Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 20 September 1929 — Page 1

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THE POST-DE

VOLUME IX—NUMBER 34.

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MUNCIE, INDIANA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1929.

Price 5 Cents—12.00 a Year

BOTTLE"

THE POLICE CAREFULLY PICK

Influential Business Man On a Toot In Redlight Picked Up Drunk By Cops and Is Taken Home In Taxi—Poor Man Arrested On Same Spot the Next Night and Is

Thrown In Jail.

The Barnacles

After the primary last Spring the j Muncie Press spoke of the Barnac- : les behind Barnes but did not name them.- At about the same time, a j query, was afloat: “What’s behind . Barnes,” and this query was ans- 1 wered by: “What’s usually behind

Sunday night the police in the so called “redlight” dis-j barns?” With this comment, we ( trict picked up a drunk, who unable to navigate, had slump- submit the following:

Barnacle No. 1

John* Hampton—Present mayor of Muncie. Has permitted and en-

has

ed to the ground, completely overcome by the liquor purchased by protected bootleggers. ^ ^ ^

The police lifted the unfortunate to his feet, and when courage'd'a “wide-open”'towir they got a good look at him discovered that he was a prom-! allowed a gambler’s “trust” to be inent Muncie business man, who goes on periodical sprees | tormed ; has flowed a contractor’s

in the course of which he generally winds up with a thou-

sand dollar dent m his bank roll and most of the lining eaten i Lon Thornburg to purchase the old out of his alimentary canal.’ wyrn out truck for the city at 10 Picking Favorites [times what it.was worth; has causThe following night ,at about the®* led an increase in taxes; has failed same place, the police picked an-jby the police and slept in his own [to keep any campaign promise that other drunk. He is not a business [bed, without the humiliation of be- he made or that Billie Williams,

man. He puts in a considerable part of his time wandering from one tiger to another, and is a familiar

figure in the redlight.

The business mqn has money and infl lence, was not taken to jail. When the police saw who he was they ordered a taxi and took him

home.

Bit the derelict, who was picked up the next night, had no money and no influence with the police department. To the coppers he was “just another drunk.” The business

Jim Fitch, George Cromer or Lon ! Tfiornburg made for him four years i in fact about the only thing |

ago,

John did of an 'outstanding nature

ing arrested and 'fined.

Muncie has long been afflicted with this sort of jug handled justice. The gang in power truckles to

wealth. The jails are made only for |was to get arrested for intoxication | the poor. at, Union City, Indiana. /j Some of our high and mighty of-1 IN READING ABOUT THESE : fictals are not above getting drunk BARINACLES, BEAR IN MINE) | themselves and it is common fori THAT ALL OF THEM SUPPORT-i the city to dismiss from the force i ED JOHN HAMPTON FOR MAY-! drunken policemen, who are never , DR FOUR YEARS AGO. ^ j arrested themselves when they are) Barnacle No. 2 j | caught drunk just merely fired. [ James Monroe Fitch—The “lame | ^ lie en D re system here is rotten. manager of the Barnes Cam-

man they picked up the mght he-, Muncie has a number of wide open 1>aign . defeated for public office foie was just another ot the pre-1saloons—almost as wide open as in himself- hn hprama

ferred class, whose names are the license days, yet these places never inscribed on the police blot-[are never molested by the sheriff

t pr - , | or the police.

Both arrests occurred in the col- j The big boys in the liquor selling /ored district of the "redlight.” I game and the bi.g importers are Many saw the man without influ- [never bothered unless something enee bundled into the “hurry-up | happens that simply forces upon wagon” and hustled off to jail and [the police the necessity of doing there were probably fifty colored something, and even then the big perrons who saw.the influential ones get nothing more than a play-

business man picked up by the po- ftjl tap'on the wrist,

lice and tenderly cared for. | It is only the small bootlegger Poor Man Went to Jail ‘ [and his victim, the fellow who

I HLpoor .man .spent the night in | blows in his good money for poison is(M | .J n | arvP m , lhw ‘ H; , VI1 p r wAw find Hiemselvew "irr Ml't '4*!prfW'T!ft

was even drunker than the j police courts, in the jails and on

humbler victim, was taken homethe penal farm.

Police Raid Gamblers? An’ How!!

a lobbyist for

the Pennsylvania Railroad and after that was able to buy a farm; supported Judge Dearth when he was on trial before the senate; didn’t do anything while 'hi the senate but work for utilities and move for adjournment; has been named by festal to be Census director and will make his assistants according to how hard they work for Barnes this fall, regardless of the fact that the government foots the bijll; no doubt has been prom

arnes board

Evidently tired of the'inactivity of Muncie’fc so-called police department, Prosecutor Davis imported two Indianapolis detectives to obtain evidence on Mifncip gambling houses. After the evidence was obtained, the undercover men were taken by Davis to .Judge Guthrie, who willingly issued search warrants, for the joints. The police werej then instructed to raid— and the result, was that they courln’t find any evidence. Three policemen, did their duty when they raided Pete Michaels and brought iiU everybody in the joint, but when another squad raided the protected gambling housb of Fred Werts, who was acquitted .last week by Judge Redkey, they reported “nothing found,” although they could have brought in fifty law violators for “visiting a gaming house,” and by the time the police got to Billie Robinson’s gambling house, within a block of tjie police station, ijt was “all dark,” although the undercover men, fifteen minutes before had shot craps up there. Why the fifty policemen could

overlook these gambling houses, two of which are up town on Walnut street, and then a couple of “strangers” from Indianapolis, after only being in the town for an hour, are able to find them, is easily explained. The present city administration is supporting Barnes for mayor and has agreed to deliver the gambling fraterijty into that camp. In order to do so, they must let the gamblers rob the working man of his pay check. A similar instance has been carried out in the red-light district, where the police have instructed Hie harlots to “make some money; don’t be too wide open; and all of you girls vote for Barnes.” Charlie Benadum is conveying a similar order to colored law violators. If the editor of this paper is elected mayor, protected gambling joints where people are robbed and protected houses of ill fame will be closed up. That’s the reason why this class of people are not for Dale, and that is the reason the mothers of this city are sup-

porting his candidacy.

Late Telegraph News

Indianapolis Flamingo Plane Takes Air Again

Indianapolis, Sept. 20.—Their j first flight having failed because of a lack of gasoline, Lieutenants ; Pock and Genaro sent their plane the Indianapolis Flamingo, into the air at 12:04 a. m. this morning in another attempt to shatter the world’s refueling endurance record. A 7:04 a. m. the plane was flying serenely over Indianapolis. o Investigation To Be Made In Ship Builders’ Lobbying

Washington^ Sept. 29.—Investigation into the lobbying activities of the ship building companies was broadened today beyond altered activities at the 1927 Geneva to include all lobbying of ship building companies. For the last five years the Senate naval sub-committee decided •to broaden the investigation at the suggestion of Senator'Allen. -o Prisoner in Textile Case Saws His Way Out of Jail

Marion, North Carolina, Sept. Sept. 20.—J. Hugh Ball, one of

six defendants in the textile strike conspiracy here, sawed his way out of the McDonnell county

jail today.

Escape of the prisoners abruptly ended the court proceedings. When informed of the escape, Judge John Harwood declared a mistrial. Three other prisoners not connected with the insurrection case escaped with Ball. Civil War Threatened in Austria By Political Party London, Sept. 20.—Dispatches by the Daily Express correspondent at Vienna, said that inhabitants of the Austrian capital had passed a night of panic because of an ultimatum delivered by the ] Heimwher organization, threatening to precipitate a civil war if the government refused to “re-

form the constitution.”

The Heimwher represents a movement along Facist lines. It aims to oust socialists from power and procure revision of the constitution in confirmation, or less extreme, with the National-

ists principles.

o When the Manchu dynasty was lover thrown in 1911 China had 400 1000,000 educated people.

uing the contractor’s trust. Barnacle No. 3 Ex-Judge Clarence- W. DearthWhy say anything—the name suggests enough. Barnacle No. 4 Van Ogle—Bootlegger’s Lawyer. Defending all kinds of law violators; the most unscrupulous lawyer in Muncie. One time Prosecutor of this county .elected by the Klan vote and able to-get enough money out of the office to buy a big home on the boulevard; protected Alpha Holaday when he was robbing widows; was a cog in the Dearth “framed juries”; defended Dearth at the impeachment trial; while Prosecutor, he let Bob Graves go unmolested; he probably has the promise of being city attorney if Barnes is elected and then he’ll invite Alpha Holaday back to share office space with him. Barnacle No. 5 George Cromer—Utility lawyer. Defeated candidate for congress; unscrupulous in politics—organized and is now trying to perpetuate the most corrupt band of gangsters this City has ever known, towit: “The Billie Williams machine.” Barnacle No. 6 John Cox—Probably should have been placed higher up on the list than George Cromer. Barnacle No. 7 Peter Michaels—A gambler whose den the police cannot find and yet ] undercover men find it easily. Barnacle No. 8 Fred Werts—Gambler. Maker of the baseball pools. Barnacle No. 9 1 Peanut Templin—Convicted bootlegger. Now under bond for boot-

legging.

Barnacle No. 10

Lon Thornburg—Who bought the old broken down truck in the alley from a stranger and used $2,600 of the City’s money to do it with. [Wouldn’t we taxpayers be glad to see Lon back on the board of

works?

Barnacle No. 11 Wilbur Sims—Who is so devoid of all honor that he would sell out his best friend. Got drunk last Sunday evening and wrecked another car. A supposed-to-be Democrat who sold out to Cromer and his “Gas Company” money. Barnacle No. 12 Herb Smith—Who has eaten at the public trough all of his life and hasn’t paid his own taxes either. Delivers the red light precinct to the Billie Williams machine at every election. Barnacle No. 13 Barnes himself—Who since his nomination for Mayor lias committed several crimes of the grade of felony, as was exposed by this paper last week. If Bob is willing to take a few measley dollars from the city now in violation of law, what can we expect of him after he is in office? It looks like it is slap(Continued to Pag3 Two)

Democrat headquarters have been opened in the second floor of the Heath block at the southwest corner of the square in the rooms formerly occupied by the law firm of McClellan, Hensel & Guthrie. Chairman Tod Whipple, in active charge of the campaign, will begin active work at once in taking the poll and the democrats this year will present a fighting front and a thorough organization. ' Democrats and others affiliating with them in this great battle to free Muncie from corruption and gang rule, must in no wise be disturbed by the silly outpourings of a half-dozen so-called democrats who have been employed by the Unity League to disrupt the party. ; V-/I Tod Whipple is the recognized city chairman, supported by all the candidates. Within the next day or so he will name a secretary and treasurer and executive committee. T-- '

SERGEANT

Van Buren Man Whose Automobile Was Struck By Car Occupied By Wilbur Sims, Declares Latter Was Drunk and Reported to Police Who Took No Action Whatever Against So-Called “Democratic” City Hall Favorite. If anything more were required to demonstrate the close affiliation betweep Wilbur Sims, who says he is democratic chairman, and the city administration, an incident that took place Sunday night should be sufficient to convince

the most skeptical.

Sims had attended a picnic in the country Sunday afternoon. While at the picnic he approached a democrat who was sitting on the ground and asked him who he was going

to vote for for mayor.

‘Tm going to vote for George Dale,” was his reply. “You dirty, rotten that’s what I thought,” was Sims’s response and he is said to have kicked

the man in the face.

The man jumped up and started in on Sims but others i kept them apart. Those who witnessed the incident declare

I Sims was very drunk.

"About nine o’clock Sunday night/ [an automotive occupied by Sims°

desire to join the good government movement to visit headquarters and take a hand in the fight. The issues seem fairly drawn. Those who are not satisfied with present conditions in Muncie and Delaware county are asked to step across the line and enlist. Those who are satisfied that things are all right will be given plenty of opportunities to get at the real truth about conditions here. If, after all the evidence is in, they are still satisfied with the gamblers trust, the bootleggers union and the paving trust, they should take out a life membership in the Unity League, which relies on these agencies for success in the coming election. The Unity League has opened headquarters in the Delaware hotel, now managed by Lon Thornburg of the Roberts. J. Monroe Fitch, defeated for renomination for senator last spring by the labor vote, is in active charge of that organization. The exhibition meetings will be held at the Delaware, but the inside stuff will be handled at the Roberts by Fitch, Thornburg, Cromer and Billy Williams. There will he no inside stuff in the democratic organization. Everything will be out in the open. There will be no bosses on hands to speak for the candidates. One Monday and Wednesday evenings of next week, at six o’clock, George Dale, democratic candidate for mayor will make his first radio addresses. We suggest that citizens having radios in their homes invite their neighbors who do not have them to be present at a little radio party, for the things to be discussed should he interesting. He will talk over WLBC.

and another man who had attended the picnic, collided with another car on the High street bridge, both machines being badly damaged. The driver of the car in which | Sims was seated attempted to pass I another car on the bridge. A t hird [car was approaching. The driver of the car that was being passed j saw his danger and applied the ! brakes, alowing the reckless dri^vler that was attemp'ing to pass him [to collide with the oncoming car. j Burl Doyle, and his mother, of I Van Buren, were in the car struck | by the machine occupied by Sims. A tire was torn off the Van Buren man’s car and one fender smashed. The ear occupied by Sims and i his friend was so badly damaged that a wrecking car hauled it

cratic candidate for mayor. Being in that particular frame of mind, Sims assumes considerable ’importance around the city hall and in police court, where he is occasionally named as special judge when Fred Werts or some other law breaker who supports the Unity League needs a handy judge ou the bench to turn him

loose.

After Doyle left the police department Sims and his companion arrived to make their report. Seldomridge took one look at them and his “opinion” veered to that of the Van Buren man. He told Prosecutor Davis later that they were drunk and to a Post-Democrat reporter, who asked him as to the

Miraculously no one was drunkenness or sobri(9ty of Sims

away., ^ hurt.

i Doyle demanded of the two reck- ! less drivers that they pay hijm for [the damage to his car. They remised and while the argument raged Policemen Reed and Fitzgerald

appeared on the scene.

; Doyle OjtfmuuM ami Hiis companion' be arrested. “Just look at them and smell their breath,” he is reported as saying.

“They' are both drunk.”

Policeman Fitzgerald did the talking. He refused to arrest Sims and his companion, despite the fact that Doye had pointed out their drunken condition. “You’ll have to see the prosecutor about this,” said he. “We can’t do any-

thing.’

Doyle says just about that time a man in civilian’s clothes stepped up and stated that he was a state

and his companion, Mr. Seldomridge smiled and said, “Well, I guess they had been hitting the

bottle.”

When ordinary individuals hit the bottle and then take to the road in their automobiles seeking whom they might desroy, they are Mtraletf intir-rourt on charges of in,. toxijeation and driving while in-

toxicated.

Doyle says they were drunk, the man they attempted to pass on the bridge says they were drunk, the state policeman said they were drunk and the night sergeant said they were drunk. There can be hut one answer. They were surrounded with protection that is denied others without a pull. Sergeant Seldomridge says Sims and his companion came into the station shortly after the wreck and they took violent exceptions to the

motor policeman. “Report the report that the accident occurred

number of this car to the police, said he, “and see that the desk sergeant incorporates in his report that these men are drunk.” Doyle went at once to police headquarters and reported the incident to the desk sergeant, John Seldomridge. “The men were both drunk when they ran into me,” declared Doyle. “Oh, that’s just you$ opinion,” Doyle quotes the desk sergeant as replying. At any rate the report did not. show that Sims and his companion were drunk, although Doyle says they were and says a state policeman told him to see that the police report show that they were

drunk.

Doyle left the police station. He had discovered that action is hard

on the High street bridge. “Wuzzent nothin’ of the kind,” said Sims. “It was on the Jackson street bridge,” and he argued at length in behalf of his contention that it was the Jackson street bridge instead of the H'.gh street

bridge.

For a perfecly sober man. who had had plenty of time to reflect on the nature of the accident, and its geography, Sims must have been jolted out of hi t s mind temporarily, if he was sober, for the wrecked cars were still piled up on the High street bridge while Sims was making his argument to the desk sergeant.' By the time Prosecutor Davis had been notified of the accident

to get in a case like his. He lived |Doyle had replaced his torn-up tire

with another and had driven for home, on the theory, perhaps, that the police might lock him and his mother up, instead of the men who had “hit, the bottle” and then hit

in Van Buren and was a stranger. Sims has influence not on his own account but because of the fact that he says he will hang onto the democratic city chairmanship for the purpose of defeaing the demo- him..

Now Let’s Sell the Court House!

They simply don’t know when to stop. A month or so ago, Bob Acker, Curtis and Gubbins and the rest of the gang, sucked a story out of their thumbs that some of the Ball family wanted to buy the fair grounds. So they proceeded to call the county council together to authorize the sale. Somehow or other. the Ball brothers learned of the proposed scheme and sent an emissary before the Council to inform it that there was no truth in the story, and the scheme blew up. But Bob and his henchmen decided to put the sale through just the same, and the council was again called for this week to do their stuff and authorize the board of commissioners to sell the fair

grounds.

They met! In came the farmers ,and many other representative citijzens to protest. The entire meeting was taken up in hearing protests. Again the council adjourned without authorizing the sale. They will meet again in a few days and Bob apd the other bandits expect to put it over then, believing that the objecting citizens will not come back

at that time. It is entirely possible that the Gang will decide to sell the court house next, and if they do, we will have to sit back and let ’em take it if they are permitted to go through with the fair ground deal. We rise to ask: “Why sell the fair grounds anyhow?” Certainly no one would want to convert this \aluable real estate into cash so that it could be divided! Why not just sub-divide the fair grounds and divide the lots, thereby saving the expense of the sale? f

MacDONALD WILL BRING NO OFFICIALS IN PARTY

i London, Sept. 20.—,Premier Ramsay MacDonald has virtually decided to take no officials to Washington with him, it was learned this’ afternon. (I is understood that the MacDonald party will consist of the following persons in addition to the premier, his daughter, Miss Isabel; his secretary, Rose Rosenberg, and his bodyguard, Inspector

Dew of Scotland Yard.

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