Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1937-05-27
GRAND JURY WILL PROBE
DEATH OF DIR. ID. w. TKOOI

When arraigned Monday evening
at seven O'Clock, before i. n. sea
man. J. p, Delmer Archer, 90
charged with second degree murde.
in the death of DR.. d. w. Trout OF OF
Stockport, answered nervously, !
waive examination. He was bound
over TO the grand jury under $1O,-
600 bond. and in default OF same
was remanded to the county Jau'
Judge Carlos M. Riecker has recall
ed the April grand jury TO meet III
special session next Tuesday June /,
to consider the case. Afcher nai
retained no attorney and entered ms
own plea A second degree mufder
conviction carries with it lie sen
tence in the penitentiary
Saturday evening about O'CLOCK.
Archer signed a written confession
that he struck his step-father, DR.. y.
w front. with a bamboo fishing ROD
He stated that company had gath-
cred at DR.. Trout's residence, ana
were engaged in drinking; that ne
and John Vincent had been scuHilns
in the kitchen and after that ne pur,
sued Vincent to the other room anu
on the way in picked up spit pam
boo fishing rod and in some manner
struck his step-father. who was on =
couch. resulting in his injury Wh!oii
he stated was accidental ana not III
tended TO iniure. Archer stated that
he and his step-father had peen 10y
al friends and that it was not MS III
tention to injure him. A1ter s.iih
ing the doctor, Archer stateu, no
went into the drug store o"heu ~
his step-father, to relieve the nisn.
clerk who was i'll, and SAID tnat d.
that time he did not know Or. lrous
had been injured, and thought tIla.
he was sleeping under the lnnuence IS
IF 1iouor. Archer stated that ne iei.
tbe drug store, going to the nome "
his consin. Bernice Nelson, where ne
ramained until about IL ocioch
when he went back to the drug store
IN check the cash register ana se''
that the door was locked, ana on ~
turning home he found that h's
sten-father had been killed. Arche.
sn his confession stated that ne mas
haen iii for the past seven months,
both mentally and physically ana
somatimes has lapses of memory
and that he has taken quite a Hl'le
barbatol and amatol, ana also eo
morphine, in order to reneVe pa,n
pleurisy, and appendlcltls' "nu ''
we're pain in his head.
Following the death OF Or. ltou.,
Archer. John Vincent ana AZ
Frank McDermott who were at Tie
Trout home when DR.. Trout's DEAN
occurred. were held as materlal VII
nesses. and Prosecuting At'ornes
Emmett Abel, Coroner Edgar NJ
thrup. Sheriff L. B. Adrean ana Dep
utv Sheriff Frank Adrean began ah
investigation. Friday they were
io;ned by Howard G. Robinson, Oh
fbe state bureau of crime detectlon
and criminal Identification at tne
1ondon prison farm, in which the ne
detecfor scientifically known as the
Berkeley psychograph) was useu'
and officials believe that It was
largely due to it that Archer's con-
fession was made. The OFFICIALS anu
Robinson worked most OF FRIDAY
night and we'll into the next morn
ing. and in the afternoon quit IN Or
der that Archer might attend the Iu-
neral of his step-father at STOCKPORT
(He was in custody at the 1uneral'
of Deputy Sheriff Frank Adrean).
Besides the three material Wit
nesses named, who were in the room
with DR.. Trout when he met ms
death. others questioned by the Of
ficials were Mrs Dollie Trout, WIDOW
of DR.. Trout, and Mrs. Mabel Ed
wards. step-daughter of the deceas-
ed. The lie detector was used on an
of the witnesses, to record tHe III
tensity of the heart beats and pulse
movements during the questioning
While Archer was at the Iunerai'
John Vincent who was an eye VII
ness to the tragedy, made MS state-
ment in which he told OF the gatner-
ing at the Trout home, and stated
that in the room besides DR.. Trout
were Archer, McDermott and Vln-
cent, and all had been drinking
that DR.. Trout was on couch
mumbling to himself, and Arches
said for him to cut out that talK or
he would get him, and then ne start
ed for him and got the flshlng roo
which it was stated was on a shelf.
Vincent stated that McDermott was
sitting near the couch in rocking
chair, and that Archer jumped over
McDermott's knee, and in gong 10
the couch said it looked as II ne
caught DR.. Trout by the neck ana
struck him with one hand, and when
Trout started to get up, struck MIN
again, using both hands, and the
doctor fell back Immediately, ana
crumpled down off the end OF the
couch. At that time Mrs. Trout
came down stairs, and asked what
was going on, and looking at her
husband said that he was dead, ana
she asked who struck him, anu
Archer said that he did. Mrs. Trout,
Vincent and McDermott laid him on
the couch.
Coroner DR.. Edgar Northrup gave
as his official verdict that DR.. Trout
met death at the hands of one Del
mer Archer. DIR. Northrup stated
that there was no fracture, but evi-
dences of severe conclusions involv-
ing the whole brain. 1t is stated that
the fishing rod with which Arcnes
struck the fatal blow was OF Spit
bamboo with metal trimmings, ana
had cork handle.
All the others held during the in
vestigations, were released follow
ing Archer's confession.
1t is reported that Archer has
been given to fits of temper, and
that Mrs. Mabel Edwards, sister OF
Archer, had complained to the
mayor of Stockport that her brother
had threatened to kill her, and that
she was afraid of him, and requested
the mayor to issue peace warrant
some weeks ago, but when asked to
make a formal written request for
cbn did nrnfar NhQrQla