The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-12-07
GIVE BARRETT
CHANCE PLEA
OF ATTORNEY
Bad Mans Fate in Oman
Killing to Rest With
Jury Today.
Continued From Page One)

around his neck"
Paul Pfster, assistant district at
torney, outlined details of the gov
ernments case TO the jury before
Rice made his plea.
Pfister called attention OF the jury
to the fact that shreds of evidence
were collected from all over the
country.
Pfster told the jury he had been
sitting for week wondering what
defense could be made to the
charge.
Now I find myself" he said,
searching for any defense that was
made to the charges.
L never have met the gentleman
before, but l would like TO say Rice
has presented as good case as
he could"
Seven G-Men Present
In the courtroom to near the ar
guments were seven government
agents, all from the Cincinnati
Office out of which Agent Klein
worked
The widowed Mrs. Catharine I.
Klein and her three children were
there.
Pf1ster pointed out that the evil
dence was that Barrett, who pro-
fessed to have been afraid of feud-
lists, nevertheless had taken several
stolen cars back into the same COM
munity to have their numbers
changed.
Where, he asked is the man Bar
rett said told him on the morning
of Aug. Is that the feudists were
after him?
mo Case for Sympathy"
Before he had time Pfister went
on, ito manufacture a story, before
he had time to realize he would
have to face a jury of his peers,
Barrett, in that yard that night,
told the first persons he saw that
he thought his victim was a gov
eminent man.
That was the inner man speak
ing, and then he was speaking the
truth
This isn't a case for sympathy.
This is "a case where the country
is looking to you to uphold the
laws of the nation.
This is case where els Federal
Agents in the country-clear, up
right, educated-are looking to you
to uphold the laws of the nation"
Mrs. Klein Weeps
They are not looking for SYM
pathy They are asking for you to
see that the law is upheld.
I'm thinking of the three golden
haired children back in their South
gate CKy) home, always wondering
why it is their daddy doesn't come
home.
And the answer Is that a con-
fesseu car thief struck him down"
Mrs. Klein wept into her hand
kerchief and the two boys, 9 and 7,
sat very still and looked straight
ahead.
There was recess and Rice be-
gan his summation
Il think I should say a word to
the bereaved widow of Mr.. Klein.
In talking to my man when he
was in the hospital l said, Did you
murder that MANI and he said I
never saw him in my life before I
had no ill-will against him. Why
should ~"
Rice then addressed the Jury.
II have suffered most of any one
in this trial because I've had the
greatest burden.
Expected Death at Any Time
And what was that burden? 1t
was fighting all the facilities and
forces of the entire United States
government"
Rice said that ever since the feud-
list battle of Manchester in 1882
Barrett had expected death mo-
mentarily.
That, he said. was why Barrett
had not cared whether he violated
the law.
IF the Federal agents had been
on the job, they would have arrest
ed Barrett for auto theftS, not just
kept a file on him. he said.
Barrett got his information that
Klein was a government man from
that old lady who, after the shoot
ing, said Them government men
are killed" Rice said.
And he had that information
after, not before, the shooting" he
charged.
Rice went into oratory when he
asked why the government hadn't
brought in the guns of the Federal
agents.
Because" he yelled, they didn't
want them to match up with the
Barrett guns.
The law of self-defenSe, gentle
men, is the Oldest law known to
mankind.
No Right to Take Life
1T has been on the book ever
since the beginning, and it will be
there to eternity.
NO one has right to take that
precious thing the Master gave you"
They aSSautel him and they
made him kill one of them" he
said
They've already put 70 years in
prison on his gray hairs. for auto
theft, and the hard-boiled prose-
cutor will come up before you and
want to kill him-rub him out.
But remember the Bible SAYS.
Whatever We Judge. that Judgment
shall be melted out to you.
I'VE ask you in the name of mercy
and justice to give the defendant a
manslaughter verdict. That's 10
years."
Rice cooed to the jury the story
of the crucifixion and professed to
find in 1t some analogy to the pre-
dicament in which George w. Bar
rett now finds himself.