Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 307, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 December 1914 — DONN M. ROBERTS AND OTHERS IN JAIL [ARTICLE]

DONN M. ROBERTS AND OTHERS IN JAIL

Judge Redman and Many Others Arrested at Terre Haute For Election Frauds. Donn M. Roberts, mayor of Terre Haute; Eli Redman, judge of the Vigo circuit court; Thomas Smith, judge of the city court; Maurice Walsh, a wealthy and prominent businessman and sealer of weights and measures for Vigo county; John Masselink, city weights and measures, and la lro r leader, and a large number of lesser standing in the community and all connected fln various ways with the democratic machine, were placed under arrest in the Deming hotel by United States marshals at Terre Haute Saturday. They were charged with conspiracy to defraud the government, in an indictment returned by the fed- al grand jury. The total number that had been arrested Saturday afternoon was 74.

The bond which Thomas Smith, judge of the city court, was called on to furnish was $7,500; of Eli Redman, $10,000; Donn Roberts, $lO,000. The other bonds were fixed at $2,500, and Mr. Storen said he would accept nothing but unincumbered freehold security. The fourth floor of the Deming hotel was for a time converted into a detention prison, filled with one of the strangest assemblages 6t prisoners that was ever collected in the United States. Men who had in one way or another succeeded in attaining the highest offices imthe Community were detained with saloon loafers and ex-convicts. All looked alike to the agents of the government. Each waited patiently for the marshal’s aides to -ipvestigate his proffered bond, or for friends to come tojhis rescue. The elevators wfere busy bearing to the fourth floor men who had been summoned -by the U. S. authorities to surrender themselves, or men who had been appealed to by prisoners to offer themselves as sureties.

They all came to the fourth floor and they were all stopped there by .guards and forced ito disclose the nature of their business. When it appeared reasonable they were taken down the long corridor to the office of the marshal, where the capiases were served on them or their desires to be bondsmen were heard. There was nothing spectacular about the arrests of the more noted men in the lists. Denny Shea, sheriff of Vigo county, was the first man served in the morning, folloiwing the arrest last night of forty-six co-defendants. He tried during the night to give himself. up to Marshal Storen, but be was not heeded. Early in the morning Shea succeed id in getting into the marshal’s offl ie, amd he remained there while a proffered bond was examined. ) Eli Redman came Along to the hotel. He walked flown the long corridor of the<fourth floor and wa® seen oo more for hours. His coming was a surprise to the watchers and it was pot believed by many that the list of those indicted included men who had been as powerful in the political field. Mayor Roberts followed closely on the heels of Redman. He, too, chose to come alone to the hotel and he Walked through the corridor with the same Roberts smile. Friends gathered qufokly and waited for him to reappear, but gradually they grew tired of their waiting. There was no prearranged bond waiting for Roberts. He was detained along with some of the gunmen with whom his name has been linked heretofore and whom he more recently declared he did not know. Maurice Walsh came to the marshal’s office with Jaek Royce, clerk of the circuit court, and several others. They gave the impression that they were present to sign bonds for some of the other ‘ndicted men. But when they met Wayland E. Sanders, Indianapolis policeman, who guarded the long corridor, and were compelled to disclose their business, they were sep-

arated. Walsh leaned against the wall for several minutes before he said in a low voice that he had been summoned by the marshal. Then he was permitted to take the deep-red carpented path to the end of the hall, where men were going and Jailing to return. The word t-uiead about the hotel that Walsh, too, was indicted, and exclamatio is of surprised followed looks of incredvHty. Walsh was not known m Terre Haute ar an active member of the democratic political machine that began to crumble when the grand jury started its probe. Chalmers Hamill and Miller Dav : is, local attorneys, passed on the

proffered* bonds and their investigations were thorough. From out of the long row ot rooms where the officials were closeted with their prisoners, there drifted stories of how the men under arrest were acting that created grim amusement in the hotel lobby. Roberts was declared to be In a rage. He . engaged 'Marshal Storey in a tilt that waa onesided. As repeated by an attorney who was present, Roberts eaid:

“It’s a blank shame for a democratic marshal to come down here and arrest all these democrats. Why should I be arrested? It means I’ve got to hire a lawyer and pay a lot of bills. What have you got against me? Conspiracy for what I know the law and I haven’t done anything against it.”

Roberts i efused to make any effort tc Jve bond and .was taken to Indianapolis Saturday night and placed in jail with the other prisoners who failed to give bond. Roberts evidently weakened after being locked up, for his wife went to Indianapolis Sunday to see if a bond could not be procured, but was told that this could not be done on Sunday and that they would have to wait until Monday. Mrs. Roberts procured a blank bond from Mark Storen and returned to Terre Haute, where, it is understood, she will attempt to procure satisfactory sureties to gain her husband’s release. She was told by Marshal Storen that should satisfactory bondsmen be named Mayor Roberts would be released. Marshal Storen added that the twenty-one other Terre H’autens held in the Marion county jail also will be released if they obtain satisfactory bond. The indicted men will be arraigned about January 15, accord-, ing to U. S. District Attorney F. C. Dilley. Their trials will be set at that time, he said. Although only 93 of the 125 men who are said to have been Indieted have beefi arrested, no more will be taken into custody at this ;ime. Some of those wanted are not n Terre Haute, others are ill and ope, Edward Holler, Terre Hauite’s superintendent ot police, is in jail 'serving a sentence for contempt of court. The real story of the alleged conspiracy to corrupt the election is merely hinted in the indictment, it is said, the federal authorities indicating that they will not expose their hand until the trial is called.

Mayor Roberts is a candidate for the democratic nomination for governor in 1916, and has been the democratic leader in Terre Haute only a short time, havihg risen rapidly in politics. He deciares that political enemies have attacked rim. In 1910 he was appointed city en gineer of Terre Haute and while folding that position organized tiie city council against the mayor, who later discharged Roberts. Later he was made county chairman >f the democratic party and not hnly nominated his slate in the priinary, but carried it through in the election of 1912. As the next step in his political advancement, Roberts became the democratic candidate for mayor and was elected. During that election men were slugged at the polls, election officials driven from the polling places and the rough work finally became so pronounced that before the day was over appeals were made to Governor Ralston to take a hand.

A grand jury investigated the electton add returned indictments .against Roberts and a number of his supporters. Roberts was placed on trial and, after a sensational hearing, during which all male spectators were searched for firearms to prevent a shooting affray, he was acquitted. Since hte elevation to the mayor’s chair at Terre Haute, Roberts has been almots continually in thy limelight, figuring in a number Of cases in court. Thgaecorid day after he beeanie mayor? he and hte bdard of safety were haled into cotut on a contempt charge over the discharge of two patrolmen, but was acquitted. Within the last year he was fined tor contempt by Judge A. B- Anderson, of the federal court, for ‘ violating a court order regarding some sewer worir. When the grand jury completes the investigation of Terre Haute conditions it will take up, according to Mr. Dailey, conditions in Indianapolis, which In the last election were said to have rivaled Terre Haute conditions in many pro cincte, and also in Evansville, where a number of organizations have requested Mr. Dailey to make ari investigation there.