WITT, Charles Vernon - Putnam

“I’ll be there to prove my son’s alibi when the trial comes,” said CW Witt of near Roachdale farmer and father of Charles Vernon Witt, 24 years old, accused of participating in the slaying of Lafayette A. Jackson, head of the Standard Grocery the case Sunday. “I’ll have a lawyer company on May 27 in discussing and we’ll show them police how much they know.  You can’t tell a police anything but you can make a jury understand things,” he shouted at a reporter, who discussed the case with him.  The black-mustached hill farmer wore overalls and a black hat with a frazzled band and the frazzles shook ominous as the man poured out profanity with violent gesticulations at the stranger, who came to interview him.  His wife sat under a porch swing suspended under a tree and bade him several times to stop talking but he was quite willing to expound as long as he was not answering detailed questions.  He had not been in communication with his son since the arrest but he wants Charles to understand that “his father believe in him and that everything will come out all right.” Young Witt’s recent confession named Louis Hamilton as theman, who fired the fatal shot.  Witt is an escaped “Lifer” from the Kansas state prison.  CA Fuller, proprietor of the Fuller Clothing Company in Roachdale which was robbed of $350 on April 17 is in receipt of a letter from OD Williams of the identification bureau of the Indiana State Farm which states that fingerprints found at the store correspond with Witt’s.  The identification was made through the Kansas prison. Citizens of the town also charge him with the robbery of the post office there May 17 and with the theft of several cars.  A .45 caliber revolver was included in the post office loot and Witt had a similar gun in his possession when arrested.  The pistol that killed Mr. Jackson was also a .45 detectives said.  The father of Witt refused to answer most of the questions leveled at him yesterday.  He would not tell the name of his daughter, Charles’ sister who looks about 16 years of age and he would not tell the circumstances under which he last saw his son.  He refused all queries of activities of the boy on the day of the shooting and declared that it all would come out in the trial.