The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-07-03

worked there until the first of August.
1910. That during the course of his en-
ployment in Gary he became well ac-
quainted with Mayor Knots and the
different city officials, and had quite an
extensive acquaintance with them and
throughout the city.
Charges Criminal Doings.
THAT about week before the hold
ing of the city election IN Gary in the
fall of the year 1909. he was present at
meeting in one of the Offices in Gary
when man from Chicago, whose name
he does not know, produced for inspec-
ton some common gold band rings ar
ranged for sets with the sets removed
therefrom and the ends of blue pencils
inserted therein so as TO resemble sets.
That at said meeting there We're pres
ent Mayor Thomas E. Knots, Harry
Moose, afterwards City Clerk, myself
and several others. That it was decid
ed that a number of such rings be pur-
chased for use in the city election and
that within one or two days the Chi
cago representative came back to Gary
with a supply of such rings and that
Mayor KNOTS then and there arranged
for the purchase of twenty-five (25) of
such rings for which he paid the Chi
cago representative the sum of twenty
five dollars (s25.0o) and an additional
sum of $1,000 for the furnishing and
preparing of blue pencil points there
for, which sums he paid in cash.
Who Got the Rings.
| That at said last meeting there were
present besides myself. Mayor Knots.
Chief of Police Joseph d. Martin, Rich
ard sWinkler. Harry Moose. Knots
campaign manager and others. That
said rings We're distributed as follows:
two were given to me. eight or nine
We're given to Joe Martin. to be given to
the boys at the police station to be dis
tributed by them to their confidential
men, Policeman Shonsky was given
some Bill Miller was given one Joseph
Morrise was given two. Charles Jack
son was given two. William Piper was
given two and an insurance agent
whose name do not know was also
given some. That at said last meeting
Instructions We're given that said rings
were to be placed in the hands of GER
| tain election officers who could be
! trusted and fun instructions were Civ
en- as to the manner in which they Were
| to be used.
How the Trick Was Done
That at the time of the counting OF
| the ballots the rings were to be worn
with the pencil set turned downward
so that when the ballot was opened ur
and spread out and 1t was noted that
the ballot was a straight republican
ballot a pencil mark would be drawn
across the ballot and IT was thereby
mutilated. That l also was asked to
serve as member of the election board
/ and to so use one OF said rings. Thai
af n II he he
came alarmed at the possible conse-
quence OF such action and refused Il
serve but kept the two rings given me
and / had them in my possession ever
since until my arrest by Sheriff Grant
when I turned them over to him. Thai
according to my best belief and in
formation a number of such rings wer,
actually used by the election officers II
various precincts as such city election
would Buy Republican Members.
That on the night before said cleo
ton a meeting was held in the demo
cratic headquarters at which amont
others, there were present Mr.. Schmidt
now bailiff Of the city court, Richar,
Wink1er and Mayor Knots camgaigr
manager. That at said meeting NOR,
than one hundred in number Of the on
cial ballots to be voted at said city cleo
ton were prepared by placing on tn,
backs thereof the initials of the various
election clerks in the different precinct
of said city, that said ballots were dis
tributed to a number of persons VIII,
were instructed to place them in tn,
hands of men who could be trusted T.
use them at said election by foldn;
them up tightly and put them insid
the ballots delivered to them by tn
inspector so that when they were hand
ed back and placed in the ballot DO,
, they would drop out in the box. Tha
| at said meeting the matter of the pur
chase of some of the republican mem
bers of the election board was discus
ed and it was then and there under
stood that such men had agreed to as
sist in the carrying out of the pro
: posed plans.
Involves Several Officials
:; That as I now remember said ballot
were given to various persons amon
whom were Baiiin Schmidt, one Bell,
newspaper reporter, Ira Ingerso
Richard L. winkler, Morris Goldman
; Jacob Blume. Louis Jenkins, Stew
Guersey and Fro CHIEF FeAley