The Seattle Star Newspaper, March 4, 1921, Page 7

PLAYMATE of Tragedy; Child Accused of Murder ORA, Ind, March 4.—“T did not shoot Benny Slavin!"—a boy's brown, eyes look squarely into yours, “Ho did sof"—the eyes of other @hildren look ‘equarely into “ yours And there you have Ora’s “child Murder mystery.” Benny Slavin, 7, died 26 hours after a rifle bullet pierced his body Thanksgiving day. ¢ Cectl Burkett, 11, playmate and ext door neighbor, goes on trial a@t Knox this month on a first de Gree murier indictment. Every importamt witness for the Prosecution and defense is a chil! ef tender years ‘Thus children’s hearts must be Plumbed for truth by the 12 adults im the jury box. Cecil's eyes never leave yours as he tells and retells the story of the tragedy without variation. He carefully draws a diagram ef the Burkett house and yard where Renny Slavin was shot. On this plat he traces his every step ®t the time of the shooting with- _ f @ut hesitation. ~ STAR WITNESS iil YEARS OLD ‘The state's star witness ts Fred @rick Schermann, also 11. | He, too, tells a straightforwant story—and it directly contradicts almost every detail of Cecil's story. | When the word of Coectl ts | Weighed against that of Frederick, | @ach will have other children of lesser years to corroborate their statements adie Stncgeerete-breaer; Adige ee ee ee fred, will be in court to support his! jrarding went at once to the story. Others of the seven Burkett/ president's room and Coolidge to children will be in court to testifY,/ Vice President Marshall's office. tho none of them saw Benny shot. /yirg ftarding and others of the wd gy toe lg Aly Bes a party went into the senate gallery Vv 7 Balf, is adjudged accountable, bis| WIEAON GOES UP Piping voice will be added to the/" weg chorus against Cecil. Wilson, unable te climb the long The only facts that prosecution | Might of stairs, was driven to a Qnd defense agree on are: side entrance and taken up to the THAT Benny Slavin ts dead. president's room in an elevator. ‘THAT a bullet from a rifle owned| Harding, wearing a high elk hat Dy Cecil Burkett killed him. THAT the tragedy occurred the Burkett yard join President Wilson for the drive Dr. G. W. Campbell, deputy cor-|to the capitol Wilton leaned on mer, eays that Benny died from a|the cane which he carried in his wound caused by a bullet that en-|tiht hand Hils left arm he car tered below the eleventh rib, coursed |Tied bent close to hin side. horizontally thru the intestines and| In the senate gallery, Mrs. Cool left the body on the right sida idge, her two young sons and the James A. Dilts, prosecuting attor |!ncoming vice president's father ant says the bullet passed straight |!n the front row near Mrs. Hard- he body without any deflec- im its course. ident, J. Reed, defense attorney, says| Calvin Coolidge, fr. amneed him that the bullet struck a rib as it|S¢lf reading tite “Roundabout Wash entered the body and was deflected|ington” folder of wagon company. By 11:30 the crowd outside the a wl HERE’S MORE ABOUT HARDING STARTS ON PAGE ONE ney, _ thra . tion w. of the capitol grounds. The mun had warmed the alr and the wind had died down, making It practi- cally a perfect inauguration day from a weather point of view. The United States marine band formed & great eplash of color directly in the center of the throng, its bright red coats and blue trousers stand- ing out In vivid contrast to the overcoats and furs of the spectators. Reea The band played favorite airs an was the peo that the latter) cur before the inauguration began. Adults are dimgreed on the onty| YOUNG MAN ORATES - question that they could have set-| ABOUT NAPOLEON ted in the trial The crowd greeted pith cheers ‘Twelve adult minds must decide|and laughter the announcement by whether « child deliberately is ly-}a young man that he was making \ ings— a test of the voice amplifying ap Or whether @ child's tmagination|paratus in the inaugural stand, hes created @ fabric of realixm|which was expected to carry Har- that appears to the child to be the|ding’s words to the very edge of Establishing \the course the bullet took means establishing the truth or falsity of Cecil's story. Prosecutor Dilts saye that would have been impossible for Benny to have held a 22-caliber rifle to his side and fired horizon tally thru the body. If the shot were accidental ‘would have ranged upward thru the body, unless deflected by @ bona death penalty, go to prison, or be|from far back showed that the freed. amplifier was working. ing the business session, part of the time with Governor | F. Majewrki and Don M. Blaine, con-|"yi-4 Warren G. Harding entered the members’ gallery of the senate 108% King st, All of the $57.50 taken from the safe was found on the boy. He was} ty mings President Wilson, on afvice of hin Posed to have been made thru a rear door. The doors of the safe had not | ( truth. the great assemblage. When the And as they #0 decide, Ceci! Burk-| young man finished an oration ett, an li-yearcld boy, will pay the|about Napoleon, scattered shouts Charles Ei. Hughes, incoming #ec- retary of state, was tho first new eabinet member to enter the senat | chamber. He eat in the rear dur : SAFE CRACKER Sproul, Pennsylvania. ; ‘When Herbert Hoover, new sec- _A Russian boy of 17, picked UP retary of commerce, came in he Friday forenoon by Detectives John | was geated beside Hughes. \ fensed, police say, that was he who yp footed the safe of th® Italian Import:|. tow minutes before the business ~ Sepp Thursday | seasion. She wore a dark blue _— dress with collar facing of lighter bine and dark bat with plume turned over to the juvenile depart- ment, without his name having been| doctors, did not stay for the inaus: <g-ewrnves uration of Harding. He left after Entrance to the building ts sup | rigning bills and went at once to his new home. been locked. ° Chinese Merchants $ Held; Carried Guns Harry Lew and Goon How, Chi members The Harding cabinet were grouped in the senate on the republican side. Senator Cummins, Iowa, president of the senate, presided, |pro tem. jase merchants. were arrested by|.44q senators Lodge and Under troimen G. W. “Christy and E./ Woy the two party leaders, con Vallet at Third ave. and Yealer Way,! 1.4 the committee to notify Se egiadt~—aacindinetl guyrreesseDmadhated fae” Yilson of the impending Diatoin. They” are charged With |\iourmment of consreM. carrying concealed weapona. “The president has no further communication to send the con ‘gre Lodge reported to the sen Loot Baker’s Coat but Overlook Silver |“"S:,,4,6 wison, retiring presi Thieves who stole $50 In currency ge, passed thru the crowd on his from the pocket of H. Munson’s coat prensa from the capitol, all but fn hia bakery, 6409 Ballard ave, unnoticed. ‘Thursday afternoon, left behind them yicg President Coolidge, tn the a bag of silver, which was in another senate, was inaugurated shortly pocket of the coat. after 12-20. Wilson did not witness 4 IL dA. Seattle Gold in ae Ter cclate desensdy, the As Steamer Robbery sembled officials, diplomats and army officers wtarted a slow march VANCOUVER, B. C., March 4,— from the senate chamber to the east ome of the gold stolen from the front of the capitol. Steamship Empress of Russia, was The disabled soldiers had more pep consigned to Wells Fargo & Co., than any other of the spectatorn Seattle, it was learned today, and While the crowd itself stood silent, some to a Seattle bank. It is esti with its eyes on the eamt doors of mated the robbers got $7,500. the capitol, waiting for the appear — — ance of Harding, the soldiers, wrap: i ped in blankets and sitting in wheel Congratulations nt chairs, chaffed and joked each other Wired to Harding continually. Much laughing ana President-elect Harding was sent a 10d eries of “When do we eat?” Message of congr ations today by Were heard, the Young Men’s Republican club, ajBAND GOES INTO King county organization. The dis-|CAPITOL TO GET WARM patch was signed by James B, Kinne,| Members of the marine band found president, and Roy C. Lyle, secre-|their fingers growing #o cold they tary could no longer hold thelr instru and a dark blue Chesterfield over-) tn|coat, drove to the White House to| ing and the father of the new pres-| a rubberneck | capitol stretched beyond the limite| chatting | | | | | Frederick Schermann If you were on a jury, and these two boys were witnesses, and their stories conflicted— ich one would you believe? They will be pitted against each other in the coming trial at Knor, Ind., for the murder of Benny Slavin, Cecil Burkett is accused of shooting Benny; Frederick Schermann is the state's star witness. FREDERICK SCHERMANN'S STORY We were playing, me and Ceef! Burkett, and Cecil told me to go get the bird nesta, Cecil and Benny came up there jand Ceefl had the gun and while I/ waa trying to get the nest out of the bird box I heard a shot fired and I heard Benny crying and when I turn ed around Cecil had the gun and I ran and told Mrs. Slavin. Cocil never did like Benny. They never could get along. ‘The Burkett children were always picking on Benny. Henny was a nice boy to play with and easy to get along with. After the shot was fired Alfred Turkett said to his brother, Cecil Hurkett, “Now you are going to got itr? ments, and a recess tn the mustcal prografn permitted them ‘o enter the capitol and get warm. ‘The crowd war much tnt oa tn the Harding automobile, a hifty olive green brougham, which drove up to & stairway beside the inaugural stand, and waited for the president. ‘The chauffeur was dremed in a livery that exactly matched the beautiful shiny green of the car. Red Cross nurses distributed cig- arets to the soldiers, Directly in front of the Inaugural stands three color guards took their places, the army in the center, with two navy guards at the corners, To while away the walting, which Was somewhat uncomfortable on ac count of the persistence of the wind, lm group of enthusiastic Harding boosters back in the crowd began trying to sing, but were so uninerct fully “raszed,” that they quit. HARDING LEADS MARCH FROM SENATE CHAMBER Harding led the procession from the senate chamber to the east front of the capitol. ,The senate clock was turned back twice In order to show “senate time,” conforming to the schedule require ments. The program, by real time, was delayed half an hour. The head of the procession, eom- posed of the house and senate press galleries, headed by Gus Karger, of Ohio, reached the east front of the capitol at 1249 p. m. Next came members of the house, over 400 strong. They were escorted to a place reserved for them by ma- rines. The senate followed, and took ite stand at another reserved place. All eyes watched for Harding. The arrangements started out smoothly, in great contrast to those four years ago, and eight years ago. Marines circulated thru newspaper men me to the inaugural stand, demanding credentials. As time went on, further refresh. ments were served to the soldiers. lwiches were handed out and were greeted with enthpsiasm. The wind got going again and everybody began stamping feet and waving arms in @ vain attempt to keep from shivering. Tho crowd got impatient and be gan to L Several times false alarms of Harding’s arrival on the inaugural platform were created by the antics of these exubertant per sons Members of the senate and house got a generous amount of ap plause from the onlookers when they were recognized. At 1:15 p. m. Harding entered the inaugural stand with Mrs. Harding. Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Coolidge, wife of the vice president, advanc to the outer railiug of the stand, where they were given a warm greet ing by the crowd. Mrs. Harding waa very happy. Vice President Coolidge and the members of the congressional com. mittee on arrangements drifted into the stands following Harding, and the band played a lively alr. The oath was administered at 1:19 by Chief Justice, White, James D. Maher, clerk of the supreme court held the Bibie, which Harding kissed immediately after taking the oath eee NO MILITARY ALLIANCES, IS HARDING VIEW BY RAYMOND CLAPPER WASHINGTON, March 4.—~ A solernn ning that America stands ready to resist any attempted rever sion of civilization was sounded by President Warren G inaugural address today, Amertea, he said, secks no part in directing the destinies of the Old World, but she is ready to enter an association of nations for conference nd coun sel which will not impair the sover: ep of the United States. He de clax@h flatly against permanent mill tary alliances, “Our eyes will never be blind to developing menace, our ears r deaf to the call of civilization, sald. “There was no American failure to resist the attempted reversion of clv- r he Here are their storie Harding in his| Cecil Burkett CECIL BURKETTS STORY | Fred@y Schermann and I were cleaning the straw out of the martin |house, I was just going Into the house with some straw to burn when [1 heard a shot. The door in on the east sida The [shot came from the south side of the house. I dropped the straw and ran around the corner of the house. Renny Slavin was erying and run ning down the hill to his house. 1 had put the gun against hours so we could chase off sparrows if they came about martin house. | I did not shoot Benny. He must jhave been playing with the rifle or dragging tt on the ground when the trigger caught tn the weeds « 1 was where I couldn't see Benny | when he was shot. the the the | Mteation; there wit be mo failure to- jday or tomorrow,” Harding added later, “We shall give no people just caune to make war upon us,” he said at another point. “We hold no na | tional prejudices; we entertain no «pirit of revenge; we do not hate, we} do not covet; we dream of no con: | quest nor boast of armed prowens. | If, despite this attitude, war ts forced | | upon us, I earnestly hope a way may | be found which will nullify our indi- | vidual and collective strength, and | consecrate all America, materiafiy and spiritually, body and soul, to nw | tional | n vision the ideal republic, where every man and woman is called under the Mag for assignment to duty for whatever service, mill tary or civic, the individual i» best fitted; where we may call to univer. | nal service every plant, agency or fa ettity, all in the eublime sacrifice for country, and not one penny of war Profits shall inure to the benefit of | private individual, corporation or combination, but all above the nor mal shall flow fitto the defense chest of the nation.” EXPRESSES DESIRE FOR WORLD COURT The league of nations was not Mentioned, but schemes of “super. government” were unaparingly de | nounced. The new executive pledged himerlf to recommend a way to approximate dimarmament, and expressed a desire to join with other nations tn plans | | for mediation, conciliation and arbi tration, clarification of international law and establishment of a world court. Enlarging on this doctrine of good ill, he rained a fervent prayer for peace, beth among nations and }among men. “Mankind needs a world-wide benediction of under. |standing,” he said. After outlining his international Program in a general way, the new president approached the climax of [his address. “I would rejoice to acctaim the ern of the golden rule and crown it with the autocracy of service,” he} jaaid. “I pledge un administration | wherein all the agencies of govern ment are called to serve and ever {promote an tnderstanding of gov ernment purely as an expression of | popular will. “I accept my part with stngle mindness of purpose and humility of jspirit, and tmplore the favor and |guidance of God in His heaven. With these I am unafraid and con fidently face the future, “I have taken the solemn oath of Joffice on that passage of holy writ,| |wherein it is asked: ‘What doth the! | Lord require of three but to do just }ly, and to love mercy and to |humbly with thy God?’ This I plight to God and country. eee ;COOLIDGE IS INAUGURATED VICE PRESIDENT WASHINGTON, March 4-—Calvin | Coolidge of husetts was in- augurated vice president today with ceremonies of brief simplicity in the senate chamber, witnessed by a dis tinguished assemblage of diplomats and high officials. | Coolidge, in a short Inaugural ad walk Coolidge expressed asurance the ntinue to function os senate will ” | great legislative body Without p sion and without fear, unmoved by clamor, but most sensitive to the right.” Marshall, in his retiring addreas, Innid he is not being demoted “into the ranks of the average American cith zen for I never rove above them,” FREDERICK & NELSON FIFTH AVENUE AND PINE STREET .A New Group of et oe mx 85 Serge Dresses mesh fabric that gives Sich good Service... 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Ex- Attractively priced at knee, in pink d cellent values at 35¢ each. $12.65. white, $1 60. pe —THE DOWNSTAIRS STORE THE DOWNSTAIRS STORE —THE DOWNSTAIRS STORE i : EE School:Code Bill Is 3 1 - Defeated in Senate Pigned senate at this tine,” shouted Bishop, “that If you pass this bill, we shall | ‘er it to the people, OLYMPIA, Mareh 4.—After four hours of the hardest fighting and trading yet to take place at the legis- lative session, the senagg yesterday 1 the school code measure, sen ate bill No. 10, by @ vote of 21 for the bill to 19 against. Twenty-two votes is the constitutional majority required for passage. The attack upon the bil was led by Senator Bishop, of Jefferson, one and when it| | comes before them it will not pass.” Following the final vote there were | several altereations tn the lobby be | tween friends and enemies of the bill, | | One of these came when Representa: | |tive Frank Barber, of Tacoma, at tacked Ryan for his stand on the bill, accusing him of having voted against the interests of his con- stituents. kille | Stratford of the regulars of the republican pol party, alded by both progressives and | conservatives of the party, The fight |Wounded Suspect Model marked the first serious split that has been evident in the republican machine ,and has left its Impress on every member of the Taken at Prosser | PROSSER, March 4.--Following a| pistol battle with police, a man sus: | pected of burglary, who has three | bullet wounds and refuses to give his De Luxe practically senate, ‘The dectstve vote was in the hands 1 jee! a that tt teat of A. J. Ryan, farmer-labor member | name, was under arrest here today. Grees, deciared that the Sreavess trom Pic county, and was an un. cc meena “ne . x s: E function of the United fren wenats known quantity wo, to the tine of Chinese of Seattle A Single Demonstration Will Convince You |added that “the kreat object for Us claimed sAtficient ballots to control Greet Pres. Harding § ‘ carry a complete line of Brunswick Phonographs i aces ue a aan tatenden situation, and constant lobbying] ‘Telegrams of congratulation were ranging in price from $115 to $1,500, the fathers, the citadel of liberty.” |“ going on thruout the day to/wired Thursday night to President s ry fs | "Gooltdge's remarks ubout the con.|Prevent the miscarrying of plans. jelect Harding by the Chinese Bap-| style and finish for every one, | , : When the bill came up for passage | tist church, the Chinese Y. M. C. A \ ' a te enn inalca, an effort was made by Senator W.{the ‘Chinese ‘National League, the CONVENIENT TERMS ARRANGED Lon Johnson, Spokane, to add a@ st Chinese ational Welfare society iat, apleimesces pp ag the cei: tion that would have referred the bill|and the Chinese Benevolent associa The New March Records have arrived. a taees to the people at the #2 general) tion, all of Seattle, (They are good) ‘election. This was voted down, 18 to 3. In opening the fight, Bishop charged that the bill was framed to Penitentiary T ‘erm Is Given to Forger give the cities everything they| gentence of two to 10 y in the wished in the matter of control, but|state penitentiary was imposed on R. | was so framed that it would place| J. Weir, recently convicted of forg: | the burden of taxation upon thelery, by Judge Calvin §, Hall Thur country districts, day afternoon, Weir's motion for a “1 want to serve notice upon the new trial was denied