Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 22 November 1947 — Page 1
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WV. 21, 1947
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FORECAST: Light rains énding early this afternoon; colder tonight; clear and windy tomorrow.
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FIRST COURT PLEADING IN BURNEY SLAYING — This is ¢he court scene as Robert A. Watts pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder indictment in the slaying of Mrs. Mary” Lois Burney. Standing in the rear are. (left to right) Prosecutor Judson L. Stark, Watts, Ray Moistner, detective; Robert Rutherford
+ SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1947
and Henry Perry, defense
attorneys. On
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as Second-Class Matter at Postoffice ally except Sunday
Enter Fight Here
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Watts Pleads Not Guilty in urney Death
Attorneys Plan Insanity Petition; Seek to Delay Opening of Trial
A defense based upon an insanity petition was indicated today when Robert Austin Watts pleaded not guilty in Criminal Court 2 on a Grand Jury indictment charging him with the Nov. 12 murder of Mrs, Mary Lois Burney in her home at 8558 N, Pennsylvania St. Judge Saul I. Rabb, who ordered Watts into court for arraignment despite a request of defense attorneys for more time, tentatively set the trial date for Dec. 8. However, the judge withheld an order for a jury call on that date “until we see what legal procedures materialize.” Defense Attorneys Appointed Two public defenders on the court's staff were assigned by Judge Rabb to represent Watts when the defendant said he had no attorney of his own. They are Robert Rutherford and Henry Perry. Mr. Perry asked for postponement of the arraignment this morning on the ground that he and Mr, Rutherford had
eeetic———— a no opportunity to confer with State GOP Heads
the defendant or prepare for his defense. Judge Rabb overruled the request for delay, assuring the defense attorneys that they would be given time to prepare & defense, “We will see ‘that the defendant has his day in court and that his constitutional rights are guarded,” . Judge Rabb said, Enters Not Guilty Plea Then, Mr. Rutherford entered a
Report Gov. Gates
Has a ‘Dark Horse’ By NOBLE REED State-wide Republican maneuvers developed rapidly today in the scramble for control of the Marion
County GOP machinery for the h 1048 ation. plea of not guilty for Watts and " indicated he would prepare evi-
Photos by John Spicklemire, Times Staff Photographer.
the bench (extreme right) is Judge Saul
| state convention next June, One faction of the state GOP ma-| "uo uy 100 the criminally insane
|. Rabb. Seated at counsel table in front of the bench-are Rufus Kuykendall and Ray Tidall, deputy prosecutors. The hearing lasted for 30 minutes. A crowd of more than 80 spectators filled the court room.
Justice Department to Ask
Indictments Against Meyers
Hints War Fraud, Perjury and Conspiracy Charges; Arnold Calls Accused ‘Liar’
WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (UP)—The Justice Department announced today it will seek criminal indictments next week—possibly involving sharges of war fraud, perjury and conspiracy—against Maj. Gen. Benpett E. Meyers. Gen. Meyers formerly was a top officer in the Air Forces wartime procurement division,
Family Makes Up With Landlord—
Gets Home Back
The Virgil Willoughby family will be under a roof for Thanksgiving—their own roof. It didn't look that way early this morning after the family of eight had spent the night in public shelters. ' They left their rented home
The Justice Departments ‘an-|
nouncement was made less than! , three hours after a Senate War In- orney S vestigating Subcommittee heard the wartime chief of the Air Forces, | . Gen: H H. (Hap) Arnold, declare Wife Ends Life than Gén, Meyers was a “liar” and i! “a disgrace to the umiform he wore.” . WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (UP)— Faces Serious Charges
The indictments to be sought| Trimble Fletcher smilingly greeted
Socially prominent Mrs. Augusta”
Nb Fa
here next week will be for more serious charges than income tax evasion—if the Grand Jury finds the evidence warrants such charges. The Senate War Investigating Subcommittee wound up its hearings into the “inside” financial deals and Jove idylls of the cigar-chewing petired air forces officer. The committeé ordered all of its Pecords to be submitted to-the YTederal authorities. ! Faces Troubled Future Gen. Myers, who is alleged to have made big profits in the war years through secret ownership of & war plant and speculation in government bonds on margin, faced a thorny future. Possible action ahead of him included: : ONE: Atty. Gen. Tom C. Clark's purpose, announced earlier, to seek an indictment against Gen. Meyers for evasion of income taxes Cn $131,000. This was the alleged profit from secret ownership of Aviation Electric Corp. Vandalia, O. TWO: Possible court-martial and loss of his $461-a-month retirement disability pension. The Army has watched the hearings, Gen. Arnold, himself, said that alleged false statements made by Gen. Meyers indicated a court-martial was wars ranted. THREE: A possible charge of perJury. Committee Chairmna Homer B. Ferguson said federal authorities certainly should consider the question of perjury charges in connec-
(Continued on Page 2—Column 7)
Times Index Amusements . 6|Hollywood ... 9 Books ...... . 3 Hoover... 10 Eddie Ash ... 7|Dan Kidney... 10 Marquis Childs 10|Movies ...... 6 Churches ... 4|Barton Pogue 4 ‘Classified. . 11-13 Radio ....... 14 Comics, ..... 14|Slde Glances. 10 Crossword ... 8 San
a party guest in the library of her home. Then she said playfully, “Turn your head and count 10.” L. Corrin Strong turned around and started to count...one, two... A shot echoed in the small room. Abruptly Mr. Strong wheeled around to find Mrs. Fletcher crumpled on the floor in pain, a bullet wound in her right temple. An automatic revolver of German design lay at her feet. Mrs. Strong and Mrs. Fletcher's
Corp. attorney, who had been chatting downstairs, raced to the
husband, a Reconstruction Finance
early yesterday after an argument with the landlord. Only a month before they were evicted from: another home, . Juvenile Court woPkers arranged temporary housing overnight and were preparing to continue the family’s temporary shelter tonight when the good news came. The = Willoughbys and their landlord had made up.
Crawfordsville Man Heads Scout District
Times State Service CRAWFORDSVILLE, Nov. 22 —
BLOOMINGTON, Nov. 22—A
the sod. The “invaders” laid out burlap on gasoline, set them ablaze, and then covered the scorched section of the field with white sand. Students milled about the stadium gates at 8 a. m. this morning waiting for/ the gates to open at 11:30. The IU student section was on a first come-first served basis for seats. Most of the playing fleld remained protected overnight from the rain that gradually slackened before kickoff time. Regardless of the playing conditions, this was it, “the big game,”
Hugo W. Prince, executive of the R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co. printing plant, has been elected chairman of the Lew Wallace district of the Boy Scouts of America. Other officers elected for the district, which is composed of all the troops in this county, are Fred A. Turner, chairman emeritus; W. Paul - Tippett and Benjamin C. Evans, vice chairmen; Max Gould,
second floor library. Mrs. Fletcher was taken to a hospital where she died within a few minutes. Coroner A. Magruder MacDonald returned a verdict of suicide. He
close friend. :
said he understood that Mrs. Fletcher, 42, had been upset for some time over the illness ‘of a|(UP)—Pvt. Albert Sargent, a 19-
Her husband, W. Meade Fletcher Jr, said she had been in. good spirits earlier last night at a cocktail party at the home of friends.
district representative, and Kenneth | Buser, district commissioner,
Pvt. Sargent Commits
iA ‘Corporal Crime’ WINCHESTER, England, Nov. 22
year-old recruit, today began serving an 84-day court-martial sentence for refusing to put his shoes on. He said they were too small.
Washington Calling—
reason. : Air Force doesn’t
80 look for Meyers case to failed to do—get action.
Scent ++.» 10{8ports ....... esses: 10Weather Map 11
-3 Ww
Rep. Albert J. Engel, chairman of mittee, wants a national defense justice department, to take glace of
% (Continued on Page 3—Column ¢) *
Meyers Probe May Bring Inspector General Shakeup
WASHINGTON, Nov. 22—Meyers scandal brings to boiling point sentiment in Congress for overhaul of armed forces’ inspector general system. : If Air Force didn’t know about Meyers’ extra-military activities, Congfesé wants to know why. If it knew, and covered up, congressmen are even more anxious to know
‘help with its alibi. It says inspec-
tor general's principal wartime job was inspection of combat groups going overseas, that he had little time for anything else.
do what “Court House” Lee case
Army Appropriations Subcom-
Indiana vs. Purdue | It’s the one the Hoosier ‘Big Nine | Twins look forward to and fire up for every year. What has gone before doesn't count when the Cream and Crimson and Old Gold and Black collide in the grid season's finale of the
ear. Football fever over this Hoosier classic is rampant up and down| the Monon, up and down the high- | ways and in cities and towns all| over the state. 23d "Bucket Battle’
It was the 14th Old Oaken Bucket, battle for TU Coach Bo McMillin | and the first for Purdue Coach|
Stuart Holcomb. During McMillin's
Purdue four, and one ended in a deadlock. The Bucket series started in 1925 and in the 22 games with the trophy at stake, Purdue has won 11, Indiana nine and there have been two ties. Today marked the 50th meeting of Indiana and Purdue on the gridiron. The inaugural was in 1891, The Boflerma are ahead in the overall with 25 victories to 19 for Indiana, and there have been five ties,
Critical Meat Shortage Predicted Next Spring
WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (UP)~Secretary of Agriculture Clinton P. Anderson predicts a meat ghortage for next spring, but sees little likeliof an over-all food shortage.
Economies ttee, yesterday {that meat supplies will be “critically short” in. ,. April, May and
June. They may continue “low” all year, he said. “
Indiana University students’ ire toddy when they learned that a group of Purdue students had invaded Memorial Stadium last night, uncovered the mid-section of the field and scorched a 25-foot square “P” into
He told the joint Congressional)
Purdue Students ‘Brand’ Initials on IU Grid Field
Scorch 25-Foot Square ‘P’ in Sod at
Memorial Stadium Before Big Game | : By EDDIE ASH, Times Sports Editor
steady drizzle failed to dampen
bags in the form of a “P,” poured
No Snow Here, Weatherman Says
LOCAL TEMPERATURES
6am....4 10am... 04 Ta. m..+28 HNam.... 0 8am. ... 48 12 (Noon), 50 am. ...0 49 1pm... 51
It was a misty “Old Oaken Bucket Day” but the rain stopped by game time as the Indiana and Purdue gridiron warriors lined up for the 50th time—and the 23d football battle of the bucket.
Cloudy skies were general over the state and the weatherman said that by night the temperature) would drop from the 50s to a low of about 24. There was little likelihood of snow, he said. Over the North Central States the temperature was dropping in the] wake of a blizzard which swept the| Dakotas and Minnesota yesterday| leaving drifts piled high over railroads and highways.
Road crews were hampered by the
13-year reign, the Indiana eleven |°0ld as they attacked drifts up to
has annexed eight Bucket battles, | TUF feet around Pierre, 8. D. Four-
teen inches of snow fell, bringing [transportation to a standstill. | Nineteen motorists were rescued
ilk (Continued on Page 2-—Column 8)
Revamping of
Hunt Motorist After Man Dies In Auto Crash
STATE POLICE raced southward on Ind. 67 this afternoon in pursuit of a motorist whose recklessness, according to witnesses, caused a fatal auto crash on the highway at the west edge of Maywood. Dead ‘in the crash was Richard Soule, 30, of 2009 Lockburn St. Mars Hill, His wife, Janet, 20, and daughter, Sandra, 3, were taken to General Hospital in critical condi tion. Another child, a boy about 5, was uninjured. A . » ”.- STATE POLICE sald the northbound Soule car crashed into a bridge abutment near the intersection of Ind. 67 and the Mann RA.
chine | was_reported bringing out a {Gates was reported
_|nent in the 1944 and 1946 campaigns
alignéd with Gov,
horse chairmanship: He was reported to be James W. Ingles, local attorney, and promihere. «4 Bradford Faction Deal?
The Ingles boom was reported an outgrowth of a maneuver with the regular organization factions composed of followers of James L., Bradford, former county chairman and Joseph J. Daniels, former district chairman. This development shoved out of the spotlight temporarily John Schumacher, City Council president; who had been regarded as top choice among regular organization leaders for a week. At the same time most of the| anti-organization leaders were still backing Glenn W. Funk, chief deputy prosecutor, for the chairmanship on the ground that this faction has a majority control of county government machinery, Other candidates for the chair-
manship include Mayor George L. Denny, C. 8. Ober, city controller; Robert 8. Smith, County Liquor Board president, and Frank Huse, county treasurer. Chairman Ostrom previously- had announced that he would not call
of the slaying. .
Pon ig Oita ey Henry Eounty | dence for the possible filing of a convention at 8 p. m, Tuesday to elect his successor revealed that | warring factions of the party were hopelessly deadlocked on & choice for a new chairman. The deadlock brought state GOP leaders scurrying into the local picture for ‘possible control of Marion County's delegation to the
defense petition of insanity. If an insanity plea is filed in behalf of Watts, the court would be
required by law to appoint psychi-
latrists to examine the defendant
If the report of mental experts convince the court that Watis was insane, the law provides that the defendant must be committed to
without the formality of any trial Mr. Rutherford protested the tentative trial date of Dec. 8. Stark to Handle Case “Defendants in most other murder cases get five to six months for preparation of their defense,” Mr. Rutherford said. “This man is being forced to stand trial on only twoweeks’ notice. There is no reason why this defendant should be forced to trial before he has a chance to prepare a defense.” Prosecutor Judson L. Stark, handling the state's case personally, in« formed the court that he would be ready for the trial in two weeks. “However, there is some merit in the defense's request for more time,” Mr. Stark commented. Judge Rabb said “we’ll discuss the subject of a trial date later if it appears that the defendant hasn't had enough time to defend himself.” : Change of Venue Possible If Watts is declared sane, defense attorneys likely would resort to other pleadings, including a change of venue out of Marion County for trial. Any pleading filed by the defense would vacate the Dec. 8
[trial date.
Watts confessed the shotgun slaying of Mrs. Burney in a signed
{to determine his sanity at the time
a convention to present his resig-|statement last Tuesday. The next nation until “party workers agreed | day he was indicted on first degree
said. !
{He
iin a washfoom of the Indianapolis| Brooklyn to his plant. |Athletie Club last night and that| At the plant door, the policeman
Feeney Plans Gradual but Thorough _
Witnesses, they said, reported. the automobile was forced into the abutment when & soundbound automobile pulled out of the traffic line to pass a truck. Mr, Soule’'s automobile, nesses said, left the road to avoid the oncoming vehicle, hit the guard rail and skidded into the bridge. | Chairman Ostrom explained that . nN | he called the convention of precinct THE SOUTHBOUND automobile officers at the request of a comcontinued without stopping, police| mittee which insisted that an im-
(Continued on Page 2-~Column 8)
upon a successor.” His call for the convention yester-| |day meant that he had been forced {to throw the maneuvers into a wide the wit-{open fight among the county's 760 | (precinet committeemen and com-| | mitteewomen.
State troopers said they believed they could locate it this afternoon, | . Mr. Soule was dead when the Police Escort Leaves;
General Hospital ambulance arrived. go dite Get $1 561
was returning home when the accident took place. NEW YORK, Nov. 22 (UP)—Louis| Pineman, president of the Jansa Woodworking Corp, picked up Loses $1500 Ring $1561 in payroll money at his bank Mrs. Herbert Zehrlaut, Terre yesterday. He was escorted by a
Haute, reported she forgot a ring policeman through the streets of
when she returned to look for it the|left. ring was gone. She said the blue| When Mr. Fineman reached his {sapphire surrounded with diamonds|office two bandits appeared and {was worth $1500. took the money.
Local Police Department
elect Feeney, he declared in an in-
Last of
a Berles terview after carefully studying The
” Mayor-elect Al Feeney’s new ch
sible that essential police work can continue.
morale in the department by:
promotion for good work.
more money in next year's budget. THREE: Eliminating shake-downs
r
By EDWIN C. HEINKE, Times City Editor
He will be picked from the ranks of the department. There will be no general shake-up. The department will not be turned upside down on Jan. 1 when the new police chief comes in, The Mayor-elect does not wish to disrupt the department. He, wants the change-over to be accomplished as smoothly as pos-
The Mayor-elect, hopes to restore of the public.
ONE: Establishing a set of rules litical influence. where ‘a man may be rewarded by| FIVE: Guaranteeing co-operation
TWO... Helping policemen get Mayor's office with the Police De-
Times five previous articles about the Indianapolis Police Department. “Sure, I'm idealistic, but we've got to be idealistic. We've got to reach for perfection as much as
fef of police will not be an outsider.
declared. “My fight is not with the individual members of the Police De-
and pay-offs and regaining respect
outside influences ‘that tear down the ‘department. the political influences that muzale and shackle the mien: and make
FOUR: Throwing out outside po-
between the safety boara and the
possible all the time,” Mr. Feeney, -
partment. My fight is with the} My fight is withili the
murder charges by the Grand Jury, The following day Watts confessed tothe fatal stabbing of Mrs. Mabel Merrifield, 68-year-old South Side clubwoman. ¢
He has not been indicted in con{nection with the Merrifield slaying.
Prosecutor Stark said action on this would be determined later, depending upon the outcome of the Burney murder case.
Knows His History —Collects $2760
NEW YORK, Nov. 22 (UP)-A Denver, Colo., attorney was $2760 richer today because of his knowledge of American history. The attorney, Victor Miller, won the prize on a radio quiz program last night. He answered correctly a set of eight questions under the category “Freedom Ringing.” They included references to Bunker Hill, Stephen Decatur and signers of the Declaration of Independence. The final question, which won him the accumulated prize, was: “Who was the governor of Massa~chusetts who sent out the militia to take Hancock and Adams?” Mr. Miller replied correctly: “Gov. Gage.” Mr. ‘Miller and his wife came East to attend the Harvard-Yale. foot ball game.
Postoffice to Close
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