Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 253, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 October 1912 — COMPANY M CALLED OUT FOR DUTY [ARTICLE]

COMPANY M CALLED OUT FOR DUTY

Will Assist South Bend Company in Stopping Gambling at the Porter Race Track. Quartermaster-General Charles R. Garrard notified Captain Healey, of Company M, last night at about half past nine by phone to have his company in readiness to leave on the milk train this morning for the Indiana Mineral Springs race track at Porter to assist Company F, of South Bend, in preventing gambling at the track on the races. Many of the boys had retired for the night and a number of them live at Fair Oaks and Parr, others in the country and some were working at Remington, Wolcott and Monon. These were all notified by phone to report for duty and by three o’clock this morning fortyfour members were equipped for the trip. Two automobiles were sent to Fair Oaks and brought down nine members of the guard who were working at that place. Forty-seven members took the train this morning to. Hammond, from where they went to the track by interurban. First Lieutenant True D. Woodworth was unable to go on account of his sickness and he was greatly disappointed, as he has served for more than ten years as an officer and this is the first call for active service the company has ever received. A number of the members of the company are school boys under age. It is probable that the company will be at Porter only a day or two but in case the stay is prolonged an effort will be made to have the school boys sent home. The services the militia will be called to perform will be very light, and will consist simply in surrounding the track and denying admittance to everyone. The action of Gov. Marshall in calling out the militia was caused by the local officers refusing to do their duty. Gov. Marshall is now in California making speeches but instructed his private secretary before leaving for there to call out the militia ii necessary tQ stamp out gambling at the track and the action yesterday was the result. Tht Indianapolis Star this morning has the following in reference to the action: The Indiana National Guard, acting on orders of Governor Marshall, issued in his absence by his secretary, Mark Thistethwaite, will take possession of the race track and grounds of the Mineral race track and grounds of the Mineral Springs Jockey Club In Porter county today to prevent the further operation of Chicago gamblers. After receiving advices from Burns detectives, employed by the state, that there was more gambling at the Porter race track yesterday than any day last week, Mr. Thistlethwaite last night directed Brig. Gen. Charles A. Garrard, quartermaster of the Indiana National Guard, to call out Company F, of South Bend, and Company M, of Rensselaer, Third Infantry. The troops will proceed to Porter county this morning and take possession of the race track before the hour for the afternoon races. The gateß of the park will be barred and the guardsmen will be placed about the fence to prevent any one from entering the grounds. Maj. George W. Freyermuth, of the second battallion, who lives in South Bend, will have charge of the troops. George fi. Healey is the captain of the Rensselaer comi&ny and Capt. Guy E. Kimble is in command of the South Bend guardsmen. Brig. Gen. Garrard, who will be present as a representative of the state, departed last midnight for Porter. He was accompanied by T. H. Brannaman, a representative of the attorney general’s office, who will be his legal adviser. The South Bend company will go tc Porter on a special interurban car, while the Rensselaer guardsmen will travel on the Monon railroad to Hammond and thence to Porter by trolley. (Burns detectives who have been employed by the state to, attend the races each day and gather evidence to be used against the gamblers, telephoned from Chicago to the governor’s office last night that there was much gambling at the Porter race track yesterday and that it was conducted with less secrecy than on any day since the opening of the meet. After receiving this information Mr. Thistlethwaite issued orders immediately for the troops to proceed. “The state regrets to take this action, and it was only after we had resorted to every other method without results that we have called upon the troops,” said Mr. Thistlethwaite. “Sheriff Wood, in response to commands from the Governor to enforce the laws, reported to us that he would do his duty, but he failed in his efforts to stop the gambling. John A. Gavit, one of the directors of the Jockey Club,,told us Sunday during an interview which he Bought, that he would co-operate with the state in upholding the law. We placed confidence In him and we believe that on his return home he did everything he could to stop the gambling. With the sheriff failing to handle the situation and with one of the directors of the company unable to stop the gambling, we have, as a last resort, called on the military arm of the law to drive the gamblers hack to Chicago.” | Mr. Thistlethwaite last night made ptfblic the fall contents of the mes-

sage he received last Friday night from Governor Marshall, who was then at Grand Island, Neb. The message, which gave Mr. Thistlethwaite instructions on which he acted last night, read as follows: "If the attorney general says the law is being violated and the sheriff will not do his duty, have the militia sent to enforce the law.” — 3 TJie sending of two companies of militia to Porter county is the first time in the history of Indiana when state troops have been called on to suppress race track gambling. Nineteen years ago, however, twelve companies of national guardsmen were used by Governor Matthews in stopping a prize fight at Roby, Lake county. It is coincident that the South Bend company, which is one of the oldest and best drilled in the state, has been called upon each time that" Governor Marshall has used troops, and this company was held in readiness on two other occasions when the governor believed that the use of soldiers would become necessary. The South Bend guardsmen were sent to Michigan City about three years ago when a portion of the wall at the state prison was blown down during a storm, once it was held in readiness when election riots were threatened at Gary and it was mobilized, but not called out, during a strike on the Grand Trunk railroad. Brig. Gen. Garrard, who will be at the Porter race track today as a representative of the state, has been in the service of the National Guard since 1884. He was first lieutenant in Battery A of Indianapolis, when, in 1893, he went to Roby as assistant adjutant general at a time when troops were used to stop prize fighting in an arena that had been constructed there at considerable expense. Fights had been held almost daily, but the pugilists did not put in their appearance on the night that the troops arrived: Twelve companies were ordered out, but most of them were retdrned home after the first day. One company remained for three or four days. The belief was expressed last night that the race program will be called off by the promoters now that troops have actually been ordered out. General Garrard said last night that he believed each of the two companies will muster about forty-five men. He anticipates no trouble and expressed the belief that the appearance of the soldiers will cause the promotors to abandon the idea of completing the race meet which was not to have ended until next week. (Each of the guardsmen will carry a Springfield rifle, 30 calibre, and about ninety cartridges. In addition to a gun and ammunition, each man will carry a half tent, rubber poncho, mess kit, consisting of knife, fork, spoon, meat can, tin cup,, canteen and haversack. While in the service of the state each guardsman will receive $2.00 a day and rations. The officers will be better paid. The cost to the state in salaries alone will be about $l5O a day. The expense of transportation and rations will add a considerable sum to the cost. Among the officers and directors of the Mineral Springs Jockey Club are: John A. Gavit, of Hammond, chairman of the Lake County Democratic Committee; Lemuel Darrow, mayor of LaPorte; William Dailey, of Valparaiso, Clarence Bretsch, of Gary, Peter Crumpacker, of Hammond, Jas. S. Sebree, of Pierre, S. D., and A. F. Knotts, brother of Thomas Knotts, of Gary. Mr. Knotts is president of the club. The club, its officers and members, were made defendants in a suit instituted several days ago by Attorney General Honan In which he sought an Injunction to prevent racing and gambling. Argument on a demurrer will be heard Saturday in the LaportePorter Superior Court, but a hearing of the case on its merits will not be heard until Nov. 11 or a later date. The race meet, if not stopped by the use of arms, would have been ended at least ten days before a hearing on tbe injunction suit could have been heard. The race meeting at Porter was to have continued for fifteen days. It had gone on five days before the governor acted. It started on October 16 and was to have continued until November 2. The Indiana law permits fifteen days of racing each year in each county, but gambling at the track is prohibited. * - That Governor Marshall, In his fight against the Mineral Springs Racing association, is unwittingly playing to blackmailers and gamblers, was one of the strong assertions made in court Monday morning by Attorney Peter Crumpacker, of Hammond, in the injunction case proceedings before Judge Tuthlll, says the Valpo-Vidette. Mr. Crumpacker further declared that the Chicago newspapers are the blackmailers, that they are malicious falsifiers, and that they are leagued with Mont Tennes, one of the greatest of gamblers, to put the racing association of of business. In the course of Mr. Crumpacker’s argument to the court, he made many astonishing statements, and the Chicago Tribune, Record Herald and the News were tbe butt of his attacks. He asserted that Governor Marshall and Attorney General Honan were innocent of existing conditions, for the reason that all of the information gained by them had been through the Chicago press. He declared that twothirds of the reports sent out from the track by reporters for the press are sent in and filed before tbe races are run. Mr. Crumapcker read at great length from papers which had published the stories of gambling, and denied statement after statement appearing therein. The speaker read of Jim O’Leary’s great success at the track as a gambler, and said with emphasis that O'Leary had never been on the grounds. , *