The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-06-11
Keller DEMANDS
NICHOLSON SHOW
PROOF OF FRAUD
"Put Up or Shut Up" Chal-
lenge of Prosecutor to Dry
Leaders Charge of Neg
lectmg Duty. y
Maintains Prohibition Work.
ers Demanded Unfair
Things of Office Before
Local Option Election.

Asserting that during the recent op|
tion campaign in this city he perform
ed his duties fairly and impartially;
that at no time during the campaign
did wet leader ask anything unfair
or improper of him, which was more
than he could say Of some dry leaders,
and that he has no authority to call
grand jury, this power resting with
the judge of the circuit court. Prose
cutor w. w. Keller today issued a
hot" statement in reply to sharp
criticism made of him yesterday by
S. Edgar Nicholson, secretary of the
National Anti-Saloon League, editor OF
the American Friend, and chairman Of
the dry committee during the recent
campaign. Mr.. Reller's public state
ment follows:
To the Public and g Edgar Nicholson:
My conduct as prosecuting attorney,
before and after the recent local op-
tion election, has been criticised by
S. Edgar Nicholson. Heretofore have
ignored Mr.. Nicholson's criticisms.
believeing that effective prosecution
of crime can only be secured in courts
of law and not by newspaper con-
troversies between an official and
those who may disagree with him.
But as further silence on my part may
be misconstrued, / here with present
the facts regarding my conduct as
prosecutor in connection with the wet
and dry election.
Took No Sides.
At no time did | take sides in the
election. and although / voted my con-
scientious opinion early on election
day, have never told any person how
voted. / purposely maintained an
impartial attitude in the matter as I
did not want to be charged with allow
ing my sentiments on the liquor Ques-
tton to influence my official acts. 1
desired to give both sides a square
deal
l furnished both sides statistical in
formation before the election. and an
swered many questions for both vets
and drys. At no time did any leader
of the vets ask anything improper
or unfair of me; | can not say as
much for some of S. E. Nicholson's
agents.
Three days before the election rep
resentatives of S. Edgar Nicholson
asked me to file affidavits on informa-
tion that was entirely inadequate. and
on which We could not have secured
convictions Mr. Nicholson's purpose
was TO discredit the liquor men by
prosecutions and thus influence the
election. In short. S. Edgar Nicholson.
through his agents, asked me to use
my office solely to aid his cause. This
did not regard as a square deal, and
this l refused today. Because | did
not become catspaw of S Edgar
Nicholson, and fall for his political
trick. an attempt is now being made
ri6lcnla nnh1iC and align a
certain element against me.
Reviews Fight.
! am willing to submit the facts to
any fair-minded man. and even though
he may be dry. feel that he will ap-
prove OF the course | pursued.
On Saturday. only three days before
the election. | was called TO the office
OF Gardner. Jessup and White by Fred
White. He had young man in the
office named Otto Hiatt. commonly
called 'Tobe" Hiatt. Young Hiatt
was then over 21 years of age. but he
said that before reaching twenty-one
he had bought liquor of Richmond
saloon keepers. He wanted TO prose
cute certain saloonkeepers for sales
he claimed had been made to him In
July. 1913, nine months previous. and
while he was then in his twentieth
come TO me to prosecute these men be-
fore, and when he had determined on
his action. He said that he never
though of prosecuting the saloon men
before. and that he had not determin-
ed on the action until , 80 O'Clock that
Saturday afternoon On further ques-
ttoning of Hiatt l found that in July.
1912, he had been arrested for public
intoxication and fined in the City
Court, that Charles Ladd. then prose-
cutting attorney. had attempted to find
out where Hiatt got his liquor but he
refused TO tell With this state OF
facts. and with the length of time that
had elapsed since Hiatt claimed liquor
had been sold to him. | knew that
convictions would be impossible
was told that Hiatt would sign affi-
davits if | would file them. | told At
torney Fred White that a jury would
not be out 10 minutes in acquitting
such cases. Mr.. White said he realized
that convictions were improbable after
such long delay on Hiatts part, but
that il would answer Bennett GOrdon's
argument that the drys could not pro-
duce affidavits that saloon men had
sold liquor TO minors. That may be
true" l replied. but l do not intend
to use my office to produce arguments
for either side"
Merit as Basis.
I told Mr.. White at that time that
thought the liquor question should be
settled on its merits. and that il was
not fair to ask me to use the prose-
cutor's office TO influence votes.
1t was reported at the time OF the
election that thirty-five affidavits had
been presented to me of liquor sales
to minors but as a matter of fact the
Otto Hiatt case was the only one
After talking to Otto Hiatt in one
room Mr.. White took me into another
room where he had young Italian by
the name of Harrison Tacoma, the son
of "Frenchy Tacoma Tacoma claimed
that he had filled out the papers for
number of Italians who declared
their intention of becoming citizens,
thus emitting them to a vote Tacoma
said that a certain saloon man had
given these Italians a dollar apiece,
the amount OF the fee at the County
Clerks office. Paying this fee for