Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 15 February 1924 — Page 4
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PAOH FOUR
THE MUNCIE POST-DEMOCRAT
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1924.
THE GRAFTERS AND THE SUCKERS. “Col.” William Joseph Simmons, the mountebank who founded the Ku Klux Klan, and was later f kicked out of it, this week succeeded in blackmailing the klan organization out of $145,000, the price of threatened exposure. Simmons and Clarke, both expelled from the order, were threatening to spill the beans. Law suits had been started, the two discredited leaders were threatening to blab about the Mayfield election, the Unity League injunction case was pending in Judge Anderson’s court and something had to be done. So, old Simmons was given his little old graft money after he had signed an agreement not to do the klan any harm. Clarke, the other expelled grafter, is yet to be settled with. He has called a “rump” klan meeting for February 26 and threatens to disrupt the amalagamated shimmy shake: 3 of America. Clarke knows more about the klan than anybody and if he starts out to tell all he knows Old Doc Evans and his crew of high binders will find themselves scattered all over the scenery. This means that there is about to be another touch. Clarke will have to be settled with and we hazard the opinion that he will not be a piker, like the late emperor, who sold his right to the crown for $145,000. The suckers who put up the teapots are, of course, the brainless boobs who give up the money which one set of klan blackmailers gives up to keep another group of blackmailers from busting up their play house, but the boobs seem to like it so the outside world should worry., Our own Clarence Benadum did fairly well separating suckers in Ohio, so well in fact that he and his wife, who were getting it in gobs, were squeezed out to allow another hungry bunch to get up to the trough. Daisy Doodle Barr, who was in on the squeeze play, got so much more of the graft than Benadum that the latter is suing her for fifty thousand dollars for breach of promise or something like that. The rest of us may be aliens but these hundred percenters can hand us a good laugh any time.
, court th© following indictment, to-wit: Jay Circuit Court, December Term, 1923. | State of ladiana, Jay County, SS: Indictment for False Pretenses. State of Indiana,
YS.
Orville Easterday. The Grand Jurors of Jay County, in
Mrs. Smith, in telling of the statement by her husband of the second alleged crime, said she had kept her silence regarding them for more than i two years, because of fear of Smith. | “My first knowledge of my hus-
band’s murderous mania came to me
when I was a bride of only a few months,” she said. “I had learned
the State of Indiana, good and lawful was a v i c ti m tuberculosis men, duly and legally impaneled, aU( ^ insisted that as a safeguard to
charged and sworn to inquire into felonies', and certain misdemeanors
myself and young baby, we saparate. Til kill you if you leave me,”
in and for the body of said County of Smith declared, she said.
"You don’t mean that Ray. You wouldn’t kill anyone,” the wife said
Jay in the dame and by the authority of the State of Indiana, on their oaths present that one Orville Easterday, late of said county, on or about the 20th of May, 1923, at said county and state aforesaid, did then and there unlawfully and feloniously and with felonious and fraudulent intent of then and there designedly cheating and defrauding one William Haley, sell and barter to the said William Haley seventeen shares of preferred stock in the International Note & Mortgage Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, a
she replied. Becoming incensed, stye said he shouted: “I’ll show you whether I’ll kill anyone or not. I killed my father —I hit him over the head with a hammer and buried his body under a chicken house on our' farm at Pittsfield. I’ll kill you and the baby too, if you ever leave me or tell anyone about it.” Mrs. Smith said her husband’s terrible earnestness left no doubt in
VIC SIMMONS. HARTFORD CITY KLUCK JUDGE, SEEING DEFEAT NEXT FALL ANNOUNCES THAT HE WHl HANG ON
Hartford City, Ind., Feb. 15.—Victor Simmons, t’ de y^hful incumbent B the Wp rireiA bench, has discovered a very simple way of adding five years to the term of which he was appointed by Grant Lupton
and Governor McCray.
Judge Vic says he has construed the law, and having construed it to his own satisfaction, announces the result. He says his appointment by
over his program and caused the appointment of Simmons. Until Simmons ran for prosecutor in 1922$ there were probably not over a dozen people in Blackford county who even
knew he was a republican.
His father and all his relations were democrats. His name had never come up in the discussion of politcal affairs. He was and is a nonenity and he would never have been considered as a candidate for anything had he not hooked himself up
Governor McCray was not until the wlth the ftIan a3 one of )t „ earliesl •eat general election, but for sla orEanlzers and thus become political
years, and that he expects to stay on
the bench that long. I It is doubtful even whether he knew ° wiseacres e re a & ree j w hat jjjg own politics were until he with Judge Vic that that is about the made the race in 1922 an(J wag elect _ only way he can stick. He was elect- j ed p rose cutor with the help of Helen ed prosecutor i. 1922 and was later Jackson> who rather caused the lm _ appomte judge after the division of i p regs | on t0 b ecome prevalent that e circuit, but it is generally con- unless Vic were elected prosecutor ceded, even by his own ku klux t^g p 0 p e might send a submarine nen s, that he couldn t be elected down Lick Creek and bombard the again on a bet. city haJ1 . To begin with, he Is going to have The democrats of Blackford counplenty of trouble in the primary. At-jty are togf/her and militant. There torney Peterson of Montpelier, may are a few black sheep like Lute Simenter the race and John A. Bonham mons, who belong to the klan, but is almost certain to become a candi- the party will be purged of the wizdate. Bonham was the logical can- ards and dragons and will elect a didate before, from a political and straight out democratic, anti klan factional standpoint, but he was ticket next fall. thrown down by Grant Lupton and! Next week the Post-Democrat will the klan, and Vic Simmons, never discuss the candidates for various known before in politics and having offices who have entered the lists, little or no experience as a lawyer, Hartford City has had its little fill of was named judge. kluxism and klux officials and this The friends of John Bonham, and newspaper hopes to be able to tell among these are many prominent where each candidate stands, so that klansmen, were mad enough to bite voting in the coming primary and in a nail in two when Grant Lupton put the fall election.
by virtu© of the laws of the State of Indiana and did then and there falsely, fraudulently and designedly represent to the said William Haley that the said stock was worth its face value and if retained from one to five years would be worth one hundred and five dollars per share; he further said that it was just as good as gold and as good as any liberty bond any man ever had, when in truth and in fact the said stock was not worth on© hundred dollars per share and was not as good as gold and not as good as any liberty bond any man ever had. That all of said facts were well known to the said Orville Easterday at the time that so made said representations above set out to the said William Haley, he, the said Orville Easterday, at the time of making said representations well knowing the same to be false and being so falsely made by
corporation duly organized under and J ^ er mi 111 ! that she would suffer a sim-
' ilar fate if she ever crossed him. The grandmother was slain about six months later, Mrs. Smith declared. The agedL woman was shot in the back by Smith, who placed the body in a trunk and later buried the body beneath the outhouse, according
to Mrs. Smith’s story.
REGARD SPEECH AS COOUDGE KEYNOTE President’s Advisers Are Anxious for Reaction of Country In Address.
the earth around the Walton elevator and water tank. Some day we’re going to wake up and remember about that dude. We recall that he once ran a newspaper (that’s what he called it) in Poneto, a thrivinei Wells County community which consisted, in addition to himself of one hundred thirty seven human beings. The bright lights dazzled him and he departed, afoot, and the town board had no further use for a health officer after his departure. It kinda seems also that we remember something about his being in jail or the penitentiary, or was it the insane asylum? That was after Col. Gunder had kicked him out of
his regiment for cowardice.
We’re going to ask the Logansport Koo Koos whose names have not yet appeared, to be just as patient as they can. We’il get around to you
just as soon as possible.
The way to help this good work Rlonrr is to buy a Post-Democrat of the first boy you meet selling them and tell all your friends to buy. Cooperate with us and we will give you
vacant by the departure of these j nated as the Centennial Pike and tk© men. This Koo Koo pill peddler now I Iine dividing Center and Liberty Tow«holds himself to be a one hundred j ships, Delaware County, Indiana, be-
a one
percent patriot and the “alien” tors who went to the front while he stayed at home and grabbed for business are supposed to take off their hats while he waves a flag in a klux
parade.
Next week the Post-Democrat will publish another list of Anderson and Madison county klansmen, including lawyers, doctors, business men and possibly a bootlegger or two. Watch
for the next number.
BEVERIDGE CHARGES
(Continued from Page One)
sucking the financial vitality of the nation. No matter what political party is hurt, no matter what moral organization is discredited, no matter what eminent personage suffers, let investigation tear that poisonous plant root and branch out of Amer-
ican soil.”
Former Senator Beveridge made a
live news every week that you can’t 1 plea for fewer laws, better enforce-
get in your local newspaper. o VESTAL JOINS (Continued from Page One)
ment, less government administration. — .—o
hut better
NOTICE ROAD PETITION
Washington, Feb 15.—President Coolidge in New York, Tuesday night
him with the fraudulent purpose and made an address which in the opindesign of cheating and defrauding | ion of the managers of his contest :he said William Haley out of certain j for the Republican presidential United States Victory Bonds belong-, nomination, sounded the keynote of ing to the said William Haley and the his campaign.
said William Haley relying upon the said false representations of the said Orville Easterday as above alleged and believing them to be true and by reason thereof, exchanged said United States Victory Bonds and transferred the same in exchange for said worthless stock in said corporation,
Mr. Coolidge does not regard his address, which was delivered at the Lincoln birthday dinner of the National Republican Club, as a political address. The managers of his campaign agree with him that, as prepared, it is not a political speech in the commonly accepted sense, but
the said United States Victory Bonds ! nevertheless consider it a comprebeing then and there of the value of | hensive exposition of the President’s Seventeen Hundred Dollars, good and | views on a number of governmental
ORVILIE EASTERDAY INDICTED FOR SELING D0LUNGS COMPANY STOCK
——- o—
Portland, Ind., Feb. 15.—Orville | to Musterday, a former Dollings stock salesman in Jay county, voluntarily appeared before Sheriff James Badders about 1:30 Tuesday afternoon and surrendered on an indictment returned by the recent Grand Jury, charging him with false pretenses. He was taken before Judije R. D. Wheat a few minutes later and provided bond in the sum of $2,000 with his father, John G. Easterday aad J. Arthur Williams as surety. There were no spectators -in the court room, only the officials necessary to such a procedure being pre-
ent.
There are sevea indictments .againR Mr. Easterday but according
an agreement between Mr. Eas-
terday’s attorney, Judge E. E. McGriff and Prosecutor, Austin H. Williamson. Mr. Easterd.ay is to be arraigned on only one of the indict-
asents at this time, the Prosecutor
to elect what one of the seven he
will be tried on. All of the indictments cb ir?e false pretenses. The indictment upon which Mr. Easterday was arrested is as fol-
lows:
lawful money of the United States of America, contrary to the form of ♦‘V* r\ HnreSM + rk J t* fiCDRl r*r» r-rreo A OXJLO XJJL OU.V'AX JOLAYNTUVs CVJIXVA provided and against the peace and dignity of the State of Indian 1. AUSTIN H. WILLIAMSON, Prosecuting . . Homey. Recorded this 5th day of February,
1924.
HANSON F. MILLS,
Clerk.
PLYMOUTH SLAYER SAID TO CONFESS MURDER OF FATHER
problems ai 1 for this reason they will await ■’ th interest its reception
by tne com y.
printing his; name, but acknowledged that he was a member of Anderson
Klan No. 13.
His explanation of the way in which be joined, should, however, exculpate him from any deliberate attempt to join an order which seeks to throw the Catholics down and take their tobacco away from them. Rex says he was as drunk as a biled owl when he joined and didn’t know what he was doing when he was separated from his ten case note. He was one of the original “jiners” two years ago and was one of the class of business men who took the oath of fealty to the cockeyed wizard in a room in the Y. M. C. A. building. Mr. Sample may have been soused since that time, but if he has he has never been drunk enough to attend another meeting of the klan, according to his statement. It does seem queer to the alien mind that an organization which lays claim to all the virtues and a monopoly on law observance should first get a man ory-eyed drunk and then steer him to the Y. M. C. A. and take him in as
State of Indiana, Delaware County, ss Before the Board of Commissioners of Delaware County, State of Indi-
ana.
In the matter of the petition of Walter M. Small, et al. for the grading, draining and paving of a certain highway in Delaware County, State of
Indiana. .
No. 307.
Notice is hereby given that Walter M. Small, together with more than two hundred and fifty (250) other free holders and voters of Delaware county, Indiana, not less than fifteen (15)
doc- j ing at the east end of the brick pavement now on said highway, and saM highway, and said point of intersection being approximately the poirrt where Sections 1 and 12, Township 20 North, Range 10 Blast and Sections 6 and 7, Township 20 North, Range 11 East corner, running thence in a northerly and easterly direction following a small jog and thence easterly, all over the present line of said Centennial Pike a distance of approximately two and one-quarter (2 1-4) miles, to the southeast corner of Southwest Quarter, of the Southwest Quarter of Section 4, Township 20 North, Range 11 East, said road now bei*tg on the line dividing Sections 6, 5 and 4 from Sections 7, 8 and 9, all in Township Twenty North, Range 11 East, thence north a distance of approximately three-quarters (3-4) of a mile along the course of the road commonly known and designated as the Moody Road, said point being in the worth
line of said Section 4.
Said petitioners have recommended in their said petition that said proposed highway be improved by grading, draining, and by paving with concrete to a width of twenty (20) feet; that said Roadway have a thickness of at least eight (8) inches of concrete in the center and at least six (6) inches at the side with a crown of two (2) inches; that bridges', culverts, and approaches be constructed so as to make a complete and continuous waved highway. _ • Witness my hand and the seal of the Auditor of Delaware County, State of Indiana, at the City of Muncie, Indiana this 8th day of February, 1924.
JAMES P. DRAGOO,--
Auditor Delaware Co., Indiana.
Feb. 15, 22 & 29.
PETITION FOB DRAINAGE.
H-
LOGAr
AN SPORT BUSINESS
(Continued from Page One)
disciple
story about this particular
of the ©rand dragon fly.
Earl F. Guthrie, druggist, 112 Burlington Avenue. Son of Mayor Frank Guthrie. If the chief executive belongs to this lawless band, there is no public knowledge of the fact. It is generally believed here that the
mayor does not belong.
William H. lies, 2416 Shear Street, Pennsylvania engineer, said to be a
fallen away Catholic.
wr*/* ... « __ , William H. Jones, assistant postWlie of Smith Says Husband master, 1615 North Street. Works
for Uncle Sam and the Imperial
Whizzer.
Rollie Granger, 800% North, salesman Elliott Grocery Company. Sister married to a Catholic and a convert to Catholicism. Charles B. Berkshire, found difficulty in explaining and closed his
Told Her of Killing Par-
ent for Insurance.
Pittsfield, Mass., Feb. 15.—Raymond Smith, under arrest at Plymouth, Ind., for murder, is not known in Pittsfield, so far as the police can learn
lishment, opening, widening, repair,
a member before he is sober enough j construction and maintenance of highto know what he was doing. We will ; wa yg, culvert (culverts) and bridges leave this matter for the klan j throughout the county and upon counpreachers of Anderson to discuss at j ty lines, providing for the location, their leisure •zAanAX tfcate cocHtEiicUon, Dr. Byron Kilgore, an Indianapolis 'supervision and control; providing for klansman and. a brother of Obadiah j the issuance of county bonds for payKilgore of Muncie, was here calling | m ent for all such improvements, and on friends a few days ago. Doc has ' providing for the taking over of town-
of whom are from each of a majority
of the townships of Delaware county, j g tate 0 f Indiana, Indiana, on the 8th day of February, I Delaware Count y ? gg; 1924, filed their petition, addressed to In the Matter of the Petition of Mar-
tin Hofherr, et al, for Drainage.
No. 304.
Notice is hereby given to whom it may concern that in the cause novr pending before the Board of Cona* misisoners of Delaware County, Indiana, wherein Martin Hofherr et al, are petitioners, No. 304 of causes before said board, that the undersigned James P- Dragoo, Auditor of Delaware county, Indiana, has prepared
the Board of Commissioners of the County of Delaware, State of Indiana, asking for the improvement of a certain highway, hereinafter in this notice described, by grading, draining, and paving said roads with concrete, under and pursuant to an Act of the General Assembly of the State of Indi-
ana, entitled:
“AN ACT to provide for the estab-
There is no record of bis father bav- grocery at 1431 Spear street. Room
ing been killed here. Plymouth, Ind., Feb.
now occupied by a Catholic, Tony
15—Ray D. shockome, who is doing a thriving
Smith, prominent local farmer, held grocery business.
here in connection with th6 slaying of his grandmother, Mrs. Frances Sweet, 83, whose body was found buried at the Smith farm Sunday, after she had been missing two years, told his wife that he had killed his father at their farm home, near Pittsfield, Mass., seven years ago, Mrs. Smith declared in a statement today to county of-
ficials.
Mrs. Smith said her husband told her be obtained $6,000 in life insurance at the death of his father. She said he did not tell her how the father’s death was explained to authorities at Pittsfield. She said Smith told her he struck his parent on the bead with a hammer and buried the
body beneath a chicken house at their Tentl1 stieet
Allen A.
Vance B. Nearpass, klan singer, who departed recently for Muskegan, Mich., the demand for klan vocalization in Logansport being on the wane. Another member of the klan quartet has forsaken the musical world and is shooting beans and yodeling short order lingo to the cook at the Indiana restaurant. But he is still an American, thank
God, beans or no beans.
Ben W. Pennington, carriage and automobile painter, 201% Sixth St. Went with a Catholic girl for a long time and married a grass widow. George Ross, Jr., district claim agent Pennsylvania railway, 500
THE INDICTMENT. December Term, 1923. Jay Circuit Court.
No. 19.
Comes now the Grand Jury for the
farm.
Alvin Marsh, prosecutor, said tonight investigators will be sent to Pittsfield to look into the matter. He said investigations into the deaths of Smith’s mother at Chicago and a former wife here, which occurred under mysterious circumstances, also would be made. Smith was taken In custody here Saturday night on information furnished authorities by his wife who told them of the alleged murder of the grandmother at their farm here two years ago. A search of the farm Sunday revealed the aged woman’s body
(Slingshot) Rayburn,
1713 North Street. Conductor on
Pennsylvania.
These are a fetf of the number who in Logansport, have taken an oath of vassalage to the emperor and the Imperial Wizard. Next week we will disclose the names of others and will soon begin a series of articles concerning Cass County’s public officials and the men who aspire for office in the coming elec-
tion.
The klan is a wonderful melting pot for community freaks. It was just naturally made to order for the
beneath the concrete foundation of an Walton Weary Willie whose terrific
term aforesaid, and present in open outhouse.
broadsides at the Pope are shaking
quite a few colored patients in Indianapolis. His brother Oby lived here several years ago. When he left he was treasurer of the Eagles lodge and a member of that order states that the old bank roll went with him. Nothing much was thought of it, though, since it had become a practice of a number of those who preceded Oby to take what didn’t stick to the bell rope. Oby, it was claimed, was merely following precedent, and was properly ethical, even if it was expensive for the lodge. Earl C. Morris, former county treasurer, who was defeated in 1922 j by Frank Seward, the present klucker treasurer, but recently joined the Muncie klan, which Is evidence to some that be is thinking of getting into politics again. Mr. Morris has a lively recollection of the manner in which the klan gave him a trimming a year and a half ago and has now become a member of the organization that took his job away from him. We know of people who would get mad and stay mad under such circumstances, but there is no accounting for tastes. John Roach, connected with the Ralph Reynolds new* agency, is one bloomin’ example of the brand of klansmansbip that honors and respects pure womanhood. Roach was one who attended the naked ' dance in the old Olympic theater in 1919. This festal event was staged by Arthur Retz. it will be remembered. Retz was blackballed by the klan but Roach was allowed to slip in. Dr. Virgil G. McDonald, with offices in the Farmers Trust building, is another wearer of sheet and mask, who should not be allowed longer to blush unseen. This Ku Kluck Dock came to Anderson from Perkinsville, in the summer of 1918. He chose a good time to come. Practically all of the able bodied medical men of Anderson bad responded to their country’s call and were either in France at the front ministering to the wounded and sick soldiers or on duty in American training; camps an^ mili-
tary hospitals.
This One Hundred Percent American doctor was healthy and able bodied enough himself to look after the patients of the physicians who were willing to sacrifice their own 1 interests for their country's good and he soon stepped into a practice left
ship roads by the county and the making of certain roads county highways and all other matters properly connected therewith and declaring an
and placed in the hands of the Coumty Treasurer of said county for collection, an assessment sheet, showing the assessments against the various tracts of lands in said Delaware county, assessed for the construction
of said ditch.
Notice is further given that the Board of Commissioners of Delaware county, Indiana, at the regulai* February term, 1924 of said board fixed Friday, Monday, June 2nd, 1924,
emergency approved March 13, 1919,1 on or before which time the owner
or owners of any tract or parcel of land, desiring to pay in full such as-
and all acts of the said General Assembly amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto.” Said petition will be presented to the Board of Commissioners of the County of Delaware, State of Indiana, and said Board of Commissioner's will hear said petitioners at 10:00 o’clock A. M. on Tuesday the 4th day of March, 1924, at the Commissioners’ Room, in the Court House at the City of Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana, at which time the following matters will be presented, heard, considered and determined: 1. Said petitioners will make proof of publication and posting of notices in reference to the filing of said petition herein described at the meeting and hearing before said Board of Commissioners. 2. Said petitioners will present the petition herein referred to, to said Board of Commissioners. 3. Written objections to the form or sufficiency of such petition may be filed by any taxpayer of the county, or any person or corporation whose lands or property will be affected by the work prayed for in said petition. 4. The form and sufficiency of said petition, whether or not the same shall be amended, the granting of permission to amend if need be, and all matters in connection (herewith, and orders in reference to spreading of said petition of record and referring the matter therein prayed for to the county surveyor or a competent civil engineer, designating a day on which said surveyor or engineer and the board shall file in the office of the auditor their determination of the matters by them to be performed and de-
termined.
5. All other matters provided by law relative to said petition and proceedings in reference to the grading, draining and paving of said roads, at which hearing any interested party may appear and show cause why the request prayed for in the petition shall not be granted. The beginning, course and termination of said proposed highway set forth and described in said petition, is as follows: Beginning at the intersection of the highway comlmonly known and desig-
sessments and discharge said tracts or parcels of land from the liability of such assessments, shall have the right so to do. Witness my hand and the seal of said board this 5th day of February, 1924. JAMES P. DRAGOO, Auditor of Delaware County, Indiana. (Feb8&15)
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