The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-06-22
e er One Hundred In Indian
) apolis, Indicted by the
Grand Jury
Today
TOM TAGGERT ON LIST
National Committeeman, Mayor OF
City. Chief OF Police and others
Charged With Election
Frauds

limited Press Leased Wire Sery1ce1
INDIANAPOLIS. IND, June a.
Thomas Taggart, democratic national
committeeman for Indiana. Mayor
Joseph Bell. Chief of Police Samuel
Perrott and l25 other Indiana polttt
clans were indicted today by the
Marion county grand jury, charged
with consptring TO commit fofty-etSht
felonies In connection with the re-
cent county primary, registration and
election.
The grand jury will vote again this
afternoon and it is understood thv
vote will be on other alleged 'highe:
ups" IN Indiana politics.
Although the majority OF the l2s
indicted men are democrats, there are
several prominent republicans notably
Robert MetZger, former republican
chief OF police and sheriff OF Marion
county Dom NJ. Roberts, former
mayor of Terre Haute now In Leaven-
worth prison for election frauds, is
named in the Indictment
One indictment, containing forty
eight counts, was returned.
Arrests had not yet been made at
noon. The more prominent men in
the list are to be held In bail of $1o.-
O00 Lesser lights must give bond OF
So. 600 and others face bonds OF $2,5oo.
The unlawful acts alleged in the
Indictment include such as importing
voters. repeating, tampering with cleo.
ton returns by election officials: use
OF violence, threats OF restraint
against voters: violation BY inspec-
tors OF laws concerning voting ma.
chimes, etc.
Among the more prominent men
indicted are:-Frank P. Baker. for
mer county prosecutor: Dennis Bush.
street commissioner: Michael Glenn,
police lieutenant: Oscar Merrill. po-
lice lieutenant; Hubert s. Riley. OF
the board OF works: Herman Adams.
inspector OF weights and measures; ;
John W. Sluss, ex-super ntendent Of
the city hospital; Fred ]. Barrett.
democratic county chairman; Jacob
Hilkane. building inspector.
Neither Mr.. Taggart or Mr.. Bell
could be found Immediately after
the indictments were returned
The indicted men will be arraign-
ed before Judge James A. Collins OF
the Marion county criminal court.
Judge Collins was elected on the sue
cessful republican ticket in the cleo
tion which will be probed in the pros
ecution Of these democratic leaders.
The Marion county grand jury has
been investigating the recent election
for several months. During the trial
OF the Tecre Haute gangsters In fed
eral court here, 1t was rumored that
many politicians would be indicted by
the local grand jury.
The name of Dom NJ. Roberts is the
chief connecting link btween this al
legged conspiracy and the one shown
to have existed in Terre Haute. 1t
is said that Alvah J. Rucker. prose
cutor of Marion county. has evidence
with which he hopes to show certain
relationship between Terre Haute and
indianapolis. Joseph Roach, a Terra
Haute attorney, was employed by the
local prosecutors Office during the IL
vestigation. Roach Is said to be more
directly familiar with Terre Haute
political conditions than any other
one man.
Taggart was located at the sheriff
Office. where he and Mayor Bell had
just given bond.
Il have no statement to make at
present." he said for I have not
yet seen the Indictment"
Taggart said that everyone was
giving bond as he appeared at the
sherfrs office. Bond win be supplied
for all Of the indicted men, he said