Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1914 — THE TERRE HAUTE CASE. [ARTICLE]

THE TERRE HAUTE CASE.

Down in Vigo county the better class of people, irrespective of political preferences, who had grown tired of the domination of* the TaggartFairbanks machine in the politics of of that county, and in the city of Terre Haute especially, though* they saw the end of corrupt politics and political chicanery in the round-up which the special grand jury and special prosecutor, under the direction of Judge Fortune, were cor.ducting. A number of indictments had been returned and evidence was being gathered which would have resulted, i* is said, in many other in-1 dictments, including several of the' higher-ups, when Judge Fortune made a trip to Indianapolis, during which he is alleged to have met T. Taggart, Crawford Fairbanks, Don' M. Roberts, present mayor of Terre Haute, who is himself On trial for alleged election frauds in the last' city election, and on his return to Terre Haute summarily dismissed both the grand Jury and special prosecutor and also some of the indictments already returned'

This action came as a stunning surprise to the people who were’ hoping to see their city and county! cleaned up, and *h< only excuse’ given for the Court’s action is un-’ derstood to have been the fallure of the county council to appropriate* funds to pay for the services of the* grand jury and special prosecutor, ■ although both had volunteered to go ahead with the investigation without pay. Terre Haute has long been known as one of the most wide open and corrupt cities in Indiana,* and the investigation tha* was being made was not a political one, as the better class of democrats are said to' have been just as anxious to have the guilty ones ferreted out and pun- 1 ished as were the republicans * Judge Fortune is coming in for some very severe criticism for his action in ending the investigation. |