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By JOYCE SNODGRASS“I’m sorry, Reuben, but you just wouldn’t believe it. You just wouldn’t believe it.” these were the words of Edward S. Long, 32, to Val “Reuben” Galindo, Illinois State Police detective, on the morning after he allegedly shot Jack Starkey in an incident in the Sinow-Beanblossom parking lot.Galindo related the words as the state’s final witness today in the case which began in Lee County Circuit Court Monday. He testified that on the morning of March 17, as he was in the Lee County Law Enforcement Center, he saw Ed Long. Long was crying and trying to light a cigarette when Long spoke to him.Testimony also was heard from several Dixon policemen today.William Walls, of the police force, testified that he received a bullet from Nurse Edith Walls, who said she had found it on the emergency-room floor after Starkey’s body had been removed. This bullet was admitted into evidence along with the bullet removed fromStarkey’s body during the autopsy.Officer Howard Swegle testified that he had found three live rounds of .25-caliber ammunition in the parking lot following the incident, along with one spent round. The exhibits were admitted as evidence on Swegle’stestimony.Sgt. William Ostergrant told the court how he searched Long’s car following the incident and found a sales slip for a .25-caliber pistol on the front seat. He also told how he found two applications for firearm identificationcards, dated March 15 and Feb. 9, in the glove compartment of the car. On the left side of the front seat he found a black vinyl case and areceipt from Farley’s Insurance Co. for application for license plates for the car, a 1963 Chevrolet Nova, turquoise and white, he said. All these exhibits were admitted as evidence in the case.Testimony was heard from Mrs. Delbert (Lela) Long (not related to Edward Long), who works in her husband’s sporting goods store and who admitted to selling a 25-caliberBrowning automatic pistol and ammunition for $46.57 to Roy Rogers, Ashton. She also admitted to pre dating the sales slip and a carbon copy of the sales slip. Mrs. Long also told the court she sold the gun case to Rogers.She testified that Long came into the store the day before and asked for a firearms identification card application. “He said I had made one out for him before, but it had been lost, so he wanted another one,” she said.Mrs. Long was charged with unlawful sale of firearms on March 19.Roy Rogers, who allegedly purchased the gun, was next on the stand. He told the court he saw Long in the Royal Palms on the afternoon of March 16. Ed asked me if I’d do him a favor. He wanted me to buy him a gun. I asked him, ‘What for?’ and he said ‘For protection’,” Rogers testified. He testified that he and Long went over to Delbert Long’s Sportsman and asked to see a Browning .25-caliber automatic pistol, but told Mrs. Long that he wanted a used one if he could get it cheaper. He said he presented his own firearms ID to make the purchase.Following the purchase of the gun, he and Long went out to Long’s car, he said. Long told Rogers he might see him that night downtown.” Rogers said he gave Long back the change from the purchase of the gun. Long had given Rogers $50 to make the purchase, the witness related.Rogers told defense attorney Willard Nelson he did not know about Long's windows being shot at at the time he bought the gun.Later that night, according to Rogers, Long entered the Royal Palms and stoppled to talk with him. Long allegedly told Rogers he had tried to fire the gun, but it made a “pop-poing noise.” Long asked if he could come out to Rogers’ brother’s farm sometime to try it, Rogers related.The gun, according to Rogers, had no safely-0Testimony was read from the state ballistics expert who examined the bullet removed from Starkey’s body and the one found on the(See STATE RESTS on page 12)
Newspaper Details
Dixon Evening Telegraph
Dixon, Illinois, US
Wed, Jun 20, 1973
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Palatine P.
IL, USA 05 Jun 2021
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