South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-02
Ex-Judge 0rbiSOn, Pleading for
Sheriff, Police, Judge and
County SeaIer, ASSaiIS Evi-
denCe of "CroOkS."
ROBERTS ASSAILED AS
HEAD OF CONSPIRACY
Asst. Dist. Atty. MOgnuS Says
"Sordid Search For Dollars"
Furnished AnimuS For Men
to Join in Crime.

INDIANAPOLIS, April p Admit
ting that there was fraud and cOnspir-
acy in the last election n Terre Haute
and condemning conditions which
have existed there for years, eX-Judge
Charles Orbison, arguing the Terre
Haute election conspiracy case for
Sheriff Dennis Shea, county sealer
Maurice Walsh and Police Judge
Thomas Smith, made brief summary
of the events today.
He denied that any part OF the
81, 1000 slush fund reached Walsh, VINO
was treasurer of the county demo-
cratic committee. He assailed former
Chief of Police HOller, former Asst.
Chief Nugent and Jack Hines and
Buster Clark, saloon keepers, blaming
them for the conspiracy to steal the
election.
"How can you convict men on the
testimony of a group of crooks,
thieves. gamblers and saloon keep
ers?" asked eX-Judge Orbison, de-
Tending his three clients in particular
and the entire 2S defendants IN gem
eral.
Admits Conspiracy.
1.-THE court has said in his judgment
that there was a conspiracy L sald
there was a conspiracy to corrupt ana
defraud voters and get by fraudulent
means that which could not be gotJen
otherwise. 1 say what SS men came
into court and confessed. That Is
enough to make the proposition selI
evident They have confessed so lar
as themselves are concerned, that they
conspired to undermine the principles
of our government" declared OrblsOn.
| "There is only one question TO decide
In this case-who were the cOnsplra-
tors" -.
J DALEY for his conduct Of the govern
| ment's case and at the same time SAID
the attorneys had no apologies to Of
fer; they were defending men, not
Defense Attorneys Speak.
Attorneys representing Mayor Dom
NJ. Roberts and 27 co-defendants IN
the federal governments case chars
| ing conspiracy TO corrupt elecuons IN
| Terre Haute and Vigo county, TO-DAY
evnected TO consume all of the court S
time in arguments to convince the jury
that no conspiracy existed. The oe-
Tense also will have several hours To-
morrow for the same purpose, ana
| Mist ATTY. Frank G. Daley Will Wlnu
up for the government. ACCORDING 10
present indications the jury may get
the cast late Saturday
N
resenting defendants Shea, Smith and
walsh. was scheduled to begin the ar
gurnent this forenoon.
Asst DIST. Atty Milton w. Magnus
late Thursday analyZed the govern
mont case before the jury, touching
ON some of the evidence that has Deeh
presented against the ZS de1ehdahIs
and pointing out that more lhdh oVV
witnesses have appeared to prove all
l-tbat the government outlined at the
onening of the trial. Eighty of these
were men against whom indictments
were returned by the grand jury puI
who entered pleas of guilty.
Magnus severely rebuked Mayor
Roberts for his alleged participation
in the conspiracy, and contenueo thaC
tba evidence shows cOnclusiVely that
tbe 116 men indicted conspired to de-
fraud the United States in the election
of a representative in congress ana
United States senator.
saws Roberts Led Conspiracy.
Magnus accused Mayor Roberts Of
having charge OF the conspiracy and
! of assuming full responsibility Tor It's
perpetuation- He declared that the
government does not necessarily need
10 prove that the cOnSpirators sat
down and planned a confederation, but
that they have have acquiesced in par
ticipatiOn therein by word of mouth,
nod OF the head or in any one Of a
number Of other ways
The assistant district attorney ar
eued that the evidence showed that
| Roberts took charge OF the conspiracy
when he decided Chief of Police HOl-
Ter TO make out the cards with ficti-
tious names for registration and voting
purposes and when he directed Asst
Chief Nugent 10 collect funds from
saloon keepers, gamblers and under
world habitues. He said that Elmer
J.. Labold, city controller under Rob
erts. was the medium through which
the cards were distributed through
out Terre Haute and Nigo county.
Vigo county Sheriff Daniel Shea
characterized as the king Bee Of
the sixth ward. where. ii is alleged, he
bought votes all day. Alexander Ac-
eel. a Hungarian. gave foreign boys
their first lesson in voting, Magnus as
serted
Money Furnished "Animus"
After bringing in the names Of other
defendants. Magnus insisted that the
| conspirators received the animus Of
| their action from their sordid search
J for the dollar. !