The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-31
CALVIN ARMsTRoNG's TRIAL
Proceedings Begun In the Howard
County Circuit Court.

Proceedings BeEun IN the hoNhEN
County Circuit Court.
KOKOMO. Jan. 26.-Special.-The trial
OF Calvin Armstrong. late deputy treas
urer Of Upton county, charged with the
embezzIement Of $4,000 Of the county's
funds. which were lost at the race track,
begun with a hitch in the circuit court
at this place today.
The attorneys for the state from Tip
ton, five in number, had brought hand
bags full Of documentary testimony, the
county's records and tones of law bear
ing on the case. but forgot the indict-
ment to which the young man was to
plead. A certified copy was secured this
afternoon and the remainder Of the day
was consumed in impaneling a jury
The defense fought shy Of talesmen,
having preiudices against hOrse-racing
and like sports The state is represented
by John W. Pyke, Beauchamp q
Mount and Clifford & Clifford of Upton
and Conrad Wolf Of this city. John W.
Kern Of Indianapolis, Oglesbay & Kemp
of Upton and c. G. Shirley Of Kokono
appear for the plaintiff. Two Of these
attorneys were appointed by the court
under the poor criminal act The trial
will occupy d week. The defense viii
be wholly technical, as the misappropria-
ton OF the missing FUNDS is admitted.
Armstrong; James X, the treasurer of
Tnpton county. and his son, Calvin. his
deputy. IS a familiar one in this region.
The second term of the elder Armstrong
was drawing to a close when a demand
for $1,000 was made on the GOVT house
building fund of the county, which
should have had $4,000 to meet the cur
rent expenses OF the building, then in
course Of erection. The order was de-
faUlted and the arrest Of father and son
coll lot r~f
of last July. The sensational attempt
to release young Armstrong from jail
IN which It is claimed that the murder
Of the turnkey was contemplated. the
betrayal Of the plot by Blufe Faulken-
berry, an ex-convict employed by the
Conepirators, and its failure of sue
cess, and the surrender of James X.
Armstrong by his bOudsmen, are well
remembered incidents Of this sensational
case Experts were put 10 work on the
county's books and a shortage of S43.-
7s6 was discovered. Eleven indictments
were returned by the next sitting grand
jury against the Armstrong;.
James =. Armstrong was tried in the
Hamilton county court last month on
the indictment for failure 10 turn over
county funds and escaped with one
years Imprisonment. Cal Armstrong,
who had been sent TO the jail IL this city
for safe keeping. was given a change OF
venue 10 Howard county.
As a preacher, plunger and magnifi-
cent defaulter. Cal Armstrong has had &
remarkable though somewhat brief ca
reer. He was reared at the village Of
Kempton. in Upton county, and until
he entered his fathers Office as deputy
treasurer OF the county in 1890, his ex-
perience with the sporty" side Of the
wicked world was limited to quiet games
OF c1nch and old sledge IN the dormi-
tories Of the normal school at Valparaiso.
where he was educated. He was not
noted for his piety in his boyhoOd days
and aStoniSned all the Wiseacres of Tip
ton on his return from school by at once
taking leading rank among the young
workers III the disciples church at that
place He was prominent as q Sunday
school leader sang in the choir. and at
times took 10 the pulpit IN earnest eN-
hortatiOn. Even then. however, he
evinced a decided fancy for good clothes
and prided himself on being the best
dressed man in Upton county. When il
Is understood that young Armstrong was
only satisfied with umbrellas at $40 each
and silk underwear at SO a garment, IT
will be seen that this meant much TO
the good people Of Upton county i'm the
way Of direct taxation. 1t was only last
spring that evidence Of CalVin's specula-
tons at he race track began to come 10
the surface. 1t was whispered about
that he had made big winnings at the
winter tracks near Chicago, where his
brother, Joe, was known 10 he engaged
as a tout" Upton people generally did
not know what a tout" was, but some
body told them that it was paving Job
and that was enough for them. The
bliss Of this ignorance was not Of long
duration. for il soon became known that
young Armstrong was not only a fire.
quenter Of the race course. but that he
owned a stable of his own and was
winning nOtoriety as p plunger at East
St. Louis, Chicago and on other western
courses The wise men Of TiDton shook
their heads, but their fears were I'm a
degree quoted by the frequent reports
of the young mans success on the turf.
They never heard Of his losings.
When Armstrong; horse Bugle. went
against Long Ten at Roby last spring
there was $4,000 of Upton county's
money in the box Armstrong was be-
trayed by the racing sharks. who made
him believe that killing had been
fixed up for him and that ne could not
lose. He lost not only this. but much
more at East st. Louis and Guttenburg.
where he tried TO retrieve himself
When the crash came ne was able to
turn over TO his fathers bOndsmen only
a fancy shotgun. some good jeWelry ana
the horses Bugle. Celeste and Belle &.
When the stock was called for it was
found that the feed bills against them
amounted to more than their worth re
saved enough from the wreck TO en-
plOy two lawyers 20 defend him, who
will be paved in part by his mother. AMI
assistant counsel was furn.shed him By
the county under the poor criminal act.
KOKOMO, Jan. 29.-Special.-A de-
cided sensation was sprung in the trial
of Cal Armstrong, the defaulting deputy
treasure Of Upton county. when his
father was brought into court 10 testify
against him
The state caused ex-Treasurer James
X Armstrong to be brought from the
northern prison. where he is serving one
year for his part in the misappropria-
ton Of the $4,000. He was not put upon