Indianapolis Times, Volume 44, Number 59, Indianapolis, Marion County, 19 July 1932 — Page 5

JULY 19, 1932

KENTUCKY LYNCHERS FREE; OFFICERS REFUSE TO TAKE ANY STEP TO ARREST THEM “I’ve Got Nothing* to Say,” Is Only Answer Sheriff Will Give; County Attorney Won’t Make It His Business. KU-KLUX TERRORS ARE FEARED Suspect in Bombing of Store Dragged From Jail and Hanged After Beating by Mob; Grand Jury “Can’t Find Evidence.” BY JAMES W. BELL Tlmfi Staff Writer PRINCETON, Ky., July 19.—0n the night of May 31, mob law broke out in Caldwell county. A man awaiting legal trial was taken from jail and condemned to death by a mob, which hanged him to a tree after beating him. In the seven weeks since no one has been arrested. “I have nothing to say about the lynching,” said Sheriff P. J. Blackburn. “The sheriffs office is not an information bureau. Whatever I have to say on matters pertaining to my office will be said in the court and in the courts only.”

County Attorney John 0. Hardin also is silent as to any efforts to arrest the mob members, lie says he has not talked to any members of the family of the man murdered by the mob since the lynching concerning plans to apprehend the lynchers or on any other subject. The victim was Walter Merrick, 42, owmr of a farm on which he lived near Hopson, ten miles south of Princeton. Two Are Badly Hurt He was awaiting trial on an indictment charging him with bombing the store of Millard P’Pool, Hopson merchant, F’eb. 9. P’Pool, in the store, and Harold Nabb, 13, standing on the front porch were hurt badly. The boy has recovered but P’Pool still is using crutches. Merrick was arrested on suspicion based largely on enmity between him and P'Pool. He was arrested at his home a few hours after the explosion. It was said that anger over a disputed $1.70 grocery bill had been fanned by a whipping Merrick’s son received in school. P’Pool is prominent in politics and business in Caldwell county. His unusual name is a shortening of the original family name of Pettipool. One Dog Was Used It was reported officially that “bloodhounds” had led deputies from the ruins of P'Pool’s store to Merrick’s home. Later grand jury inquiry brought out it was one police dog. * Public opinion divided sharply as to this evidence. Reports were current that P’Pool had incurred the enmity of moonshiners or bootleggers. Governor Ruby Laffoon, for the commonwealth, offered S2OO reward in the bombing case. But it was more than a month after the lynching that Laffoon offered a S2OO award for convicting evidence against the lynchers. This was on condition, which was met, that Caldwell county offer a like sum. Can’t Find Evidence The American Civil Liberties Union widely announced SSOO reward for information leading to arrest of any participant, charging that the names of men in the mob “are well known to many in the community.” A grand jury, questioning persons near the scene reported it “was unable to find evidence of any nature showing any person that was in the mob or had anything to do with it.” In instructing this grand jury, Circuit Judge Charles W. Wilson of Smithland said: “Mob violence is violation of the

COUNCIL APPROVES LOAN OF $925,000

Funds to Be Used for City Operating Expense Till Tax Payments. City council authorized borrowing of $925,000 in temporary loans by the city to meet operating expenses until receipt of tax funds this fall, at its meeting Monday night. Os the total, $750,000 will go to the city general fund and $175,000 to the health board. It has been the practice for several years to issue temporary loans twice a year, instead of keeping large balances on hand. An ordinance, replacing one withdrawn several weeks ago, was introduced, making it illegal for groceries and other food markets to remain open on Sunday, unless pro-

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law and the court calls attention to that ana it is your duty to investigate and if you have evidence of the guilty parties it is your duty to indict. “It is a serious thing, but no more serious than violation of any other law.” “I only talked to the sheriff a little while over the telephone on the night the mob hanged Walter,” Mrs. Mattie Merrick, 34, widow, said. Ku-Klux Terrors Feared “ ’They hung Walter,’ he told me, and then asked what I wanted to do with the body. I told them to bring it home. He never said anything to me about arresting the persons who did it, nor communicated with me in any way. “ I have never been to see the sheriff because I don't feel that it would do any good.” Feeling is running high here and throug'hout Caldwell county over the lynching. There is some fear that the terrors of the old night riders and the more recent Ku-Klux Klan which had 1,000 members in Caldwell county, again are imminent. W. J. Miller, attorney, who fought the Klan here at the height of its power, places the present Klan strength here at “an active 150 men.” That the lynching of Merrick w r as well organized is indicated by the fact that almost four months elapsed between the bombing and the lynching. Excitement ever the bombing had subsided. Witnesses said the “mob” was composed of about twenty men who took Merrick from jail just before midnight, working silently and quickly. No disturbance prefaced the lynching. INCOME TAX BILL TO FACE STORMY SESSION Levy to Be Opposed in Bitter Skirmish on House Floor. Levying of taxes on personal and corporate incomes appeared certain to be a major issue in the house of representatives today. Following a stormy session Monday night, the house ways and means committee indicated it will recommend for passage bills levying the tax and will ban public hearings on the question. Requests for the hearing was made by Senator Joe Rand Beckett organizer of the Indiana Association for Tax Justice and William H. Arnett, secretary-manager of the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce. "The people of this state can’t shoulder a cent of additional taxes,” Beckett declared. "They are down to their 1913 incomes today and any new form of taxation will create antagonism.”

prietors observe Saturday as the Sabbath and remain closed on that day. The proposed ordinance has the backing of the Retail Grocers’ Association, including chain groceries. Two other ordinances introduced provided for redefining junk dealers and setting junk dealer fees at SSO for retailers and $l5O for wholesalers. Another would appropriate $2,322 received from insurance companies to replace the South Grove golf course tool house destroyed by fire recently. Other ordinances provided for changing name of Indiana, avenue, between Tenth street and Sixteenth street, to Stadium drive, and ratifying renewal of a contract between the safety board and the Indiana inspection bureau for electrical inspections.

Takes a Stretch

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Elastic figures are getting cornman at the beaches these days. Here smiling Miriam Saner shows the cameraman her all-rubber bathing suit at Virginia Beach, Va.

300 LEARN TO SWIM Times-Broad Ripple Offer Proves Popular. More than 300 children and adults responded yesterday to the learn-to-swim offer made this week by The Indianapolis Times and Broad. Ripple park at the park pool. More were expected to show up for today's lessons after the enthusiastic pupils had told their friends. There is no charge for the swimming instruction and the feature of this year's learn-to-swim week ■is the teaching of advanced swimming, diving, etc. Bill Tomlison and Monty Montgomery, park instructors, said the? expected to have a large attendance each day, continuing through Saturday, when swimmers who pass the test will be presented with official swimming diplomas. Classes for children are held in the morning, for children of high school age in the afternoon, and for adults later in the evening. There still is plenty of time to learn and to enter, as pupils will be enrolled all day today and Wednesday.

LEARN TO SWIM This coupon entitles holder to a free swimming lesson in The Indianapoils Times-Broad Ripple pool. Learn-to-swim week is July 18-23. This does not include admission, but entitles holder to reduced rate—adults, 25 cents; children, 10 cents.

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Are Yon Looking tor a Comfortable and Convenient ROOM? Whether you are a stranger or have lived in Indianapolis for years . . . save walking up and down the hot streets looking for that room to rent. Looking up and down the ROOM FOR RENT ads in tonight's Times saves time and bother. You have more than forty choice locations to select from . . . and they’re all listed . . . in the WANT ADS

TEE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

TRAINS STONED BY ‘KID GANGS,' POLICE ON TRAIL One Man Badly Injured by Rock: Dining Car Window Shattered. • Turning his attention from invesI tigation of an alleged "fake” liquor raid by a local police sergeant, Chief Mike Morrissey today threw the weight of the police force to stop boys from throwing rocks. Special order was issued to all departments to co-operate with Big Four railroad detectives in apprehending youthful gangs in the neighborhood near the railroad tracks from Belmont avenue west to Lyndhurst drive, who recently have engaged in the custom of showering passengers and crews of trains with stones, rocks, bowlders and pebbles. Dexter Fox of Woodriver, 111., is in serious condition at the city hospital from injuries received when he was struck by one of the gang’s missiles Thursday while riding Big Four freight train. A St. Louis-bound train recently was attacked and a rock hurled through a dining car window. Saturday, a brakeman on an inbound freight said he was forced to dodg# showers of rocks from Lyndhurst drive into the city limits, as each successive gang massed along the tracks took up the sport. A 15-year-old boy living on Jackson street is being held at the detention home, after arrest by city detectives, charged with firing an air-gun at a train. Captain E. F. Cline, chief of the Big Four secret service, is in Indianapolis to give his personal attention to the campaign. Captain E. B. Reed, chief of the Pennsylvania detective force, also is on the job, because the right of way | of his road parallels tracks of the Big Four. Campaign to make Indianapolis “safe for trains” will go so far, it was stated, as to bring to headquarters” every boy found along the Big Four tracks.” LOTS OF TROUBLE FOR ONLY A LITTLE LOOT Burglars Get $42 After Using Power Drill to Open Safe. Only $42 and a $36 electric drill rewarded efforts of burglars who went to much trouble Monday night to blow a safe in the office of the Perfection Windshield Company, 25 West Ninth street. The burglary was discovered this morning by an employe, Hugh Turpin, 32, of 2603 North Illinois street. Discarding a hand drill they had brought with them, the burglars pressed an electric drill belonging to the company into service, even going to the trouble of making a power connection and using it on a wall to ascertain how well it worked. REFUSES BODY OF SON Died in River, Let Him Stay There, Says Father of Suicide. By United Press CLAYTON, Mo, July 19.—St. Louis county authorities today prepared a pauper’s burial after the father of John Caruthers, 17, suicide, refused to accept the body. The youth’s body was recovered from the Mississippi river, a heavy stone tied around the waist and pockets filled with rocks. “He made his grave in the river,” the father said, “let his body j stay there.”

FALLS DEAD AT PARK Concession Stand Operator at Rhodius Heart Attack Victim. After complaining of illness, James Cain, 75. of 908 South West street, fell from his chair in the concession stand in Rhodius park Monday night and died shortly after arrival of police. Deputy Coroner J. E. Wytter.bach stated Cain’s death was caused by

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heart trouble and the body was sent to the city mogue. Relatives took charge of the body. Funeral arrangements have not been made. DALE OUSTER DROPPED Former Constable Withdraws Petition for Mayor’s Unseating. By United Press MUNCIE, Ind., July 19.—An affidavit filed with the city council

two weeks ago seeking removal from office of Mayor George R. Dale as a result of his liquor conspiracy conviction was withdrawn today by John A. Cox, former constable. In his withdrawal petition Cox said he did not wish to create the impression he “was conniving with i the councU.” He charged that “the ‘ council did not intend to give impartial consideration to the petition, ! but intends to delay any affirmative

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action to appoint a successor to the’ mayor.” Auto Theft Suspect Returned Roy Eaton. 28, of 1004 Oliver avenue, was returned . Monday night from Terre Haute to face a charge of automobile theft, which detectives claim he admits. He is accused of stealing the automobile of C. V. James. 3928 Byram avenue. He is said to have served a term in the Indiana reformatory for aute *heft committed in 1927.