Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-18
Tepre Haute Divided

Government had conducted an investigation
and after the arrests of the first IS men
tment was divided in Terre Haute. Some of
the business men believed that the national
publicity would injure the city, that business
would be harmed, while others held the probe
TO be nothing but a political frame-up to be
used as Democratic cleanup" material. Not
n few of the leading citizens maintained that
the Government had no jurisdiction in the
case, and honestly believed that little
could he done Even the newspapers were
apathetc. Along the street it was common
talk that "it would be fixed In Washington"
Taggart would never consent to the probe,
and Taggart controls Senators Kern and
Shively! All sorts of rumors went about.
Frank A. Daley, the District Attorney, would
be called off the case because he secured his
appointment through Senator Kern. Others
had 1t that Judge Anderson had received
orders from the Department of Justice telling
him to kill the case. The citizens of Terre
Haute did not know Judge Anderson and the
District Attorney.
Again the women came to the front-they
heard all these rumors; heard the winners,
the men who "Snew that Fairbanks would fix
it with his money" and they decided that
the attitude of many of Terre Hautes mer-
chants and business men was a most dan
argued that the Government never could be
expected to go or with the case IL strong
public spirit was lacking at home. They real
lied, too, that public spirit was not lack
ing; 1t only had been crushed. Even tho
glowing prospects of the Governments inter
vention seemingly failed to awaken the peo-
ple-they had seen the Fairbanks money and
the Taggart machine before They knew we'll
or its workings In Washington They miscal-
culated upon the man who sat in the White
House, the Attorney General and that Judge
and District Attorney in indianapolis,
The Stores Boycotted
The women decided that the public spirit
must be quckened. Then they served notice
through the press, at their meetings and at
home to husbands and brothers that the
Government must be supported. This was the
notice served:
''Terre Haute is politically corrupt. Light
Is ahead. You must support this inVestiga-
tion. We have been robbed and the name
OF our city blackened. We women have de-
creed that things shall change. You will
either make this fit place to live or we
shall not spend cent in Terre Haute stores"
Then began the great boycott to force pub
lie sentiment. If woman starts anything
II is usually considered a Joke-this threat
was taken as a Joke in Terre Haute. Some
OF the merchants awolSe, however, when they
learned that the District Attorney had sum
moned a large number OF the women to ap-
pear before the Grand Jury. 1t leaked out
that many of the poll watchers had con-
fronted the repeaters in Indianapolis; that
confessions had been secured from several
of the men after they had been Identified and
accused by the women. In addition. Christ
mas was approaching. The women let it be
known that they were making their pur-
chases I'm Indiana's capital. Items were in
serted in the newspapers similar TO the follow
ing: Mrs. }. spent yesterday IN Indianapolis
making her chrssmas purchases This aid