The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1917-07-18
ROBERT ASHE
IS ARRESTED
IN OHIO ON
BRIBE CHARGE
Richmond Man and Mayor
Glenn of New Paris Ac-
cused of Giving 500 to
Bradford Councilmen.
TRAP LAID FOR 'EM

TROY, O., July 18.-Robert s. Ashe,
of Richmond. Indiana, president Of the
Bradford Electric Light company, and
Timothy Glenn, mayor Of New Paris,
o., were arrested at o'clock We'd
nesday morning in Bradford by Sheriff
Barnett, Chief of Police Paul, Of Troy,
Chief of Police Gehle. of Piqua, Deputy
Sheriff Mcdonald and Prosecutor
Kerr, on the charge of bribery.
1t is alleged that the prisoners gave
to the six councilmen of Bradford,
500 each for the purpose OF securing
a ten year franchise for the Bradford
Electric Light company
The arrest was made possible
through the cooperation of Mayor
Hess, of Bradford, and Deputy Mar
shals Preston and Weaver, of the viii
lage. Mayor Hess was the first to
have his suspicious aroused that
parties were attempting to favorably
influence the members of the council
to vote for the extension of the electric
light franchise for a period Of ten
years.
Calls on Prosecutor,
Hess at once got in touch with
Prosecutor Kerr. who in turn called to
his assistance the officers. Sheriff
Barnett, Chief Gehle and Prosecutor
Kerr drove to Bradford Tuesday night.
arriving at o'clock, when they at
once rounded up the six councilmen.
It was not until the councilmen had
been "sweated" for three hours that
they confessed to having received
bribe for their vote on the extension
OF the electric light franchise for ten
years
The six councilmen were first
brought before the officers alone and
it was not until Sheriff Barnett threat
ened to arrest all of them and bring
them to the county jail in Troy that
they admitted their guilt and each in
turn handed over to Prosecutor Kerr
the 500 he had received, the money
being In the original envelopes.
A trap was at once planned to In
duce Ashe to return to Bradford SO
that his arrest could be facilitated and
it would not be necessary to wait for
requisition papers.
Ashe Falls in Trap.
Burr Young, councilman, was in
structed to telephone Ashe that he was
in trouble and to come to Bradford at
once and to bring along Mayor Glenn.
The bait was accepted by the un-
suspecting president of the Bradford
Electric Light company and the trap
was sprung at 4 o'clock Wednesday
morning when Ashe and Glenn arrived
at the Young home, where officers in
hiding arrested the men who were
placed in machines and brought to
Troy.
W. A. Haines, Of Troy, was secured
by the prisoners to represent them.
and when they were arraigned in
Mayor Harmon's court Wednesday
morning they entered a plea of not
guilty. Each was held in the sum Of
$4,000 for his appearance Thursday
night.
After several hours Ashe and Glenn
furnished bond through bonding COM
pany. AS yet no arrests have been
made Of the councilmen and it has
not been decided what will be done so
far as they are concerned.
Suspicion was aroused by the offic-
ers Of the Bradford electric light COM
pany by their opposition to the bond
issue for a new waterworks plant and
extension of the mains in Bradford
When the election was held Ashe and
Glenn are alleged to have done all
within their power to defeat the
measure.