Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 2 June 1927 — Page 1

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POST-DEMOCi>

VOLUME 7—NUMBER 20.

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MUNCIE, INLiANA, THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1927.

Price 5 Cents—$2.00 a Year

AUCEF0RTHEG00SESAUCEF0RTHE GANDER

Renadum Defends Liquor Violator On Medicine Plea

; There’s one thing about Clarence Benadum, and that is that he generally has his say, and he doesn’t give a durn whether anybody else believes him or not. Just at present he is taking a few pot shots at' the governor and attorney general whom he helped elect, because of what he terms their hypocritical attitude on the liquor question. Clarence is openly and avowedly wet. He says the liquor law of the state should be modified. He is getting up some sort of a petition to present to the governor, which he hopes will help some. Wednesday Mr. Benadum defended Homer Hurley, who was charged with being in possession of two quarts of liquor. Mr. Hurley predicated his defense on the theory that whisky is a medicine and that he had procured the liquor that was found on his premises in the neighborhood of Dalevilie for medicinal purposes. The jury heard his evidence, listened to the impassioned plea of his attorney, and then marched out to the jury room and found the defendant guilty. k Unfortunately the jury did not render an extensive v bpinion. Under the circumstances nobody knows, except ‘ the jurymen themselves, whether the jury believed whisky is a medicine, or otherwise. Possibly the jury believed Hurley, but differed with the| attorney general, who asserts that he and the governor bought whisky to save the lives of members of their fami-j lies. And then, on the other hand, they may have disbelieved him. Or, possibly, they believed him, but doubted that even j if he had bought it for the purpose he asserts, that he had | the right to do so. Or from another angle, the jury, in the absence of testb i mony from expert, medical sharps, who mighk have fes-j uued'ibotffTor ancl against the use of whfsEy, may have refrained from passing on the question of the therepeutfc i value of wool alcohol and confined themselves, solely, in finding as they did, on the evidence which seemed conclusive, that Hurley had the liquor in his possession and that the law defines the possession of liquor in Indiana as a crime. Mr. Benadum, attorney for Hurley, does not seem inHdined to let the matter drop. He seems to believe that if 'whisky is a medicine, his client had as much right to use it and as much right to be believed, as the attorney general. As the leading light in the “Constitution Preservation Society,” he proposes to carry this assumed right of his client to the high administrative and executive officers of the state, and ask them, point blank whether sauce for the goose may not be properly considered sauce for the gander. And in the meantime, whjje this great fight is waging, and while the “best minds,” who never attended medical school and can’t tell the difference between paregoric and epsom salts, are deciding the question for everybody, the great mass of the people will continue to call in the family doctor, instead of the family bootlegger, to administer to the ills of their ailing ones.

New Book, Written By Anorayous ExKiansman Exposes Indiana K!ux-ControI —One Chapter Reveals Grand Jury Testimony Given At Brookville By Court Asher and Editor of Post-Democrat.

When la-u r s are passed making it a crime to save the life of your wife or children, it is time the dogs 1 were kicked out of the mangers.

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(By Clell Maple.) I observe in the Press a notice, by The Knights of American Protestantism, purporting to be a national patriotic fraternity, with national headquarters at 825 East Washington street, calling upon the Sunday School classes recommending an early consideration and was signed by Orion Norcross, National

Secretary.

It now is, and ever has been, my motive to help to upbuild society and the Christian religion, lest some Sunday School or class might be misled I want briefly to let the public know how the Knights of American Protestantism came to exist if it does exist. On or about the 25’th of February, 1924, the local Knights of the Ku RJux Klan, No. 4, split. Practically all the officers went with one side of the split, and obtained a charter from the secretary of state for an organization to be known as The Klan of

the North.

That name was unsatisfactory and it was suggested and the name changed to the Independent Klan of America. Well, we took over at the time of the split something like $7V100 in cash, two one thousand dollar liberty bonds and all the office furniture and fixtures, as they say in the call for the National Convention, valued at $3,000 and cash to the amount of $8,000, but Mr. Bemenderfer and Mr. Norcross testified, at the Klan trial at Portland, last summer,. that there was no cash left after the debts of the local K. K. K. was paid, but within the past year the call says after winning a court action they came in possession of all this money paid out tor old debts made by thel

old

K. K. K. before the split. The fact is there were no

debts left by them, or if so it was never reported to the board. Well, we went on. We had six local presidents elected within 14 months.) Each was to serve for one year. Orian Nor dross was Secretary, S. H. Bemendefer was National Presi-!

dent.

Our membersship decreased from something like 1,400 reported by; Norcross, to about two hundred. Some one asked for the books to! be audited, and it was so ordered. 1 However before the report was! made the National President, S.| K. Bemenderfer locked the doors; on the Local I. K. A. No. 1, on a regularly appointed meeting night, and took up their charter, as he said, because there were some traitors in the order. Under the Constitution, they should have been given a trial, but there was never any charges preferred against any

member of I. K. A. No. 1. Well, I consented to zation of the local No 1,

“It won’t be long, now,” until us po iticians will be getting down to brass tacks, in preparation for the presidential election of 1928. The primary election will be held r;xt May. Besides the selection of presidential cant; dates, officials from governor down will be nominated including congressmen, one United States senator state senator, members of the lower house and county officials. Last fall Delaware county democUts made a remarkable showing, electing both candidates for county commissioner, six of the twelve township trustees, and many minor officials in the varioir townships. Considering the fact that Delaware <; >unty is normally from five to seven thousand {republican, the election last fall constituted a great demc 'ratic victory, and the prospects are that the job wik be completed next year. •. -^Xhe citizens-otMuncie simply rebelled against machine republican rule and have turned to the democratic party for relief from conditions which have become unbearable. On January 1, Lewis E. Acker, of Perry township, will succeed John Truitt on the board of commissioners. His democratic colleague, Joseph Mann, took office the first of last January. After the first of next January the board of commissioners will be democratic and the conduct of the affairs of the county will be in the hands of men who have the interests of the taxpayers, and not the tax grabbers, at heart. It is uo to the democratic party to see to it that only men and women of the highest calibre are selected as candidates next spring. If the democratic party expects to live up to its promises it must name candidates who are above reproach. The people here have turned to the democrats for relief, and nothing should be done to place the party under suspicion. Let us put up a good ticket, make a clean fight and win.

.

From the way the common people have been picked by the present |administration, the notorious Hole-in-the-Wall, in the Black Hills, would be the proper place for the jhead of the gang to spend his sumjraer vacation. It has been the resti ing place of many a bandit in the ! past.

The reason parents of today prefer daughters to sons, is because girls can get a job and boys can't.

If the people really want to get even with Sinclair, the man who engineered the Tea-Pot Dome steal, they should entice him to come to Indiana, plant a quart of white mule on him, and call the sponge squad.

Men used to get. married love. Now they get married to

“Th - Alad Mullah,” a book written by a former klansTnan, and which purports to give the inside history of the klan in Indiana and elsewhere, is causing considerable com-

ment.

The book attacks Governor Jackson, Senator James E. Watson ;wd many other Indiana politicians, both democrats atid republicans, and while it accuses D. C. Stephenson of committing most of the crinws in the calendar, it places him among the immortals and declares that he will go down in history as being one of the most remarkable men of this

or any ot her age.

The chapter of the book which begins on page 237, is deovted to a discussion of a grand jury proceeding which took plat e at Brookville, which is of great intwest to this newspapu*, because the editor of the Post-Democrat

one of the witnesses subpoenaed. Many of the things which we did understand at the time, are 0-

was

not

now made clear. It will be remembered that the Post-Democrat published an account of Editor George R. Dale’s strange experience before that grand jury, but there was one thing we did not do, and that was to publish the things that were said

, , ... , p b 0 '! in the grand jury room.

I vide themselves with a meal tic- 1

|ket.

The author of “The Mad Mullah’’ [was not so squeamish about it. In [the chapter in question it gives,

The great trouble with the world, b H th tPStimonv of Georee today, is that too many people have ;^ er ^i e in an ^ e w [ i e a S t ti “„% 0 ° t f g millionere minds and thirty cent^ 1 ^^ ^ C( ? urt P A s he r. We

know the author had it right as far

n h * W J 6 ° r „ ^ hll J re “ ls l a s to the testimony of Asher. f thy ^ be i ?i Ued , by i he f ; According to ‘T’he Mad Mullah,” Tu Esp f f y , Vfw ^ Asher was asked by the

was forced thru the legislature by

a lot of old meddlers'.

“God Bless The Mothers.’ hope He does. For there

! knew

at Atlanta. In this letter the former klan official said that he had information from a man close to Hiram Wesley Evans that there was one county in Indiana that was so completely dominated by the klan that the prosecutor could have any man in the state indicted and sent to the penitentiary, or could summon any citizen to ap-

pear before its grand jury.

The man said Evans told him that it did not necessarily mean, that the klan could convict its victims in that county, but it could ruin them financially and otherwise through its control of the klan

officials of the county.

The point of interest in the chapter of the “Mad Mullah” referring to the Brookville grand jury, is the fact that the author, who confesses himself to be a formerklansman, closely in touch with Indiana klan intrigues, should have been placed in possession of the

What is bis' business?”'was the Stenographic notes of the short question asked, which | hand reporter who took down The

prosecu

tor, Elmer Bossert, a brother of ; Walter Bossert, at that time grand ,y . dragon of the Indiana klan, if he f ' ! '— George R. Dale, which he

i answered in the affirmative.

many mothers today that are compelled to hustle for the beans and

hl'U.'Viri'j- [evidence of Cottk".Astier an i Geo.

that they certainly need to be |MIiuy ’

blessed by someone.

‘What kind of a fellow is Dale?” iwas then asked. “Oh, he’s a degen-

June is the month for brides. sai< ' Ashe, ' Asked K Dale

was a newspaper man,

| Asher testified that he ployed by the klan as

was ema secret

advise all.young men, and old, who’ was * U1 “ U * Asher re

have been persuaded to become the dishwasher for some blushing June | bride, that they be sure their fut-

ure meal ticket has a permanent, . o»

position. Otherwise their beautiful! serv ' ce ’ or ; G ; 2 “J"’ an * tbat ship of matrimony will be wrecked ^ ork J f d under orders of D ' C '

on the rocks of debt. Stephenson

Do you know Walter Arnold?

There should he a law passed,i a ?. kedth ,? pr ,°f cutor ' “ Yas " U

that any factory ^4^ “'

and enforced,

owner who employed a woman, (unless that woman was a widow with a family) be given not less than ten years at hard labor, as long as there was an idle man that

I met him once when

he came to Muncie under orders from Steve to put something or

other over on Dale.

Then followed the testimony of-

i • j rm.- fered bv George R. Dale, who was ke work required. This, k d h k K c t X sher an(1

i, Lore in. r, o g H?, n' Sa ' ; what the latter’s business was. to insure tne nation better homes, i tts better and stronger children ami 1 The answer was 1 know hlm ’ HIa

more happiness.

business is that of klan bootlegger

at Muncie.”

Other questions were asked, evi-

rmule 6 Indiana ^Tutrvesf 3 fielc? 1 'for ' 1 en 1 ly for the P ur Pose of developmaue Indiana a harvest field tor ing some gort of a connection be _

bootleggers, who make and distribute forked lightning at so much per quart. Still there are some people who raise their hands in holy horror if a modification of this law is hinted at. We wonder if these holy ones are engaged in the making or selling of forked lightning?

There is a flood of crude oil in this country that is fast draining the oil fields of the nation. Yet the government does nothing to stop

the

tween D. C. Stephenson and edtior of the Post-Democrat. John K. Jenkins, of Evansville, a Catholic, had written a letter in which he declared that the wife of Walter Bossert was a Catholic. It was charged by Bossert that Stephenson wrote the letter and that

Jenkins signed it.

Just at that time the klan held one of its parades in Muncie. Bossert, the grand dragon, was here, and the Post-Democrat carried a

rniurencmH Wa8te 0f ' he Pe ° Ple ' S ,“o the’eSct tU lurure neeas. Bossert’s wife was a Catholic. At

It takes gas to run an airplane, but if we allow the oil from which gas is made to be wantonly wasted, it will not be long until airplanes will be about as useful as an armless man at a hugging match.

The assumed name of the author is Edgar Allen Booth, but the real name is kept hidden. The proceedings of a grand jury are secret. It is a felony to divulge the grand jury transactione. Every member of the Brookville grand jury was a klansman. The prosecutor, Elmer Bossert, was a klansman. His brother was the grand dragon. The testimony given there, reduced to typewriting, was naturally placed in the hands of the prosecuting attorney. How did it get out of his hands and in the hands of an author who publishes it in a book? If the editor of the PostDemocrat had divulged the grand jury questions and answers he would probably have been ordered arrested at once by the imperial

wizard.

Some day the entire story will be written. It should be written. Tile ugly organization which controlled courts and grand juries and ordered editors to penal servitude who failed to knuckle to the wizard, needs a real probe in Indiana, and if the publisher of this newspaper survives his ordeal at the state penal farm, the probe will

come.

C. &

O. RAILWAY MAKES NEW RECORD

j SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF LIBERTY TO CELEBRATE

Lita Neglected Home; Children, Film Star Says

Los Angeles, Cal., June 3.—Char-

a reorgani- j ie Chaplin, yesterday leaped into > and was the divorce battleground which had

chosen its president by 79 members been dominated by his wife, Lita

present. All were for reconciliation] G rey Chaplin, for nearly five

but the National President

National Secretary.

Well I lasted about the usual time with Mr. Bemenderfer. When he could not run the local and me we ended the local chapter here so far as Bemenderfer was concern-

ed.

But the boys whom he locked out with a few exceptions, have still

an( l months and took up the fight by firing a broadside of denials and counter charges in a 100-page cross complaint and answer to his wife’s

suit.

President Calies’ Wife Dies in U. S.

Los Angeles, Cal., June 3.—Senora Natalia Calies, wife of the president of Mexico, died at the California Lutheran hospital here at 3:20 P. M. Thursday following a major operation a week ago. Her death came unexpectedly. Earlier in the day h-r physicians had issued bulletins stating she was well recovering from her op-

Mrs. Chaplin was charged by her eration and predicted she would be

husband with defiantly associating for a long period of time with two young men whom he did not name, with frequent intoxication, neglect

held together as the only originalj 0 f their two children, extravagance

Local I. K. A. No. 1, which they an d fortune seeking,

are, and have a suit pending at WihcheSter for recovery of that

(Continued to Page Four)

able to leave the hospital in two

weeks.

Senora Calies entered the hospital about a week • ago suffering from an ailment of the stomach. She was operated on last Saturday. Until late Thursday, when she suf-

Flax is grown in this country al-fered a relapse, her condition had entirely for its seed. not been regarded as serious.

Resignation Report Denied by Sheffield

Mexico City, June 3.—On the eve of his departure for the United

Victory Council No. 22 Sons and Daughters of Liberty, will hold their state convention, Tuesday, June 7. in Neely Block. The various Councils will be present—Hammond, Gary, South Bend, Whiting, Marion, Fort Wayne, Bluffton, Logansport, East Chicago and Elwood, giving the work to twenty-

five candidates.

The out-of-town guests will number from two to three hundred. Muncie is the home of our pres-

States, Ambassador James R. Shef-!p n * atotp Pnnncilnr civlvia Gr-int field issued a formal denial of re- 1 * St 1 Councilor, Sylvia Grant.

ports from Washington that he had resigned his post as American envoy to Mexico. “In view of press reports regarding my alleged resignation,” said the ambassador “I desire to state that I have not resigned. I i have deemed it a privilege to car-| ry out the policies of President Coolidge and Secretary Kellogg, ■ with which I am in complete ac-

cord.”

Owing to illness, Pres. Calies canceled an appointment

The opening address will be delivered by the National Councilor,

of Pennsylvania.

Sheffield Thursday at which time the ambassador had intended to pay his respects before departing.

About three-fourths of China’s population dresses in blue. More than 20,000 persons die of snakebites in India in a year. One of the history books of ancient Egypt is a papyrus roll of 133

feet long.

North Manchuria has one stretch of well paved roadway about eighty

with [ miles long.

that time we had no acquaintance wiht D. C. Stephenson and had no knowledge whatever of the Jenkins

letter.

Assuming that there was a connection the grand dragon’s brother subpoenaed the editor of the PostDemocrat and in questioning him, according to “The Mad Mullah,” went deeply into the question of the ownership of the Post-Dem-ocrat and the authorship of the first page story which discussed the affairs of the grand dragon. Later the •editor of the Post-Dem-ocrat became acquainted with D. C. Stephenson. “I had my men at Brookville that day,” said Stephenson, “and hell would have been to pay in that burg if they had tried to put anything over on you. I had my men there and I had a report on you from the time you left Muncie for Brookville in your automobile up to the time you left the court house and drove out of Brookville.” “Do you know what they did to you and me down there that day?” inquired the “old man.” “No,” was the reply, “what did they do to us?”

It is estimated that 4,000,000 women in the United States do not

use cosmetics.

We were both indicted for conspiracy to libel Walter Bossert, but I put something over on them and they didn’t have the nerve to come

out with the warrants.”

Two weeks after the Brookville incident the editor of the PostDemocrat received a letter from a man in San Antonio, Texas, who was formerly a high official in the

Richmond, Va.—A daily average of 54.9 miles per car per day was the record made by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway during the month of April, according to an announcement by W. J. Harahan, President, today. While this record does not equal the unusual performance of March when the high average of 58.3 was maintained, or even of February, when the figure was 56.8, yet it is 4.9 miles better than the January record, and very much ahead of the average made by the railroads in general, which has never yet reached the 35 miles per car per day figure. The increase in the speed of delivery is one of teh notable contributions by the Chesapeake and Ohio and the other carriers to the business and economic life of America. When it is recalled that in 1920 the Chesapeake and Ohio was averaging only 35 miles per car per da, the gain in speed up to the figures reported for these recent months takes on a new significance and importance. In considering the figures given concerning car movement, it must be remembered that they indicate a much greater movement of the cars actually in motion, as they include the entire car supply, those in shops for repairs, those placed for delivery and all others.

national headauarters of the klan seething volcano.

Popular tests for distinguishing between edible mushrooms and poisonous varieties are not reliable. Cellulose products used as window glass substitutes because they aremore transparent to ultra-violet light lose their superiority in this respect when they become brown-

ish in color.

Mt. Ranier at one time was ft