Indianapolis Times, 23 December 1929, page 1: Bullets link killer Burke to massacre

Front page of the Indianapolis Times, Home Edition, 23 December 1929. The story is credited “By United Press,” with a dateline printed “CHICAGO, Dec. 13” in an issue of 23 December; it is cited as printed. The decks read “Confiscated Shells Similar to Those Used to Wipe Out Moran Gang” and “RECALL CORONER’S JURY.” It opens: “Major Calvin C. Goddard, ballistic expert, testified today that cartridges fired from a machine gun owned by Fred Burke, hunted gangster, were “very similar” to those used in the St. Valentine’s day massacre.” The middle initial “C.” is as printed; the Evening Star of the same day prints “Calvin H. Goddard.”

The report says Goddard testified “at resumption of the massacre inquest, ordered by Coroner Herman Bundesen,” that he was head of “the Northwestern university criminology school,” and that “a bullet taken from the body of James Clark, one of the victims, was etched like one Goddard fired from the confiscated guns.” It gives the serial numbers of the two seized guns as printed.

This wire account uses “very similar” where the Associated Press report in the Evening Star has “identical.” This archive records the testimony as each agency reported it.