Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 17 February 1928 — Page 1

T-DEMOCRAT

VOLUME VIII—NUMBER 5.

MUNCIE, INDIANA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1928.

Price 5 Cents—$2.00 a Year

GRAFT AND WAST

ELW00D POLICE TO TESTIFY IN HELVIE TRIAL

Officers Who Arrested Road Superintend- RFPRF8FNTATIVES ent Last August Will Tell How He Bump- J'Jc. u DDftui i a w ed the Traffic Post and Lost His Liquor ASSAIL rKufll LAW —Prosecutor’s Office At Anderson Is In- neclares Enforcement «f i.™ fpfPQfArl > Grows More Insolent Id CalcU. Day By Day.

Oven E. Helvie, county road superintendent, who

democratic county commissioners fired him and named aj Washington. Feb. 17.-—Prohibi-democratic county commissioners fired hi mand named a ,t5<)n was assailed today in the man in his place, will go to trial before the board Monday. iJ^VM^taSStr.nd-'uill.h Although there are many irregularities m the conduct j cl un of Maryland, both Democrats, of his office that may enter into his trial, it is believed that j Assistant Treasury secretary interest will center around the incident at Elwood iast| Lowman - in c . h a r f e of 1 eIlforcemenl August, in which Helvie wrecked a county car while drunk. byCanivan On that occasion Helvie had driv- Minating the constitution to the en the automobile to Lafayette on 0 eighteenth amendment. He also

private business, accompanied by j charge against Helvie. One explan-

eighteenth amendment. He demanded the impeachment of Judge Scluildt of the District of Columbia police court for the dismissal of a jury which had acquitted two men in a prohibUion

case.

Linthicum, who- is chairman of

Dr. Frank Kilgore, county coroner. a tion was that the prosecutor was On his way home, at 3 a. m.. Aug. told that the car belong to Dr. Kil<5, he drove the car into a cement!gore and that the liquor was simply traffic post. a two-ounce vial of alcohol belong-

! ing to the doctor.

i* rw rrhe Prosecutor says he was in-

fioers Casto and G Goodman, who ’ Kn'Jor^^or'^uI^TnTrnose 8 the house uno ® cial committee on found a bottle of liquor in the cqr. | cieanfn^ ff instnmientr ^t w^i the modification of the Volstead Both officers state that they smell- a ®J g"ven h out thinhe bottle was act ’ declare(i that Prohibition had ed liquor on Helvie’s breath and i prevented an increase of liquor that he told them that he must! T h i nni I consumption and drunkenness, have been asleep when the accident I this ^/. Urging modification to correct “the

occurred.

JEelvie Avas bleeding profusely and he wag taken to the office of an Elwood physician, who took four stitches in a gash in his chin, which had come in Aiolent contact with the steering wheel Avhen the car collided with the traffic post.

On the way to police station Hel- ^ _

Deputy Prosecutor t?avisson

declaring that Z

on the floor of the car and that

the doctor’s medicine case was , . . . ,, , strapped shut. A test of the ji.j materially throughout the count quor shows it to be a mixture of and prohibition entorcement water and alcohol. The container,/ rom . the beginning has been chara half-pint bottle, was about two-j a ' c ^ eidzed sraft, bribery and oth-

thirds full. er corruption.

j “Prohibition grows more insolent

i „ 1 ° r! and jntoler&nt daily,” declared Gal-

would be

the reply was that he could l “" t “ 1C ^.^land invent hew methods of op-j charged with driving while intoxi- P r f f cutor s n 0 ® c f at , Anderson had | j a foolishly submissive cated, reckless driving and posses-!"^ been called to the case, by the;P le ° The p ygmies of prohibition! sion and transportation of liquor. ! Atwood deputv. ^ strangling the American Gul-: Helvie and Kilgore were held at| vvill Watch Trial liver and inaugurating a reign of

1« Z a Cl0 fi He stated, however, that, in the'misrule.

rTrnlip.OAv n 1^ W ,?f n , the event of a trial before the county 1 “So we have come to the pass, iiK./nn sw* ' j 111 "I commissioners here, it was very where the laws framed to guaran-j ‘p ? r f e< p b A j 10 like! > that the evidence produced: tee the jiers-mal, political T~td re nroved nn ' wa/ 1 -'i^ u *ure action by the prosecutor’s'as though written in water,” he proved an affidavit against Helvie continued. “The laws limited the char-ging him simply with reckless; ^ asked aWu fhe Ehvood right of search of homes ” he add-

deputy, Attorney Harrington, thej e( l, have been torn to tatters by

He Feared Ruin deputy prosecutor declared that he An army of spies, sneaks and

Helvie, it is said, complained hit ! had been relieved from duty by the’smellers.”

terly after his arrest, declaring that Madison county prosecutor for. 0

if he was prosecuted on a liquor!\ r arious actions which tended to! charge it would ruin him. j bring the office in disrepute.

^Before leaving Elwood he called j He said among other things that! D Svot* a IVlietfllfA ol ! the mayor of Ehvood and plead Harrington collected a liquor fine ivlVCl u iTlIolttlVC

with him to keep the story out of' 0 f $130 from a man on the streets

1 he newspapers, stating “if that! 0 f Elwood and failed to turn it ini —» 'nTt Win ;evtr'hwr*?£ u5? St!' 0 ‘ he < ' My : Washington, Ini.-The state high it.” ! The evidence seems to he clear lway commission will make a big The mayor informed him that he Helvie was drunk and that jf locates a bridge across was not a newspaper censor andi dad - u° r , in ^ 1S Ca i r ’ ,. \ e vie las ! White river on what is called the that he could not comply Avith hia!® 8 * 8 j^hed Record of being cb*|Lincoln trail from Petersburg to

Bridge Over White

request.

It is expected that the Elwood officers will appear as Avitnesses at Helvie’s trial. The liquor found in the car is still in possession of the

posed to such things.

In February, 1923, while sitting on Dearth’s first grand jury, along with those paragons of virtue and righteousness, Durward Sharp and

(ions as to the cause of the acci- foundation at all, and which aaus dent. One of them was that he dismissed b >' Jnd & e Deart h OQ m °-

was probably asleep.' This-Avas his explanation to the officers Avho arrested him. To the chief and seA'eral others he told a different

story.

tion of former Prosecutor Ogle. It would only seem right that

Vincennes, on the assumption that Honest Abe once crossed the river at that point, according to F. M. Cross, old-time resident at Wash-

ington.

Cross, who is 77 years old, says he often heard his father tell of Lincoln’s trip from Kentucky to Illinois. On this trip Lincoln passed through Dubois, Daviess and Knox counties, and crossed the rlv

Helvie ought to feel himself bound * er Maysville on his way to Vin-

cennes.

While in Daviess county Lincoln traded his lame horse he was riding to Oerton Cosby, Sr., a prominent citizen. This mare produced a fine Kentucky-bred colt, which was

by the rules he helped make himself. If he is as innocent of the charge as was the victim of his

Had Bad Eyesight! grand jury indictment, he ought to He explained that he was driving meet the accusation without fear, east and that the grade in the street It is said that if the commission-

made it appear that the red light ers find Helvie guilty and discharge! one of the fastest in this part of

on the traffic post was an overhead him, he will appeal to the circuit the country. light and that he attempted to court. Since the laAv provides that q drive under it. he can hold the job pending the||-| r* • There has been considerable! appeal, he Avill remain on the job j U^SSdlfifGr tjGrVlCG speculation as to Avhy the deputy for some time, in defiance of public ^

prosecutor did not prefer a liquor! opinion.

On Air Mail Route

Dearth Gets The Cold Shoulder At Daleville Mrs. Elizabeth Stanley, state president of the W. C. T. U. spoke at Daleville Monday night in the United Brethren church, and Clarence Dearth, candidate, was right there, the first time, it is said, that he ever visited the church. It is reported that those who attended the meeting did not warm up to Dearth in the manner that one would suspect, considering the fact that Dearth constantly advertises himself to be the undying foe of Demon Rum. When the meeting adjourned, Dearth stationed himself at the/door and began the handshaking act. A few stood for it, quite a number past and avoided the glad hand, while a great many remained up in front and waited until the

candidate had left.

In her speech Mrs. Stanley made no direct reference to Dearth, but in a general way she charged her hearers to scrutinize their ballots in the coming primary and vote fo #

the right kind of men. \ t

She said great care should be faken to elect judges who do not take a hand in impaneling juries that can be relied upon to render verdicts in accordance with the judge’s desires. , . The concensus of opinion at Daleville seems to be that i Dearth will not get very far in Salem township m the com

ing primary.

Indianapolis, Feb.' 14.—(UP)— Passenger service is obtainable on the Cincinnati to Chicago air mail route, according to Postmaster Robert H. Bryson. Two passengers have already made the trip by air. Rates announced are: Chicago to Cincinnati, $35; Chicago to Indianapolis, $22; Indianapolis to

Cincinnati, $17.

A package sent by the Marmon Motor Company of Indianapolis to Los Angeles, the postage on which was $170 was carried by air mail,

Thursday.

Do NotBeatWife To Sway Her Vote

San Antonio, Tex., Feb. 17.—A husband has no right to resort to corporeal punishment in his efforts to influence his wife’s vote. County Judge McCollum Burnett ruled in imposing a fine on E. L. Millman. Judge Burnett declared that woman suffrage gave a wife a right to vote as her conscience dictated and that the husband could use nothing stronger than moral suasion in his efforts to influence her. Milliman and his wife differed over a recent city election and

Indiana’s Disgrace

The short trial and acquittal of Governor Ed Jackson has served to accentuate the disgrace which has been brought upon the state by the gangsters who ruled and ruined. The state proved its case insofar as evidence of a conclusive nature was offered which went to show that an attempt was made to bribe former Governor McCray. When the state closed, the defense demanded an instructed verdict of acquittal solely on the ground that the statute of limitation had run against the offense and that it was not proved by the state that there had been any positive attempt made by the conspirators to conceal the crime. Apparently the only thing that saved Jackson from prison was the fret that Prosecutor Remy did not find out in time that die crime had been committed. Af-

ter the iury ret! the g* or I introd tb

It is noA

present his sk have been mucl,

-d its verdict it was innounced that

1 prevent \ ttorneys from f the sta of limitations, that his will proceed at once to ne case to the public. It would

setter if he had waived immunity on

the “concealment” theory, and presented his evidence in open court, through witnesses sworn to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Having escaped the penalties which would have followed in the event of conviction, the very least

thing the governor could do now is to resign.

If he refuses to resign some method should be devised for calling the legislature into special session

for the purpose of impeachment.

Less than a year ago Judge Clarence W. Dearth, of the Delaware circuit court, was the central figure in a trial before the state senate which transcended in sensational features the criminal trial of the governor,

just concluded.

Dearth escaped conviction because the senate lacked twg^tes of the necessary two-thirds required

to estate’, % ^guilt.

The entire state believed him guilty and simply gasped in astonishment when he was permitted to re-

main on the bench.

And now the governor is adding his quota to the sum total of the state’s disgrace by glueing himself to the executive chair after his acquittal on a technical-

ity.

Resentment is growing in Indiana and nothing short of a complete housecleaning will suffice. Surely there are enough determined men and women in the state to break the grip of the gangsters.

State Board of Accounts Cannot Get At Facts By Mere Scrutiny of Records - Citizens Who Complain of Conditions Should Take An Active Interest If They

Want Results.

—t—; j '$£ £ ' I ’*• \ > t J, W %

The Post-Democrat last week was not definite enough ; probably in fixing the responsibility of the failure of the ! state board of accounts to bring some sort of an action against the group of conspirators who have waxed fat and

sassy by looting the free gravel repair fund.

The fault primarily has been right here in Muncie and Delaware county. As the Post-Democrat has frequently asserted, civic spirit here is at a very low ebb. The people have for years been informed by this newspaper of the operations of the grafters, but they simply moan about it and do not take the steps necessary, to force a show down. Knox County Kickers o As stated last week, the citizens ... a . , .. ... . of Knox county, when informed of wlth Shores an ' i ,hat ,lle latter Rl -

the alleged peculations of public officials, demanded, and got, an investigation which may clarify the

situation there. .

If the people here show that they have backbone enough to assert their own rights, and hack up the efforts of those who do not fear to expose the crookedness and ctissedness of the grafters who have busted Delaware county, they can

get what they want.

Unintentionally the Post-Demo-crat last week cast a reflection on the Avork of two field men from the state board of accounts who arriv-

ed here a few days ago and are and-

iting the records of the county, city i been deeded to the son. and townships. The record of the deal made be-

ways drew the county warrants .and after cashing them divided fif-ty-fifty with the commissioner’s

son. v That Five Acres!

One record, which in itself may cause the field examiners to sit up and take notice, is a contract between the last board of commissioners and the same Watt McCreery for dipping gravel on a five aero plot of ground in Washington town-

ship.

What is not shown in the record is that The five acres was a part iOf the farm owned by Commissioner McCreery and that it had just

I The audit will cover a period of two years back, and since they ! have barely started on their work, . t hey cannot be charged with any 1 laxity in the performance of their

iduty.

tween Commissioner McCreery and seven hanks that held a $32,000 mortgage on his farm, and were promised payment from the sale of gravel from the five acres owned by the son, cannot be found in the auditor’s office, but is aA^ailable A Continuing Conspiracy 1 elsewhere.

What we meant,to convey wash Insofar as the records alone are that the gravel conspiracy has been'concerned, the Whitney gravel a sort of a continuing offense cov- steal is not altogether apparent.

ering a period of years. The figures themselves in the auditor’s office, lacking collateral evidence

hut outside eAndence, taken in conconnection with the records, would disclose one of the rottenest grafts

.from those Avho could supply the j ever perpetrated in the state of In-

1 necessary information. not tqif. 1 diana.

ficient unto themselves to make af p eop | e should Help case against the grafters. state board of accounts canNumerous field examiners from j not he blamed for laxjty if its atithe state board of accounts havel tention is not brought to these

been here and gone over the books. It can mean nothing to them that ; great sums of money were paid to

matters by people interested in the

welfare of the county.

On the face of it, it is apparent

Claude Hines for gravel while Har-ithat the county Is spending entire;ry Hoffman was sheriff of the jly too much money for highway reJ county, but it would mean some-j pair, considering the amount of

I thing if they had been shown that: service performed.

Hines and Hoffman were in part-! It is plainly apparent that there nership. ’has 4)een a riot of extravagance at

They can easily find where Frank ! the county infirmary.

Shores Avas paid over eighteen j Judge Hough of the state tax thousand dollars for dipping gravel; commission declared that the per

from the John D. Lee pit. They can find the contract between 1 Shores and the commissioners. As I far as the records are concerned

everything was regular.

But what they cannot find from | the records is that Watt McCreery, j a son of Commissioner John Mci Creery, was secretly in partnership

capita expense for keeping children at the Delaware county children’s home was greater than that of any

other county in the state.

A comparison of the operationg expense of the circuit and juvenile court under Judge Dearth with that of the regime of the late Judge W.

(Continued to Page Three)

did not disclose how the wife vot-

ed.

EDINBURG AROUSED at signs WARNING motorists AWAY

Edinburg, Ind., Feb. 17.-—Citizens of Edinburg are up in arms over a number of signs posted by unidentified persons along state road No. 31, warning tourists to “stay away from Edinburg” because “a

fanatical city Council and police officers are arresting motorists for technical violations of law.” Local and Federal authorities have started an investigation. The signs | read:

WARNING.

for technical violations of Iuav, endeavoring to return to the “blue laws” of a century ago. Shall we retuim to the “blue laws” regime or Shall avo go forward with the march of progress? “TOURISTS, STAY AWAY FROM

‘EDINBURG.”

Motorists and farmers take warn-

ing. Fanatical city Council and po I The language of the Hawaiians flee oflacers are arresting motorists has twelve letters.

FRANK J. PRINCE

The efforts made to destroy Frank J. Prince, the Indianapolis newspaper man who did more than any other ten men in uncovering the Stephenson conspiracy, should give him no concern or uneasiness. Several unfortunate episodes in the past of Frank Prince have given the ghouls, scavengers and garbage collectors of the klan gang at Indianapolis an opportunity to discredit a man who has performed a great service for his state. When Mr. Prince attached himself to the Indianapolis Times in the capacity of special writer, private secretary and confidential investigator for Boyd Gurley, the fighting editor of the Indianapolis* Times, Mr. Gurley was thoroughly acquainted with Mr. Prince’s history. Detractors who sought to poispn the mind of Mr. Gurley and the Scripps-Howard League against Prince, found that their cowardly tactics fell upon deaf ears. Mr. Gurley trusted Prince completely and his confidence was not misplaced. An Indianapolis weekly newspapers, whose columns seems to be at the disposal of the scavengers, on two occasions carried stories “exposing” the past life of the man who dug up the Stephenson scandals. To show how little these revelations affected the minds of Indianapolis people, Mr. Prince was recently awarded a prize of one thousand dollars given by ;Mrs. William E. English to the Indiana newspaper reporter who had done the greatest service for the state in the year 1927. The committee making the award was made up of representative citizens of Indianapolis. No doubt Mr.’ Prince knew, when he enlisted in the small army of newspaper men who seek to snatch Indiana from her bed of slime, that his own crucifixion would be a part of the price he would have to pay. That, in our estimation, was the greatest test of his loyalty and devotion to a cause which might have lost but for his adroit and brilliant sendee. Indiana should honor Frank Prince for his devotion to duty and should hold up to scorn the slanderous scoundrels who seek to defame him.