The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-07-13
DisIikes Statements of Some
Papers That He Should
Make Clear His Motive in
Whitaker Case.
HE DENIES POLITICS
ENTERS INTO AFFAIR
Governor Says That Only Re-
port Reaching Him Which
He Investigated Was the
Charge Placed on Paper.

Indianapolis, Ind, July 13.-Gover-
nor Marshall has been considerably
nettled By a few republican papers of
the state that have been Shooting it
into him" in connection with the case
of w. H. Whitaker. former superin-
tendent of the reformatory at Jeffer-
sonville. Not many, but few. OF the
papers in the state. have been insist
ing that if there is anything back OF
the whole business that has not been
made public Governor Marshall should
do so at once. They have intimated
that the governor has been playing
cause for Whittaker's resignation has
not been made public. They have
said that there was something below
the surface that had not been told.
Was on . Farm.
The governor heard some of these
things while he was out on the farm
last week. and when he arrived home
he was pretty sore over some of the
things said about him in connection
with the cause. He denies that poll
tics had anything to do with the res
ignation of Whitaker or the investi-
cation of the reforma tory rumors.
The fact is that many rumors reach
ed the governor from many sources
and only one or two of them were
used in the investigation. 1t is known
too, that Whitaker learned that these
rumors had reached the governor.
Governor Marshall did not act on
anything he heard except the one mat
ter that was put in writing by man
representing company which alleg-
ed that it had not been fairly treated
in the award of a heating contract at
the reformatory. These charges were
reduced to writing and it was on these
that the public hearing was held at
| the governors office a week ago last
Saturday. 1t is known, too, that after
this public hearing had been set and
before it was held Whitaker offered
his resignation to Governor Marshall
and that the governor said it was a
matter exclusively for the board of
trustees and not for him to handle.
1t is fact, too, that when the public
| hearing was held the testimony did
not show anything wrong with the
award of the contract for the heating
plant.
| Governor Silent.
Nothing else was considered at the
time of the investigation. All of the
unsupported rumors were disregarded
Just what these were the governor
does not say, but it is said in his
office that if the republican newspa-
pers that have been digging at him
in the matter keep it up he will be
forced to make the whole story pub.
lie.
Some of Whittaker's fool friends
who are roasting the governor through
their newspapers had better talk with
Whitaker before they print so much
about the case" it was said at the
governors office. Then if they wish
to print these things let them do it
They are printing stuff now about
things they know nothing about. and
they ought to find out the truth before
they rush to the defense of Whittak
er"
Very Irritating.
The most irritating instance OF tnii
kind of newspaper criticism, it is said
is that that has been carried on in the
Marion Chronicle, of which Col. Geo
B. Lockwood. is the editor. Whitaker
was appointed by Governor Durbin as
superintendent of the reformatory ane
Lockwood was private secretary tt
Governor Durbin at the time. This
it is pointed out may account fol
Lockwood's interest in the case.
The governor says he regards the
Whitaker case as a closed incident
unless Whittaker's friends choose tt
reopen it. Only one chapter remains
SO far as the governor is concerned
and that is that the public accounting
board will make a thorough inspection