The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-22
Indianapolis Mayor and Chief
of Police Named.
Quarry Includes Republicans,
Democrats, PrOgressives.
CONSPIRACY To CORRUPT VOTE
Bribery and BlackmaiI Charged
in True Bill.
Ex-MayOr Roberts of Terre
Haute Faces More Trouble.

Indianapolis, June 22.-Thos.
Taggart, Democratic national
committeeman, for Indiana;
Joseph E. Bell, mayor of Indian
apolis; Samuel V. Perrott, chief
of police, and 125 others were in
dicted by the Marion county
grand jury here today, charged
with conspiracy to commit fell
ony through violation of election
laws, bribery and blackmail.
Taggart and Bell were the
first to acknowledge service and
were released on bail for $4,000
each.
Many of the indicted men ap-
peared at the office of Sheriff
Coffin this morning and gave
bond. Among those who ap-
peared and the bonds they gave
were:
Chief of Police Perrott,
$4,000.
Robert Meztger, $4,000.
Fred E. Barrett, $4,000.
Dennis Bush, $4,000.
Roy Alexander Pope, $4,000.
Edward Lyons, $4,000.
The Indictment created a SEN
sation. While it had been ru-
mored for some time that a num-
ber Of men were to be indicted in
connection with the last election,
it was not thought men so high
in political councils would be in
cluded.
Not more than a dozen specta-
tors were in court when the
grand jurors submitted the re-
port. The indictment, in forty
eight counts covered more than
IT'S typewriter pages.
The number named in it was
two more than in the indictment
returned in the Terre Haute
election conspiracy and that was
said to have been the largest
number of men ever named in a
single bill.
The charges are based on the
election of November 3, 1914,
the registration of last Septem-
ber and October and the primary
of May 5, 1914.
Taggart Speeds to Sheriff's Office.
Thomas Taggart was the first of the
indicted men to appear at the sheriff's
office to acknowledge service in the
case. He was closely followed by
Mayor Bell. Both were released on
personal bonds of $1,000 each.
All the men-Democrats, Republi-
ma N
a single indictment, which contains
IS counts.
The main charge is conspiracy to
commit felonies by corrupting the
election by violations of the primary
law and the registration laws, by
bribery and blackmail.
The indictment charges GER
tain officials with conspiracy to
permit persons to register false
Iy and to vote falsely i'm the pri-
mary and in the election.
Another count charges persons
with repeating.
Other counts aIIege that GER
tain primary and election boards
permitted the destruction of bal
lots for the purpose of substituting
other ballots therefor.
Two counts set up a conspiracy
to aid and abet primary poll
clerks in marking ballots i'm
manner differently from that re-
queSted by the voters, while other
counts aliege the use of money I'm
influencing the electors, both at
the primary and i'm the general
election.
Another count charges certain
election officials with giving in.
formation to outsiders as to how
some of the electors voted.
Padding the tally sheets for
certain candidates is alleged in
another section of the Indictment
while another count charges pO-
Iicemen We're permitted to stand
within fifty feet of the polls ''for
improper PURPOSES" i'm violation
of the state law.
Repeaters were imported from out.
side of the county for use in the elec-
ton. it is asserted in the indictment
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