mother. He has
been making his home with his
father, Claude Sandstrom, Indian
apolis, from whom his mother has
been estranged for the last four
years.
Defendants Sister Present
Mrs. William H. Lacker, Indian
apolis, sister of the defendant, sat
near her throughout todays SEES
SionS.
Mrs. Sandstrom is defended by
Mr.. Remy and Francis M. Hughes,
both of Indianapolis.
The real local interest in the
trial arises from the injection of
politics into the picture through the
refusal Of Cole countys board of
supervisors to give the states at
torney additional counsel to try the
case or to appropriate money to de-
tray expenses of bringing witnesses
to Charleston.