Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 9 May 1952 — Page 2
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Local Deputies \ will Q
Prison Inmate
. Fingered as Triagerman
By OARL HENN Two sheriff's deputies left Indianapolis today for Federal
Prison in Springfield, Mo.; to cons.
automobile =
‘a disfigured front accused of a lovers lane kill
Elmo Jaggers, 27,
and descended to robbery as venal aftermath. - Mr. Mattes was shot to death in a cornfield while his blond sweetheart, 17-year-old Nada Alexander, sat in his car parked nearby in a “lovers lane.” * Sheriff Smith last night released statements from Jaggers’ two buddies which mark him as the man who pulled the trigger. According to Donald Wayne , 18, of 1802 N. Berwick Ave, and Donald Joseph Nicholson, 23, of 50 E, Wilkins 8t,, Jaggers was “jealous” of Mr, Mattes for dating Nada, now a Fox burlesque dancer. They sald Jaggers suggested following the couple the night of June 23. Miss Alexander had never dated
Jaggers. Face Scarred
His face was scarred by acid burns, which he had inflicted on| himself while at Indiana Rening his
pie ater, he suffered a deep slash below that eye leaving an open scar, One hardened officer said, of his appearance: “It was enough to make your blood run cold.” Jaggers, Nicholson and Cunningham, according to the statemets, followed the Mattes car its parking spot on W. 38th » near Guion Rd. The youths parked farther on, then crept back through the cornfield. Nicholson said he reached the front window and took Miss Alexander's purse from the seat to lure Mr. Mattes from
the car and allow Jaggers to
t in. of Mr, Mattes jumped out and chased Jaggers, according to the statements. A scuffle ensued, and at its climax Jaggers shot Mr. Mattes with a stolen 22-caliber rifle, the two youths agreed. Then, they said, Jaggers ran to the body and took his wallet containing “about $200." The three ran back to their car and drove away, leaving Miss Alexander in the Mattes’ car, her sweetheart lying dead in the cornfield.
The men were questioned the next day in a roundup of suspects. But they never admitted full of the “slaying until the case was broken by Cunningham’s guilty conscience. Sheriff Smith said Cunningham came to the jail Friday looking “pale and nervous.” Told Confused Story
Cunningham told a confused story of overhearing Nicholson and Jaggers talking about “how the bullet sounded when it hit him” (Mattes), as the three rode
is accused,
ELMO JAGGERS—Accused of slaying.
believed to contain elements of truth.
test at Indiana State Police Headquarters, Cunningham made 'the statement released last night,
mind,” said Sheriff's Capt. Morris Settles. “He sald he couldn't
d not telling anybody.” Capt, Settles and Lt. Willlam Owen took Cunningham to the scene, where he re-enacted the crime, : Nicholson was arrested Wednesday night and signed a statement yesterday, after first denying
knowledge of the crime. Sheriff Smith today said he had
6 Hix TrtiEpE ted Tag ers Mal wong and:
had made a special trip to the federal penitentiary at Terre Haute to question him after Jaggers was arrested for transport: ing the stolen car across ‘state lines, Wanted to Be Sure
But the sheriff wanted to be pretty sure of his ground. Blushes had barely subsided at his office after the Feb. 9 “confession” of James Earl Perry, 18-year-old robber, who gained temporary release from solitary confinement at Indiana Reformatory by claiming he shot Mr. Mattes, First, tests proved the gun Perry said he used could not have handled the shell found at {the murder scene. Then came [the embarrassing disclosure that Perry was a prisoner at Marion] County jail at the time Mr. | Mattes was killed. A 10-year-old boy later turned in the real death weapon. He had bought it from a rabbit hunter, who found it Nov. 10 in a field mear W. 38th St. and Knollton Road. Sheriff's deputies last night checked the statements by a final questioning of Miss Alexander. They intercepted her as she was
about to go on stage at the Fox Theater.
U. S. Aid to Europe
Reaches Million Tons CHERBOURG, France, May 9 (UP)—The 1,000,000th ton of American military aid terial for the European Allies rrived | today in the United States Lines!
cargo ship American Skipper, France's share of the aid pro-
west in a stolen car the night after the shooting. His story was
Say it all with flowers on “MOTHER'S DAY"!
wi | a ar © You gun fede) Dulin 1 doy 8 Oy
gram, started in 1950, has been 360,000 tons.
Whatever
PLAN
fectly
Yr FLOWERS bright for MOTHER'S living . .
5 FLOWERS white for MOTHER'S memory!
Your
]
Wednesday, after a lle detector §
“The kid said it had been on his
sleep, knowing about the slaying §
do for “HER” . . .
Y FLOWERS from her chir-
dren make this day precious for Mother in a very special way.
expresses your love most per-
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CHECK CONFESSIONS— Sheriff's Lt. William Owen checks
statements with Nada Alexander panion of the man slain near a lo
DONALD WW. CUNNINGHAM—Had guilty conscience.
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THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES
viz Suspect In Slaying Of Mattes A ‘Glorious’ Mother's Day. Gift—Son Pardoned
*
FRIDAY, MAY 9, 1952
AUSTIN, Tex., May 9 (UP)— Herbert Fletcher, a 15-year-old
| lowa farm boy who lied about his ;age to get into the penitentiary, 'was pardoned yesterday .by act-
ing governor Ben Ramsey on con‘dition that he stay out of Texas for 10 years. The conditional pardon, recommended by a 2 to 1 vote of the Texas Pardons Board, brought a new freshet of joyful tears from Mrs. Lloyd Fletcher of Onawa, Ia., Herbert's mother, who had gon# from district attorney to district attorney to state officials to pardon board. He ran away from home last autumn, His bicycle was found on the banks of the Missouri River and his parents thought him dead.’ Actually, Herbert was hitch-hiking to Texas because he wanted to be on “his own.”
(an alias and told them he was 3
When he was caught burglarizing a filling station-and was convicted of that and of an armed robbery, he gave officials
s0 his parents would think he was dead, rather than in the penitentiary.
If Herbert had said he was 15, he could have been prosecuted only as a juvenile and sent to the State Training School. But' he went to Prison Farm No. 1 at Sugar Land, Tex, as a fullfledged convict. Herbert got by with the lie because he weighs 170 pounds. e warden at Prison Farm No. 1 put him to work with a noe in the vegetable patch and that apparently convinced him that he should let his parents know
where he was.
Herbert's mother hurried to Sugar Land for a tearful reunion
with him as soon as ghe got his|that publicity’ about her son may letter. His father couldn't come; hinder his “adjustment” when he
he had to stay in fowa to repair|gets back home. the flood damage to_the farm,
Acting Governor Ramsey ap-|she said, proved the pardon quickly -after|ple asking Herbie about it.
“He'll have to get used to it,” “but I don't want peos It
it came to his office from the they have any Yyestioning, they
pardons board. But the document{can ask me.’
was on condition that Ierbert stay out of Texas for 10 Years,
the period he would have to stay in prison had he been an adult, Mrs, Fletcher left by xzutomobile for the prison farm. She planned to dress her boy in a new sports outfit she had bought, and fly back to Iowa with him as socn as plane reservations are available. She was nervous and weary from her days of travel between Austin and the prison farm, but said that the pardon made a glorious Mother's Day gift. Mrs. Fletcher said she feared
sub-deb fashion show
Tomorrow, May 10 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.
Times photo by Ben Lawrence.
, burlesque dancer who was comnely lovers lane last June.
. DONALD J. NICHOLSON ~Denied all> at first.
Transit Fare Switch Hits Few Snags
By TED KNAP Higher fares went into effect today on the city's transit system, with only a few hitches. Most riders and nearly all oper-
Ayres’ Auditorium,
ators were thoroughly briefed on the new 15-cent cash fare and 3-cent transfer. all Instances, Indianapolis Rail-' ways, Inc., kept its word in giving! away a half-penny for odd tokens. |
ONE-—Even though loaded with twice the usual amount of change, some bus and trolley operators
THIS WEEK END! PHONE PL aza 5551 NOW!
else you
EXT SUNDAY, MAY 11th
now . for the gift that
: bike race. _ f
and pennies. , Transit supervisors replenished supples.
TWO-—Minor delays and con-| fusion came as passengers, not Teady with 15 cents, lined up for change,
THREE—In a few Instances, Spgrators refused to accept fokens r demanded 3 cents plus the) i, cent token. They had been] instructed to take 2 cents plus token.
FOUR—Early arrivals at the Traction Terminal building Tost, a few minutes looking for the counter where tokens are ex-| changed for cash. Direction signs, | arriving late, were posted at mid- | morning. Single tokens were re-| deemed for 13 cents, half a cent more than they cost.
First reported difficulty was vesterday afternoon on the E. Washington-Elizabeth line, where the trolley driver refused to accept tokens, even though the old fare had eight hours to run. Passengers had to pay 15 cents. |
Og a Pennsylvania trolley heading downtown this morning, the! driver insisted on getting 3 cents, plus token. A Times reporter checked five lines between 8 and 9 a. m,, and for each ride was asked to pay only 2 cents plus token.
Railways dispatchers and switchboard opefator said they had no complaints about over-| charging or non-acceptance of tokens. Drivers have been getting individual instructions by memo-| randum, loudspeaker and bulletin board announcements since | Wednesday morning. W. Marshall | Dale, Railways president, threatened to discipline any driver who did not accept proper fare, |
‘Little 500’ Bike Race Is Set for Tomorrow at IU
Times State Service BLOOMINGTON, .. May 9—al wary eye on cloudy skies was being kept by Indiana. University students and officials today as] they made last minute preparations for tomorrow's “Little 500"
i 3
The speed -and attendance rec-| ords at last year’s race were ex-/ pected to fall. sales showed that more people are expected to attend than last year when $6000 was raised for the scholarship fund. | Most of the teams in this year's race broke the standing speed, record of 18.99 mph, during quall-| fications last month. . At’1 p. m. tomorrow 33 tour: man teams will start their 200-,
|
And in nearly
Sonte snafus did come up: i
ran short, particularly of nickels
Advance ticket |
300 ..
so much
|.
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A dadl: pl tax rates, wh dianapolis abo 000 more in s dered today b; mission of the Education. The saving Indianapolis’ about 2 cents What the did, by unani crease the am transportation corporations a The tuition c from 15 cents transportation cents to 15 ce Wilbur You tendent of pul plained some school corpor: while others more money
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Generally, b cities without tion will gain, school corpora portation. We jes with trans Commissione in minimums state to pay 1 state funds d Ot $60 million sta ing short of could only pay That's how Raising tuitior means more t to be raised I getting 100 per per cent, Indie a net gain. 1 officials estim $119,000, while cials figured tt apolis would b The new with the Febr bution of state Won’ Commissione who moved f« the increase Ww minimum schot state. He addec corporations Ww was necessary sponsibility.” A public hea charges was 8 Indianapolis. was called te action will con ing. Walter T. Hu retary of the ] Association, c« looks like it school corpora qualify for sta taxes in exce need.”
Family Home, New §
By CHAR The firemen a happy bunch They've help Robert L. Goo burned to the j to get a new The telephon
has been ringir
sponse has be they have been
"the calls.
George Gree:
firemen, said:
“We've been calls that we all. “The Goodw enough to get over again.” The Goodwi Adams St. bur Wednesday. T flames to save children, but lo That's when to help. New Hon
The Goodwir and Mrs. Georg The Times they set up anothe couple as soon could be made. Mr. Greenwal responded to tl “One man c back of his car He. told me he out last year - felt. He said “Another ma called in to off suite, an electri plete. bed. “Tell everyo Greenwalt said are all set now.
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