Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-26

prosecuted. Said the ctizens 1--WE shall
give him chance"
They did give him chance, and 1t came
last year. Roberts announced himself as a
Mayoraty candidate. His father was also
a candidate. During the campaign he bit
terly denounced his son. Roberts, the
younger, won the nomination, and came up
for election in the fall.
His slogan was Reform" His boast was
that Lamb and his crowd would forever be
driven from politics, and that the corporation
control of the city would end when he took
Office He promised to force the traction
lines to live up to their agreements with the
city. He waged a fight for "city beauti-
full" Economy was one of his great cam
paign cries. Twenty-seven miles of city
streets must be paved, new sewers must be
Iaid-Terre Haute must progress! The can
didate shouted for "the will of the people,
All this struck popular chord.
While the candidate was preaching purity
from the platform, his organization planned
a gigantic steal in the Tenderloin. Enor-
nous sums of money were being expended.
On registration day thousands of fraudulent
names were registered. Roberts and his
hackers meant to elect the ticket at all odds.
Thus, with a wide public sentiment in his
favor coupled with the work in the Tender
January 8. 1914.
Mayor Has Farccal Trial
Roberts had sooner taken his seat than
a contest was begun by the decent citizens
to oust him. They saw he had tric1ed them.
1t was charged that $500 fraudulent votes had
been cast by his machine. The Governor
was appealed to, but he would do nothing.
Joseph Roach, who had been pardoned by
Governor Marshall when serving a sentence
for killing a man, and who was a former
Roberts supporter now working with the re-
form forces. was appointed special prosecu-
tor A special Grand Jury was called and
evidence presented. This jury was called by
Judge Charles NJ. Fortune, Fairbanks lieu
tenant Dom NJ. Roberts was indicted, to-
gether with Marks Meyers, of the Public
Safety Board H. r. Redman, son of Judge
Eli H. Redman; William Huffman, superin-
tendent OF cemeteries. and Edward Brown,
political worker
The Roberts trial attracted tremendous at
tention. A few days before it occurred
fake trolley strike was arranged to divert
public attention This was pulled off by
"Bat" Masterson who was one of the "break-
ers" employed in this city during the last
car strike. 1t was engineered by the Roberts
organization. Masterson Is now suing Rob
erts for $1,000 in fees. Felix Blankenbaker,
an attorney, had been appointed special
Judge to try the case. Attempts were made
to dynamite his house-a number of shots
were fired through the windows OF his bed
room.
When the Roberts trial was called the
courtroom was filled with thugs, who hissed
unfavorable testimony. The Judge could do
nothing. In fact. he 80 disgusted that
he cut short his charge to the jury. Chalmers
NJ. Hamill. who has figured in the recent in
vestigation, and who was assisting Roach,
resigned The jury brought in verdict Of
"Not guilty" That night there was mon
ster red fire parade of the Roberts Fairbanks
followers
"a Year Under Nero"
STILL the good citizens of the city did not
lose heart-they began again to night Rob-
erts and his gang for the election frauds The
case was brought before the regular Grand
Jury. Judge Fortune called this jury. too,
He was bent upon a political cleanup. Sud
denly however. after the jury had returned
indictments against the Mayor and num-
ber of his followers, the Judge cut short the
entire investigation and dismissed the jury.
This did not happen until the papers an
nounced that a warrant had been issued for
Fairbanks.
Indianapolis and TeFre Haute newspapers
published repeatedly a story of meeting
held In the Denison Hotel. the Democratic
headquarters in Indianapolis between Judge
Fortune. Crawford Fairbanks and Roberts.
1t has been charged in public print scores of
times that a mortgage held by Fairbanks on
Judge Fortunes house was Cancelled and
that he was promised position, which he
afterward secured-that OF Probate Judge.
At any rate, the investigation was on
Roberts and Fairbanks ruled supreme, and
Terre Haute entered into what has bean
called by the newspapers Of the West. "A
year under Nero" The decent citizens gave
up hope-the organization was all powerfully
intrenehed.