July 25th.
Leopold and Loeb were interviewed in jail before heading over the bridge of sighs. They were in high spirits. Leopold told stories while kicking the bars with his toes.
"Hope they pep things up today," said Loeb.
The boys were led through the State's Attorney's corridor. Crowe was standing to his back to them. As the boys came by, Loeb banged into the State's Attorney, nearly knocking him off his feet.
In the courtroom, they appeared serenely indifferent as the hundreds of cameras clicked the crowd mercellessly.
The first witness of the day was Frank Blair, the diver who retreived the typewriter from the Jackson Park lagoon.
Next up, Percy Van de Bogert. He recieved the first call made to the drugstore on May 22nd. A young man's voice asked for a Mr Franks.
Then, James Kemp, porter at the Van de Bogert and Ross drugstore. He answered the second call made looking for Mr. Franks.
George Porter Lewis was called to the stand.
Leopold and Loeb showed interest when Lewis took the stand. Leopold put a hand to his chin.
"Will you state your name, please?"
"George Porter Lewis."
"Where do you live, Mr Lewis?"
"4559 Forrestville Avenue."
"And what is your occupation?"
"Sales correspondent."
"Do you attend the Chicago University?"
"I do not."
"Have you been a student there?"
"I have not."
"Have you made a study of ornithology?"
"I have."
"Do you know the defendant in this case, Nathan Leopold Jr?"
"I do."
"I will ask you to state whether or not you had a converstaion with him prior to May 22nd of this year in reference to taking his ornithology class out?"
"Yes."
"Now will you state when that conversation was?"
"I do not remember what date it was, prior to that date that we spoke of here. We merely referred to it more or less in an offhand way."
"Well now go ahead and tell what he said and what you did?"
"I can't remember anything exact mentioned before that date."
"Well, in substance?"
"But he said that he might want me to take the class out as some time or other."
"And then what was said after that and what was done?"
"On the morning of May 22nd I answered the telephone between 8:30 and nine o' clock, it was Nathan Leopold, Junior, he asked me if I was to be busy that day and I told him I thought I would be. He then asked if I would be able to take his class in ornithology to Jackson Park that afternoon.I said I thought it might be arranged. He gave me directions then for finding the class, to be a class of small girls."
Let me interrupt you for just a moment. Now he asked you, you say, would you take his class that day to Jackson Park?"
"Yes."
"Had you been out with Nathan Leopold Jr the Sunday previous?"
"Yes."
"Studying birds?"
"Yes."
"And where did you and he go on the Sunday previous to do this?"
"We went first to Jackson park early in the morning after breakfast,which we had on 63rd street, we went to Riverside, we spent a good deal of time there and ate our lunch there, then went south to Willow Springs or in the neighborhood in the Forest Preserve. We then went across 95th Street to Hegewich, and we there dropped the fellow who had been with us."
"Who was he?"
"Sidney Stein, Junior."
"and then what happened?"
"We went north to the track at 108th Street and went down into the vacant territory which we have known as the Calumet region there, and through the Forest Preserve to about 118th or 120th Street."
Do you know where 118th and the Panhandle meet, where the culvert is?"
"Just about, yes."
"What is the answer?"
"I say yes."
"Well did you pass over or near the culvert that Sunday with Nathan Leopold, Junior?"
"We passed near it."
"What was he doing at that time?"
"Studying birds."
"Did he have a gun?"
"I believe that was the day that he borrowed one in order to take a shot at a rare bird which was down there."
"Well did he take a shot at it?"
"He did."
How many shots, do you know?"
"Two or three."
"Did he hit them?"
"No."
Leopold and Loeb grinned widely at the last remark.
"Well now, go ahead with your story. Had you been out in that particular section prior to that Sunday with Nathan Leopold, Junior?"
"I had."
"How many times?"
"I couldn't very well estimate, perhaps twenty times, probably more."
"Go ahead now, with your story."
"What do you wish me to take up?"
"On the 22nd?"
"On that afternoon I followed out-oh, possibly I had better resume-"
"Yes, you were telephoning in the afternoon?"
"With the rest of our call, yes. I believe that he told me that I would be paid twelve dollars as he expected eight girls to be in the class. He mentioned a dollar and a half for each girl present. I told him that I would be glad to take his class for him and I believe that was the end of our conversation at that time."
"Now do you know what his fee was?"
"I do not."
"All right, then what did you do?"
"I resumed with my natural affairs until the afternoon. The time set I think was about three o' clock or a little after, and I went to the University Elementary School to take the class, to meet the girls there, and I think there were thirteen present, the full class I believe."
"Well, did you have a conversation after that with Nathan Leopold, Junior?"
"I did."
"And when was that next conversation?"
"I telephoned him in the evening, possibly at seven or seven thirty."
"All right. Now what was the conversation?"
"I immediately told him that I had taken the class out to the park that day and all had gone successfully."
"Did you have another conversation after that with him?"
"I did."
"When?"
"The Sunday after that, I believe."
"Well, what was that conversation?"
"I telephoned him in response to a call he made while I was at Church, and when I returned I had been asked by my mother to telephone him. He told me that he had been questioned by the police in regards to the Franks case and he said his name had been given to them by the Game Warden at the Forest Preserve. He also stated that he had been asked to give the names of other ornithologists who were in the habit of going to that district, and of other people he might know who were acquainted with that district."
"What else?"
"He then asked if by chance I had lost my glasses while I was out there on the Sunday previous."
"Did you wear glasses?"
"I did."
"What kind of glasses?"
"Tortoise rim glasses."
"Have you got them with you?"
"I have. Would you like to see them?"
"Will you show the court what kind they are?"
"Yes."
"All right, continue?"
"I felt my breast pocket and I told him they were there, that I hadn't lost them. He said there was some possibility that the glasses that had been found in that vicinity had something to do with the Franks case, but he didn't think it was certain that they did."
"Did he ask you whether you had two pair of glasses?"
"I believe he did."
"What did you tell him?"
"I told him I had only owned one pair."
"Was there anything further said?"
"He suggested that I should not tell my father and mother, that there was a possibility of my being questioned by the police, as he thought it might worry them."
"Was there anything further?"
"I believe not."
There was no cross.