Evening star., 1935-02-21
KENNAMER'SFATE
|. IN HANDS Of Jury
Deliberations Begin in Case
OF Judges Son, Accused
of Murder.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PAWNEE, Okla, February 2l.-The
case Of Phil Kennamer, l9-year-old
Federal judges son, charged with the
murder Of John F. Gorrell, was given
to the jury shortly before noon today.
Final arguments to the Jury closed
with w. F. CDixie) Gilmer, jr., 33-
year-old assistant Tulsa County at
torney, urging:
"All you've got to remember is that
this arrogant, Supercilious boy shot
and killed another boy. Remember
that.
Remember instruction No 13,
where your judge tells you that a
kidnap plot Is not excuse for Q mur-
der"
Death Penalty Demanded.
Gilmer demanded the death penalty.
Il demand that you exact his life
just as Phil Kennamer shot and killed
Gorrell in Tulsa last Thanksgiving
night" shouted the junior prosecutor
There was an uncontrolled buzz in
the court room as the demand for
death rang out.
When the jury left the room Ken
manner turned and smiled nervously
at his sister Opal, in the first row of
spectators
Verdict Expected Tonight.
Judge Thurman Hurst. said he be-
lieved verdict will be returned by
night.
Gilmer followed C. B. Stuart, elderly
defense attorney, who closed the plead
ing for acqulttal OF the 19-year-old
defendant
Stuart, former territorial Judge and
one OF the outstanding trial lawyers
IN the State, roared a denial he had
been paid to weep" in his defense
Of Phil Kennamer.
Referring to the charge of J. Berry
King, former States attorney general
and special prosecutor, the massive
attorney told the jury:
Cites Love for Heiress.
IN have you, and him, know
am without price in this case. There
Is no sordid money involved.
Il have known this boys father
Federal Judge Franklin E. Ken
namer). eaten his salt, broken bread
with him. When he called I was
glad to respond.
AS I open the last words for this
unfortunate boy, remember this is a
simple case
This is the story of a precocious
boy, of his overpowering love for a
girl and his tragic effort to keep her
from harm"
He told of the one-sided romance.
the unrequited alteration Of young
Kennamer for Virginia Wilcox, Tulsa
oil heiress, threatened in an extortion
note admittedly written by Gorrell
Stuart quoted from the extortion
note: you will secure $4,000
failure to comply will result in GER
tain and painful death to one or more
OF your children 80
Jurors Eye Pistol.
The attorney scored State insinua-
tons that Virginia's brother. who.
he said, had been warned of the plot
by Kennamer. was an accessory in
the killing in shooting out street
lights near the death scene in the
fashionable Forest Hills section of
Tulsa
Let not one of you give him a
passport to decency and another brand
him an accessory" Stuart shouted.
Stuart picked up Gorrell's pistol
and enacted his version of Kenna-
mer's story that it was fired when he
attempted to wrest it away after Cor
rell had snapped it in his face. The
youths were in Gorrell's car in which
the body was found later with two
bullet wounds in the head.
The Jurors eyed Stuart nervously as
he waved the pistol at them.
Self defense is God-given plea"
Stuart declared.
This boy still has his manhood be-
fore him-do not destroy it," he ap-
pealed to the jury.