The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-18
The Shelby County Ring.


On Monday the Sentinel contained dis
patch from Shelbyville giving an elaborate
defense of the Democratic ring in Shelby
county. that has been for years and still is
SO dominated by the Ray influence that
George M. Ray has suffered entire immu-
nifty from prosecution there while engineer.
ing his grand scheme of robbery. The
Shelby County Repub llcan takes MP this
defense and riddles it by stating q few
facts. 1t says:
These great Democratic officials have
done wonders in ferretlng out this rascal
ity. They sat idly by and let Cy Mont
gomery yet away. let him be spirited away
by interested parties, and then threaten
prosecution against whomf Why, parties
who innoceDtly purchase the Ray orders,
for having co-operated with Ray in an at
tempt to deiraud the townships. Did 1t
occur I'd the gentleman who wrote the at.
ticle and those W no inspired 1t that If these
men could be indicted for cooperating
with Ray that Ray could as we'll be IN
dicted for cooperating with them OF with
the trustees. If so does it show that these
Democratic officials who are so loudly
lauded had done their duty.
Why was there necessity for ordering
the prosecutor from johnson county, 1t
was never done SO before. Was it because
his deputy. Albert (. Wray, had not the
legal ability to conduct these cases. OF was
would be so close to George Ray that he
would not do his dutyf Admitting that
this was done. why the necessity just now
OF those who inspired this article of pub
fishing the fact that the authorities would
not trust him."
This must be little humliating to Wray,
who is the Democratic candidate for JOINT
Senator this year. In closing, tho Repub-
hcan says:
.Snnn LaH ols Il a
did they do with them when smoked QUIT
Have any of them been punished! Mont
gomery, they say, W as ready to turn States
evidence. He had been before the board
especially employed. If it was the inten.
tion and desire that any body be punished
why was not Montgomery put under bonds
and not permitted TO quietly GO away snd
why II the commissioners had gotten so
much out of him is it that no steps have
been taken &c discover his hiding placef
Again. II this Democratic board were so
honest and done so much to bring these
rascals to justice was it that Henry Olt-
man. who is gwen equal honor in
ton right on the heels of this
investigation. This inspired article, in
spired TO help boom certain Democrats,
says Judge Hackney has done his duty;
that he called the attention of the jury to
this caee. etc.. but that Ray could not be
indicted because no trustee would turn
States evidence. Doesn't Judge Hackney
know. and doesn't tho party who inspired
the Sentinel article know, and doesn't the
prosecutor know that there 10 q etatute
under which Ray and these trustees could
have been indicted The fact is that tho
parties did not want George NJ. Ray In
dicted- James r. Duty has no influence
" MONTGOMERY has no influence. and was
allowed TO skip. Newt Higgins is Repub-
lican. and all of these could be and were
indicted. The reason they did not
want George NJ Ray indicted
was that he has political in
tiuence. George Ray and the Ray influence
has dictated every Democratic nomination
In Shelby county for years. The man who
had that influence got there every time
and the man who had 1t not was as sure to
be left out. But say some of these Demo-
Gratis We downed Ray and his gang in the
primary last spring. Granted. But when
at home George Rays headquarters is In
the Office of the Shelby Democrat and
there ls not Democratic candidate on tho
county ticket. and the same il true of the
Shelby county Democratic candidate for
Supreme Court judge. who do not make
Z frequent visits to that Headquarters to
make snre of the Ray influence and W biic
privately they curse the gang they add:
we cannot afford to antagonize them.' If
elected these men must have the Ray iu-
tluence.' and il elected by the Ray inilu-
ence' they will be subjected to this influ-
ence after election.
Look ~ the condition of afFaira A