The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-10-24
STRANGE TANGLE
IS PRESENTED THERE
Republican Attorneys Are Fighting
Hard to Put Prohibitionist on
the Democratic Ticket and Legal
Tangle Won't Be Settled For Some
Time.

In Judge v. s. Reiter's court today.
two prominent democratic attorneys.
John Gavit and Johannes KopeIke, are
defending republican board of county
election commissioners. who are being
prosecuted by two of the most proms-
nent republican attorneys in Lake and
Porter counties, Thomas Heard and
Otto j. Bruce. These, in turn, are at
tempting to put reputed prohibitions
list ON the democratic Tickle.
This, according to Harold Wheeler,
ex-county clerk and member of the
board of election commissioners, is the
peculiar tangle which has been caused
by the attempt of George A. Meeki-
son of Whiting to have his name placed
on the democratic ticket as the candi-
date for prosecutor of Lake and Por-
ter counties.
The hearing in the mandamus pro-
ceedings, in which Mr.. Meekison is
seeking to compel the county commits
sioners to place his name on the demo-
cratic county ticket, was held this
morning and will probably not be COM
peted until this afternoon.
Bruce Mixes In.
There was quite a sensation in the
courtroom this morning when Otto j.
Bruce and Thomas Heard, who are both
looked upon as leaders in the anti
saloon movement, appeared as the
counsel for George A Meekison, the
Whiting man, who is taking such des-
perate steps to become the democratic
candidate for prosecutor.
The members of both parties took
the sudden interest of these attorneys
in the case to mean that the leaders in
the anti-saloon movement in this county
hope to spring a coup by which they
can secure control of the prosecutors
office
The democrats of Hammond have
been up in the air ever since Meekison
came into the limelight. They see
that if Meekison is put on their ticket
it will result in its being slashed TO
pieces by the saloon element. from
which they expect to get their greatest
strength.
Is Persona Non GrafuS.
The republicans, too, are anxious that
the political flambeau from Valparaiso
and Whiting be kept off the ticket Tor
the reason that it would furnish
Charles Greenwaid of Whiting. the re-
publican candidate for prosecuting at
torney, with an oponent, who. though
he might prove TO be a weak sister,
would at the same time weaken the
ticket to a certain extent.
Johannes Kopelke and John Gavit ap-
peared as counsel for the board of elec-
tion commissioners this morning and
concentrated their attack on the names
and the manner in which they had been
attested to on he petition.
They claim that while there are af-
| fdavits for all of the signatures on the
petition, that many of the affidavits
! do not make it clear that the names on
the petition We're placed there by the
/ signers with a full knowledge of what
| they were doing.
1t is the prevailing opinion that Mr..
Meekison will not be permitted to have
! his name placed on the democratic tick
ct. The attorneys who are repres ent-
| ing the election commissioners say that
they have a COED case and that Meeki-
son will have to explain a great many
things before he can make out a case.
The arguments were based on the de-
/ fendants demur to the regularity of the
! petition Judge Virgil S. Reiter took
the matter under advisement and said
! that he would rule on the demur Mon
day morning. If he fails to sustain the
demur the plaintiffs will file their an
swer and the court will have to rule on
the answer.