The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-05-23

Mrs. BrittOn first saw him. ana TO-
pether they raised him from the
floor and put him in a chair.
In an Auto Accident
Mr.. Stewart asked him what had
happened. He did not answer. al
though they knew he was alive
DO YOU know me Mr.. Burns,
Mr.. Stewart asked.
YES. Yes. I know you. You're
Mr.. Stewart" the wounded man re-
piled family.
What happened?" ne was asked.
Il was in an auto accident" the
victim whispered.
Now Mr.. Burns" Mr.. Stewart
argued gently. You never drive
your car at night Won't you tell
me what happened?"
Robbed by Two Women"
The old man fumbled a bit in his
memory and then said he had been
robbed
BY whom" Mr.. Stewart asked.
by two women"
Where's your wife?"
"She's dead in the attic"
Now Mr.. Burns. she's too big to
get through the opening to the
attic? Where is She?"
Shes dead" he replied and, after
saying the attack happened at Z
Tuesday night, he lapsed obviously
into delirium and was questioned
no more.
Sheriff Ray personally took charge
of the case and ordered Mr.. Burns
taken to Methodist Hospital. Then
he and his deputies and a state pO-
lice fingerprint expert searched the
house for clews and fingerprintS.
Although there was blood literally
all over the house. in drawers and
in trunks. there was not a single
fingerprint that would serve for
identification.
It appeared. the expert said. that
some one wearing a pair of bloody
canvas glovcs had explored nearly
every explorable place in the house.
There were blOtches of blood and
canvas fuzz deep down in vases, IN
drawers. on the woodwork.
The beds were disarrayed. On the
bed in which neighbors said Mrs
Burns slept was a large patch of
blood and bits of gray hair Mr.
Burns had white hair. Mrs. Burns
gray hair.
Bridge Lamp Knocked Over
A bridge lamp in the front room
was knocked over. its shade was torn
and the inside of it was Smeared
with blood. as though some one
had grabbed at it to keep from
falling. A blOOd-Stained newspaper
clipping was found in the family
Bible. Drawers that were closed
when Investigators arrived, con-
tanned tablets with blood on them.
No weapon of any description that
could have been used in the attack
was found on the premises, although
Mr.. Stewart said he had positive
knowledge that Mr. Burns had two
ShotgunS and a revolver with a
responded in size to the .45-caliber
guns that the deputy Sheriffs car
ried
He said he had seen the guns
three years ago. but his son. John.
y. said he had seen the revolver as
late as three days ago. A % rifle
and several boxes OF bullets for it
were found in the house. but the
gun could not have been fired lately
because it was coated with a thick
layer of undiSturbed dust.
Bullet Of .S2-CaIiber
Deputies believe the bullet thev
found on Mr.. Burns bed was Of 80
Caliber.
On a table in the front room was
a twO-page note written on ruled
paper. OStenSibly by Mrs. Burns. II
told OF her love for her husband. of
recent troubles they had had in
court over some OF their property.
and vaguely inferred that the writer
felt impelled to take him out of a
world that had used him badly.
Later on, packed under linens
wrapped IN paper. and stuffed far
back in the top drawer of a side
board. investigators found a blood
clotted note. written in the same
hand aIgi on the same paper. telling
OF the attempt of the writer. this
time signed as Mrs. Minnie Burns.
10 collect rent from people who. I'M
I'll the night Of the attack. lived next
door.
These former tenants are Mrs.
Edith Davis. 60. and Ruth Molev.
80. who had lived next door for the
last four months and who moved TO
1922 Rural-St. They told deputies
last night they knew nothing Of the
attack and were shocked to learn
OF IL.
NeighborS said. however. that II
was necessary for Mr.. Burns 10 60
into court to get an eviction of them
from his home. and that the whole
legal process had apparently worried
Mrs. Burns. who was subject TO ex-
IRENE nervous demonstrations.
Neiehbors said that for months
the most strenuous activity Mrs.
Burns INDUCED in was 10 go to the
back door Of the house and throw
feed 20 the chickens.
Yet there IS no trace Of her to-
day. and investigators can only
guess at the significance Of the
presence on the floor OF the home
Of two bloOd-stained strips Of cloth
neighborS say must have been torn
from her dress.
Sheriff Ray was told By some