Indianapolis Times, Volume 46, Number 186, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 December 1934 — Page 1

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REAL SILKERS DO THEIR BIT TOWARD CHEER

Push Clothe-A-Child List to 184, Just 16 Shy of That 200 Mark. LIST RAPIDLY Warmth Given to Ragged Youngsters by Real Santa Clauses. Men and women who snatch hasty lunches, spend extra money on gasoline and go deep in the homes of needy children of the city to garb them in Clothe-A-Child today put this annual campaign of The Indianapolis Times to provide clothing warmth at Christmas within SIXTEEN of TWO HUNDRED children pledged to a New Year of new clothing. Into the stores they rushed, holding the grubby hands of their boys . and girls. Proudly they recited sizes to clerks. The ONE HUNDRED EIGHTYFOUft children were finding again a Santa Claus who saw their stockingless feet and holes in their coats and their paper-thin pants and dresses. Real Silkers Lead March The clothing of the ONE HUNDRED and EIGHTY-FOUR means that approximately SIB4O has been or is being spent in Clothe-A-Child up to 8 a. m. today. Leading the march upward today were employes of four departments of the Real Silk Hosiery Mills. Inc. EIGHT children were shown the Real Silk employes’ idea of Christmas. Those children will know again the feeling of having garments that are warm a'l that fit They will feel the ret less of Christmas as Real Silk w ;kers pm smiles wheie there was nly a ’.ook n * childish despair be .' re. Thank Ym. Lincoln Exchange! And Clothe-A-Child finds them Real Silk and varris wide in the cloth of benevofence. just as is every donor who goes down into poverty's lanes. The Lincoln exchange operators io the Indiana Bell Telephone Cos. were another group that joineu the , “back-again-this-year” movement that spreads every Christnjas among Clothe-A-CrUd donors. Joining them was anew group, the J. C. C. Club, with a quicklv filled order for FIVE children. And so Clothe-A-Child climbs to new heights. It climbs as cash donors mail checks to The Times, it leaps as men and women shop for the children given to them, and now a new r impetus in the campaign 'is on view as Mile-of-Dimes. the drives Sidewalk Santa, does it's bit to put candle's of happiness in homes of the needy at Christmas. .lust Call Kilev 5551 Call Riley 5551 for your child or mail a ch rk to The Times. New donors, bring the children pledged clothing to 184 follow: Winrtint nfpirtm •n t, Real Silk Hnsirrr Mills, girl. Fitting and Transferring Ttepartmrnt. Building 11. Rral Silk H.isirry Mills, three children. Finishing Department. Real Silk Hnsiere Mills, hoy and girl. Hand Knitting and Grey Inspection Department. Real Silk Hosiery Mills, bov and girl. _ - A. M. TANARUS., Santa Helper, hoy. Marion County Clerk’s office. Regislratioo Department, boy. M. I/. K„ Santa Helper, boy. V. R.. Santa Helper, boy. Marhtnista of l’. S. Tire Cos.. Ine., two boys. Moor* and Fog Insurance Bowling League, Central alleys, girl. Tan Delta Tau Sorority, girl. Mrs. Naomi Harlan, boy. tnter-Arts Club, two girls. William A. Hoefgen. boy. An Electrical Santa, girl. t’nited Mutual Life Insurance Cu., boy. Pi Omicron Sorority. Theta chapter, girl. J. C. C. Gang, five children. Woman’s Auxiliary. National Faderation of Postoffice Clerks. Loral 130. girl. Gross Income Tax Office. Statehouse. bos. Walter A. Qurisser. boy. Sigma Alpha Tau Fraternity, one rhild E. W. 0.. girl. Anonymous Goodfellow. boy. Lincoln Office. Indiana Bell Telephone Cos., two boys. In His Name. boy. Powell Commission Cos., three rhildren. Employes of General Distributors. Ine.. hoy and girl. Mercury Club, one rhild. tOthrr Donors on Page Id) Watch the Line Grow Hoosierdom put its heart on a cold sidewalk today. It laid that heart there with dimes, edge to edge, in 100-foot rows at Mile-of-Dimes. outdoor Kris Kr.ngle for Clothe-A-Child of The Indianapolis Times. As the dimes inched their way this morning almost two rows. *166.90 to a row were cn the sidewalk at Washington and Meridiansts in front of the L. S. Ayrts & Cos. and the S. S. Kresge Cos. First donors flocked to the line when it opened yesterday morning. Men and women of every occupation. every stratum of life, joined in aiding those Clothe-A-Child donors who shop foe their boys and girls through The Times to make this the banner year ir giving warmth in garments to needy children. The dimes stay on the sidewalk un’il Christmas eve. They will help cress children provided by Community Fund agencies to Tha Times. All of the dimes will be spent In city stores. If the Mile-of-Dimes is obtained. 58.815.90 will be the purchasing power of tlte line. Watch grow, day by day. hour by hour!

The Indianapolis Times Fair tonight, tomorrow increasing cloudiness with probably rain or sno w at night; rising temperature tomorrow, lowest tonight about 29.

NR A, W V>l DO OU PAST

VOLUME 46—NUMBER 186

Thousands of Letters Once More Deluge Santa Claus —That Tiny Village Down in Southern Indiana

BY WINTHROP LYMAN I’nitcd Pres* Staff Cerrmpondcnt SANTA CLAUS, Ind., Dec. 14. Thousands of letters in childish handwriting from every comer of the world poured into the tiny Postoffice of Santa Claus this afternoon. From Alaska. Australia, the Far East and Europe—from Canada, Mexico. South America and all parts of the United States they brought appeals for gifts to make the Christmas joyous. During 11 months of the year. Santa Claus, Ind., is just a village of 75 inhabitants, tucked snugly away in the hills of Spencer County. But for the month preceding Christmas it is the official clearing house for all mail addressed to Santa Claus. Even the postmaster, James F. Martin, would need only a red suit and long w'hite whiskers to typify the mythical St. Nick. a a a 'T'HE postoffice is in the rear of his general store. No trains run through Santa Claus, so the bulging sacks of mail have to be hauled by truck from Lincoln City, 12 miles away. Mr. Martin is especially happy in his role of Santa Claus this year because of the general tone of letters is much brighter than during the last wour years. “But still there are too many children who write to Santa Claus as their only hope of receiving some little gift to brighten their Christmas.” he said. Mr. Martin picked up a couple of letters which he had set aside as particularly appealing. The first was from Dorothy of St. Joseph. Mich. "I thought that I would writ, and ask if you could bring my mother anew coat,” the little girl said. “And my daddy and I want a

SANTA S POLITICS ALL GARBLED; HE OFFERS FIRST LADY ELEPHANT

By l nited Press WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.—Four times today Santa Claus offered Mrs. Franklir; P. Roosevelt an elephant and four times she refused it. The occasion was the First Lady’s visit to the toy department of a Washington store where she inspected an exhibit designed to show “the right toy for the right age." When Santa Claus offered hei the elephant she said: “It's perfectly lovely, but I think perhaps I'd better not have an elephant.”

FIRE LEVELS ROME; FIREMEN HELPLESS Lack of Water Contributes to SIO,OOO Loss. . Handicapped by lack of water firemen were helpless to prevent complete destruction by fire of the home of Albert F. Zink. 3712 N. Dearborn-st, yesterday, though 120 gallons of chemicals were used in a vain attempt to extinguish the flames. The nearest hydrant is seven blocks away. The house, valued at SIO,OOO. was | practically covered with insurance, j according to Mr. Zink, jewelry manufacturer. First first was discovered when a • passerby told Mrs. Zink the house was in flames.

‘Fair Deal on Corporation Taxing , ’Sags Morgenthau Business Men Need Have No Worries About Treasury Stand, Asserts Secretary. iCopvmht. 1934. by United Preset WASHINGTON. Dec. 14.—Henry Morgenthau Jr., Secretary of the Treasury, told the United Press in an interview today that corporations would get a fair deal on taxation of their surplus funds. Business men are apprehensive of interpretations of Section 102 of the 1934 revenue act and Section 104 of the 1932 act. These sections say

surplus tunds accumu’ated beyond reasonable needs to protect stockholders from a surtax shall be subject to a stiff tax. graduated from 25 to 35 per cent in the 1934 act and fixed at 50 per cent in 1932. Mr. Morgenthau's assurance applied to botn acts. Only on income in 1933 and subsequent years will tax be assessed under the 1934 act. “The lost thing I want.” Mr. Morgenthav. said, “is that any business man should be afraid of his Treasury Department. If a business man is worried as to the manner in which the Bureau of Internal Reverw is going to administer the inro:ne tax law, we ought to be ready tc give him advice on his particular problem. Ts we can t advise business men directly on their own tax problems then there if something the matter with the law or something the matter with the treasury. If businets men are terrorized by the Treasury there is something wrong with the Treasury.” Mr. Morgenthau has locked his own door against tax lawyers and other go-between representatives of business on this and other tax ques-

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The Santa Claus postoffice (top), the sign of St. Nick himself (center), and the daughter of James F. Martin, postmaster of Santa Claus (below).

little baby brother so bad. We would call him F’reddy Jr.”

Rescue Ships Battle to Save 30 on Sinking Craft Two Lose Lives When Lifeboat Capsizes in Huge MidAtlantic Waves. By United Press NEW YORK, Dec. 14.—Sturdy seamen from two rescue ships battled to sa'" the crew of the sinking British freighter Usworth this afternoon, handi ipped by huge mid-Atlantic waves which capsized one lifeboat with a loss of at least two lives. The three-day struggle of the 3500-ton freighter and her crew of 26 to 20 men against storms w’ ich crippled their vessel mounted rapidly

to a climax some 800 miles off Newfoundland, where the British steamer Ascania and the Belgian liner Jadot hove to beside the Usworth. The freighter listed sharply in the mounting seas. Her rudder was damaged, her decks were awash and he. men were exhausted after struggling since Tuesday to save their ship. Still the seas pounded against the Usworth's sloping decks and frustrated every attempt to shoot a line aboard. The Ascania and Jean Jadot advised Mackay Radio that they were standing by and that the crew of the Usworth was desperately tired and in need of immediate aid. Shortly thereafter it became apparent that only a daring attempt by lifeboats could save the men of the Usworth. The Ascania swung into a position to afford protection to the Jean Jatict, said the brief radio messages relayed to land stations. With such slight aid. seamen Jrom the Belgian liner lowered a lifeboat into the towering seas and pulled for the Usworth. They made their goal and brought ba r '’ five from among the men who c!’ the sloping decks of the fr. ;r. They said they believed 21 ~ rs remained on the Usworth.

tions. But so far as his time permits. the United Press was informed. Mr. Morgenthau is willing to meet with any business man who is not satisfied with the treatment he or Ills tax lawyer receives at the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Corporation executives are uneasy because they do not know what the Treasury may deem to be a reasonable surplus. There is fear that the Treasury might establish a single formula by which tax liability ol all surplus accounts would be judged. Business men point out that surplus needs vary /With types of business. Guy T. Heivering, commissioner of internal revenue, and Robert H. Jackson, assistant general tax counsel for the Treasury, participated in the Morgenthau interview. Their consensus was that the reasonable surplus needs of corporations would vary with the kind of business and other conditions in each case. Mr. Hehenng said no corporation using its surplus in the business in which It is engaged need be apprehensive.

INDIANAPOLIS, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1934

r>ETTY JANE of Woodburn, Ky.. -*-* wTote: “Dear Santa Claus: I want a pair of shoes, two or three of stockings and anew dress, a coat and cap. I guess that’s all. Don’t forget my little sister, 6 months old. She wants a pair of shoes No. 0. And don’t forget poor old Grandma, 82 years old.” Mr. Martin tries to answer all the letters, which include stamps for return'(hail. But the task is almost impossible. Many of the letters are turned over to women's clubs, charitable organizations and individuals who attempt to fill some of the many requests. Mr. Martin predicted that his office will handle between 400.000 and 500.000 pieces of mail this year, a record for Santa Claus. One chain store company, he said, sent 180.000 letters to be mailed to its customers with the Santa Claus postmark. 808 AT the present time five extra persons are employed in the postoffice. Mr. Martin’s daughter. Helen, and his son, William, operate the new electric cancellirr machine which the postoffice department installed to aid the Christmas rush. The Santa Claus postoffice was threatened with oblivion two years ago when the potsoffice'department though it should be abolished for reasons of economy. Such a protest was received from citizens all over the nation, however, that it remained. Mr. Martin's job also was in jeepardy after the change in administration because he is a Republican. But politicians decided it would be best to forget about patronage so far as Santa Claus is concerned.

The Ascania swung out a life boat to take off more. The radios of the rescue ships were silent for the next hour or more. Then via the S. S. Black Gull came news of disaster which had overtaken the Jean Jadot’s rescue crew. A lifeboat, apparently making a second trip to the Usworth. had capsized and. two men were lost in the high running sea before others could reach them from the ship. The same message said that two men from the Usworth had been picked up, indicating that the capsized lifeboat had been returning with more of the Usworth s crew when it was wrecked.

MEYER-KISER WILL DISTRIBUTE $36,000 Cash Available, Times Learns From Court. More than $36,000 in cash is available for distribution to depositors and other creditors of the defunct Meyer-Kiser Bank, arid is being held up now only until Superior Judge Joseph R. Williams decides which of two men now handling bank affairs shall distribute it. The Indianapolis Times learned this afternoon. The money is in the possession of Chalmer Schlosser. trustee, appointed by Judge Williams during a stockholders’ liability suit. Payment has been held up for two reasons, records in Judge Williams’ court indicate. The first of these is that all creditors and depositors have not yet filed their claims. The second is hat Thomas Garvin, receiver for the bank, appointed by Circuit Judge Earl R. Cox. has filed an intervening petition asking that the money collected by Mr. Schlosser be given to Mr. Garvin for distribution. Judge Williams has before him both the petition and Mr. Schlosser's answer, setting forth why the latter believes he should distribute the money. The bank had deposits of more than $1,500,000 when it closed. HENRY MUELLER NAMED CHIEF DEPUTY SHERIFF Selected by Otto Ray to Succeed Ralph Hitch in Post. Henry Mueller. 42. of 610 E. Mor-ris-st, today was named chief deputy sheriff by Sheriff-elect Otto Ray. Mr Mueller is married, is on the St. John's Evangelical Church Council, is a member of the Odd Fellows and Masonic Center Lodge 23. of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Mr. Mueller is currently employed as a special representative of Tucker & Dorsey woodenware manufacturers. He is a bookkeeper and accountant He attended Indianapolis public schools. Manual Training High School and is a graduate of the old Indianapolis Business College.

‘CONFESSION’ IN ‘slo MURDER’ OF SAUNDERS REPUDIATED IN COURT BY WIDOW OF SLAIN MINISTER

SLAIN CHILD'S DUES FOUND; Run Hill Confession Is Claimed by N. Y. Police; Girl Missing Six Years. By United Press WHITE PLAINS, N. Y., Dec. 14. Police digging in dirt and debris in Worthington Woods for the body of 10-year-old Grace Budd this afternoon found bones of a child’s legs, arms, toes, fingers and vertebrae. The find was near where a small skull was found yesetrday. Search for the body of the child who disappeared from her home six years ago followed the arrest in Ney York of Albert A. Fish, 65. Who is alleged to have confessed the kidnaping and murder of the girl. Fish led officers to the Wesctester County Woods where the skull and several other bones were found. Bones of 10-Year-Old Dr. Amos O. Squire. Westchester County Medical Examiner, inspected the bones unearthed this afternoon and said they were from the body of a 10-yeear-old. Nearby in a rubbish heap were found five small shoes, one of which, a sandal, was described as the type of shoe worn by Grace when she left her home. Fish, a wizened little man, blinked in the spotlight at the police lineup this afternon and told of the ‘lus f for blood” that led him to kidnap the 10-year-old girl six years ago and hack her body to pieces. “Sofnething overcame me,” he mumbled, his restless eyes straying over the audience that included Dr. Allan R. Dafoe, savior of the Dionne quintuplets. Fish, 64, gave brief, low-voifced replies to questions of Acting Captain Thomas Dugan as the investigators found the ad'ditional verification of his story in the child’s bones. “I can’t account for it,” the grayhaired petty thigf said in the lineup, twisting his J hat in his hands. “I never had anything to do with any other children . . . but when I saw her the temptation overcame me.” Twice Under Treatment He admitted he had been twice under treatment for mental disorder. Then he repeated to District Attorney Frank Coyne of Winchester County, the confession that he took the girl to the cottage on the pretext his sister was giving a party there and. as she came into the house laden with wild flowers, choked her to death. In Brooklyn, the child's mother said bitterly: “I wish I could get my hands on him. I would rip his face off. I would pour kerosene on him.” Later Fish was arraigned in Homicide Court and charged with the “homicide and strangulation” of the girl. The hearing was put off a week, pending determination of whether the prisoner shall be tried in Westchester or New York County. Takes Six Years’ Work New York detectives have worked continuously on the case for six years, but probably never would have solved it had not Fish set out .to deliberately torture the parents. Last spring, Albert Budd and his wife began receiving anonymous letters, diabolically phrased and hinting the child had met a horrible fate, but still leaving grounds for hoping she was alive. The letters were mailed mostly in one Manhattan sub-station. Finally one was written on an employment agency's stationery. The agency described Fish, who fitted the descripiton of Howard. He was arrested at the main postoffice where he presented a check from his son, a CCC worker, for payment. Estranged from his wife, Fish has five children. He was surrounded by detectives and postoffice inspectors. “You are wanted for the kidnaping of Grace Budd,” he was informed. Through his small, steel-rimmed spectacles he stared at them. Then he launched into a confession.

| SiASOHS GREETINGS DWB : t : Dont : v-ja A \ Wo it - BUY/' 0 Shoppiriq Days I Js^j^hristmas

TIMES SERVICE - With 50 pages filled with colorful up-to-the-minute local, national and international news and pre-Christmas advertising. The Indianapolis Times this afternoon prints one' of the largest editions in its history. Augmenting the regular features, Heywood Broun, Westbrook Pegler, William Philip Simms, and the complete women's pages, are columns of news from the four corners of the globe which have been deemed of interest to The Times readers. Throughout its half-hundred pages this afternoon, The Times has accounts of all city happenings which are of current topic plus a maximum of advertising bound to be read by all who are interested in completing their Christmas shopping.

SHORT IS FREED ON JORY VERDICT Found Not Guilty in Trial for Stabbing of His Father-in-Law. After 18 hours deliberation, a Criminal Court jury today returned a verdict of not guilty against Norman K. Short, 22, charged with the fatal stabbing of nis Adolph Squires. A murmur of approval filled the courtroom as the verdict was delivered, only to be broken by the hysterical sobs of attractive Florence Squires, 18-year-old daughter of the slain man, who threw her arms about her mother, Mrs. Alice Squires, and screamed: “The crook killed my daddy and now he’s free.” She continued to sob and to scream, “the dirty crook, the dirty crook,” as the courtroom began to clear and was led out by her mother, brother and her aunt, Mrs. Zolla K. Small. About 20 minutes before returning a verdict, the jury came to the courtroom and asked Criminal Judge Frank P. Baker to read to them again his full instructions. This was done and the 12 jurors filed out to make their decision. Short, a lean and black-haired man, stabbed his father-in-law during a quarrel this summer. The defen e claims that the act was one of self-defense and that Shoi did not realize that he had a knife in his hand at the time of b(s attack. The main witnesses were Mrs. Ruth Short for the defense and Mrs. Alice Squires for the prosecution They are wife and mother-in-law. respectively, of the prisoner.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Hourly Temperatures 6a. m. 26 10 a. m 30 7 a. m 27 11 a m. 32 8 a. m. .. 29 12 (noon) 34 9a.m. . . 29 Ip. m. .31 Tomorrow's sunrise, 7 a. m.; sunset, 4:21 p. m. I In the Air Weather conditions at 9 a. m.: West, southwest wind, eight miles an hour; barometric pressure. 30.33 at sea level; temperature, 29; general conditions, overcast, hazy; ceiling, estimated 1800 feet; visibility, three miles.

Wall Street Control of G. 0. P. Flayed by Borah Reorganization Based on Leadership More Responsive to Little Fellow Demanded by Senator. By United Press NEW YORK, Dec. 14.—A Republican party, reorganized from the bottom up and dedicated to a program of redistribution of wealth, was held cut today by Senator William E. Borah <R., Idahoi, as the only way to keep it a vital force in politics. The Western Progressive demanded a revitalized leadership more responsive to the “little fellow” and warned that “with a Wall Street ball and chain still attached to it, a comeback is not so much as to be dreamed of.” Senator Borah's appeal was made at a mass meeting under

auspices of the New York County Republican Committee, and it was indorsed by Senator Gerald P. Nye (R., N. D.), who also spoke. Senators Borah and Nye outlined a number of policies they believe the party should adopt. Both attacked past and present party leadership and charged that Republican policies had operated for the benefit of a few. “The driving power in politics.' Senator Borah said, “for years to come, I venture to believe, will come from labor, from the producer from small business and from the millions who have through no fault of their own been stripped of their life savings and opportunity. “If out of all this is to come orderly, constitutional government, there also must come a system and a body of laws insuring a wholly different distribution of wealth of our country.” Mr. Borah explained his idea of a reorganized party would not mean necessarily that it would be one of

Entered as Second-Claw Matter at Poatoffice. Indianapolis Ind-

PARI-MUTUEL BILL DRAFTED FOR INDIANA Legislation Has Backing of State Administration, Is Report. BY JAMES DOSS Times Staff Writer Legislation, with Administration approval, which will provide legalized pari-mutuel betting on horse racing in Indiana, has been drafted and is ready for the coming session of the General Assembly. The purpose of the proposed bill is twofold: To get the Indiana State F~ir out of the red and to reileve the economic distress of the numerous county fairs which abound in Indiana. Tentative provisions of the bill provide for a license fee of SSOO a day for syndicates, which wish to operate horse tracks in the state with pari-mutuel betting. “Take” Not Decided Yet The amount of the mutuel take to be allowed the syndicate operators has not been decided on definitely, but a figure of between 7V 3 and 10 per cent is being considered. Ten per cent is sure to be the maximum, leaving at least-90 per cent of the pool on each race to be divided among the bettors. The state will benefit not only from the daily license fees, but also from a portion of the “take” allowed the syndicate operators. At present, a state cut of 30 per cent of the mutuel operators’ share is being considered. Operation of the law would be in the hands of the state division of agriculture. So far, it has not been decided whe her to obtain further revenue by teking part of each admission ticket as an amusement tax. In event this is done, the proceeds might be diverted to a special fund, such as the school fund, or might go into the general fund. State Board Santa Claus The State Agriculture Department would assume the role of Santa Claus for the county fairs which found the going diffi|lt even before the depression cut further into their financial resources. Under the law. boards of county commissioners now are allowed to appropriate up to SISOO for county fair support. The average appropriation is said be approximately SSOO. However, with the state snaring ;:n the daily license fee and parimutuel proceeds, it is intended to obviate this county support and at the same time augment the money each fair might spend on premiums. Thus, if a fair association were willing to spend up to S6OOO on premiums, the state would contribute S3OOO. With S3OOO as the maximum, the state would ma.tch any premiuip list on a basis of 50 cents to sl. Times Index Bridge 18 Broun 29 Comics 45 Crossword Puzzle 45 Curious World 45 Drawing Lesson • . 24 Editorial 30 Financial 44 Food Pages 34, 3.5 Hickman—Theaters 12 Pegler ... 29 Radio 10 Sports 36. 37 38 State News 12 Woman's Pages 18. 19, 20

opposition to wealth. Rather it would become a party ’willing to direct wealth and a profit system into paths which give larger recognition to those who create it or assist in its creation.” He assailed restrictions on the small business man under NRA codes and attacked power of monopolies to fix prices arbitrarily. However, he made no sweeping attack on New Deal policies. “I have nothing but commendation for the high motives of the President, who has on a thousand fronts conducted this war on depression.” he said. Then he struck directly at those high in the Republican party who conducted last fall’s campaign chiefly by criticising the New Deal. “A program for the Republican party,” Senator Borah declared, “is a first necessity. We may bark at the New Deal, but our bark is harmless so long as our party is without a tooth.” -w

HOME EDITION PRICE TWO CENTS Outside Marion County i Cent#

Signed Statement While Under Great Duress, Says Mns. Saunders. DENIES LOVE FOR YOUTH Asserts City Police Officer Answered Questions in Document. By l nited Pi t ss LEBANON, Ind., Dec. 14. —Mrs. Neoma Saunders, who said she never loved any one but the husliand the state accuses her of slaying, denied today the truth of a confession to the crime written over her signature. She told the jury trying her for first and second-degree murder that she had signed the statement in great mental duress, and had. in fact, not herself answered any of the questions. She said Detective Sergeant Roy Pope of the Indianapolis police force really had answered the questions j be put to her shortly after the body of her husband, the Rev. Gaylord V. Saunders, former Methodist Episcopal minister and student at an Indianapolis embalming school, wts discovered. Didn’t Know; She Says Then she said, in response to , cross-examination of Prosecutor John J. Kelly as the state took the witness at 10:15 today, she signed the statement because she was emotionally upset and "didn't know what I was doing.” Demurely dressed in black and nervously withdrawing and replacing a white handkerchief from a small black purse she held in her : lap, Mrs. Saunders on several occasions during the morning's testimony wept and halted her storytof a series of what she described as indecent, immoral and unnatural sexual practices to which her husband had demanded she submit. She told at the instance of her own attorney before cross-examin'a-I tion began that he husband had j once told her he had given to Theodore Mathers, 19. Coalmont, her husband’s roomate while he studied in Indianapolis, an overdose of digitalis and that Mathers had become voilently ill. Mrs. Saunders said her husband said that at that time he had kneeled at the bedside and prayed that Mathers would die. Two Sist.’rs in Court With Mrs. Saunders in court were h r two sisters and their husband’s. A crowed court room leaned tensely on her every word. She told of attending the funeral for her husband. at which his body never was b’ ied. Mrs. Saunders flatly denied she had plotted with Mathers, who is alleged to have fired the fatal shot Feb. 2 in Indianapolis at Mr. Saunders in teturn for $lO. Mathers, who is said by the prosecution to have been Mrs Saunders’ lover, will go on trial here next week. Under questioning by Merle N. Walker, defense counsel, the comely black-haired widow admitted intimate relations with Mathers twice, but said that she was forced to do so by her husband. “He threatened to kill me,” she c aid. “One time he held a butcher knife at my back." Mrs. Saunders was forced to halt her testimony frequently while she regained her composure. She spoke in a voice so low that even the jurors had trouble in hearing her “From the first time I met him until the last, two years of his life, Mr. Saunders was very good to me,” she testified. Struck Her With Fist “Then he became irritable and was not himself. He mistreated me and found fault with everything I did. He struck me with his fist and threatened my life with deadly weapons. “He threatened to kill our sons, James, 13 and Billy, 11. “During the last year he drank excessively. He was drunk many times. He also started to smoke cigarets, including doped cigarets, rr.r’iy times. “He drank whisky, alcohol and white mule.' “He became unnatural in his sex rela’ions and submitted me to unspeakable indignities. He Drought home lewd pictures which he made me look at and lewd stories which he made me read to him.” Abandons Previous Tactics Fighting desperately to save her own life. Mrs. Saunders has abandoned her previous efforts to shield Mathers, as was testified Wednesday by Chief Mike Morrissey. Indianapolis. She declared that she had seen Mathers not more than ten times and that she had not. made love to him. When asked by the defense counsel why she had no. retaliated against her husband when he struck her once with his fist, Mrs Saunders answered: “Because I loved him." The prosecution won an unexpected point yesterday when Dr. Lester Rhamy, Wabash, the Saunders family physician and a defense witness, testified that Mrs. Saunders had asked him what poison she could use to kill her husband.