The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-01-03
SCANDAL AT SOUTH BEND.
Red Austin Released in Disregard of
Governors Orders.

Charges of bribery and corruption
are rife at South Bend. For a lone
time it has been apparent that cor
rupt ring controls the nomination
and election of men in both pol.tica
parties in that city and in the in
vestigation into the unusual circum
stances surrounding the release from
custody last week of Red Aus in
alias Thomas Edwin Clark, the king
of bunko steerers, it developed that
Governor Hanly, on June p last. tel
egraphed both Sheriff David B.Schaf
err and Prosecuting Attorney George
A. Kurtz that under no circums .ance
should they give Austin his liberty.
but that they should hold him for the
Michigan authorities, who wante !
him on charge of Dunko steering
in Pontiac, that state.
As the result of this fact being
brought to light, Kurtz and Schafe
are the two most talked of men in
South Bend, and what is being said
about them is not at all in heir fav-
or Public opinion is becoming so
acute in regard to the manner in
which the noted crook got away tina
it seems certain TO develop into a
demand that the State step in and
conduct a rigid investigation.
Former Prosecuting Attorney Geo
f. Clarke, when he called on Gov
ernor Hanly on June %, laid before
him the seven methods that Austin
has OF evading the penitentiary in the
various States The first was to bride
the prosecuting attorney In this
connection Mr. Clarke said he was
offered $4,000 to drop the case The
second was to bride the judge; the
third to bride the sheriff to permit
him to escape; the fourth to have a
confederate to appear with counter
felt requisition papers from another
State and then turn Austin free af-
ter getting possession of him; the
fifth to get low bond and then jump
it; the sixth to feign sickness, the
seventh to buy off the prosecuting
witnesses.
The indianapolis Star calls Oh Gov
ernor Hanly TO act at once, 1t says:
Governor Hanly need not doubt
that the people will support him in
vigorous action in this matter, even
though it may involve a reflection on
the judicial department. 1t is true
that he has been subjected to violent
criticism for his action in the Sher
rick case and the West Baden and
French Lick gambling scandals, bat
there is little room TO question that
the people were with him, even
though tn effort was made ITO show
that there was some unwarranted in
reference with the courts In fact
the courts are not such bogies as
might be imagined The people un-
derstand fully that judges are men
and prosecuting attorneys are men.
and when they see results that are
clearly wrong they are not deterre J
from criticism by any abstract theor-
les OF the sanctity of courts
This Austin mater has develops
into a scandal that can not be ignor-
ed. The gang has been operating IN
the State for a number of years, AMI
has.lhad a most remarkable immun ty
from punishment, although members
have repeatedly been in custody. In
every case their release has attracted
public suspicion. and it must be said
that the attendant circums sances have
usually justified the suspicious. 1t
has become reflection on the whole
State, and for the good name OF th
State it is TO be hoped that Governor
Hanly will take steps to see that a
full investiga ion of the matter is Sc.
cured