The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-30
GREATEST ELECTION
FRAUD IN HISTORY
OF UNITED STATES
APPARENTLY FOUND
Assistant Secretary of u. S.
Senate Among Prominent
Men Named in Indict-
ment Against Michi-
gan Senator
BY Associated Press

BY Associated fFess
Grand Rapids, November 20.
Truman III. Newberry, United
States senator from Michigan,
was indicted by United States
grand jury today for corrup-
ton, fraud and conspiracy in
connection with the election by
which he obtained his seat in
the Senate, defeating Henry
Ford, his democratic opponent.
With Newberry 1873 other persons
were indicted by the grand jury
the same charge. The names OF NIL but
the IL most prominent were withheld
from publication by Judge Clarence w.
Sessions, presiding, until warrants
could be served on them. Among those
named were w. A. Hopkins of st. Clair,
Mich, assistant secretary of the United
States senate; John :. Ncwberry, broth
err of the senator, Detroit. and Paul II.
King of Detroit. King was manager
OF the NeSvberry campaign committee.
The others named were Allan X.
Newberry campaign committees; Fred
erick Smith, Detroit, manager OF the
Newberry estate; Charles A. Floyd. De-
troit; Mart p. Mckee, Detroit; Judd
Yelland. Escanaba, Mich; Milton Oak
man, Detroit formerly county clerk OF
Wayne county; Harry o. Turner. Detroit:
Frank Mckay, Grand Rapids James h.
Bradley, Eaton Rapids, and Gladstone
Beattie, Paw Paw Judge Sessions indi-
Gated the evidence before the grand Jury
disclosed the fraudulent expenditure of
between s50o,ooo and 81, 900, 0o0 in connection
with the election.
TWO BLANKET INDICTMENTS
Two blanket indictments were returned
dealing with the primary and election
campaigns of 1915 in which Henry Ford
| was Senator Newberry's chief opponent
/ The first indictment charged that both
| federal and st4te Jaws were violated in
i that sums fsra IN excess Of legitimate
exp, Asses were used in the eanpaisu
| The seco4d Indictment cited the affida-
WITS which Senator Newberry made whiic
serving at the Brooklyn navy yard in
which he swore no campaign money had
| been spent by him or with his knowl-
edge. This affidavit, the Indictment
charged was a part OF general con-
| spiracy to aid the senator to obtain Of
! flee Illegally and to aid him also in
concealing violations of election stat
utes.
| There we're six counts In the first in
dctment. The first four were devoted
| to charges of excess campaign expendi-
| lures. The fifth alleged conspiracy TO
violate the federal corrupt practices act
| of October, 1918. which penalties pay
ment of money to voters The sixth
count to which Frank c. Daley, special
assistant to the Attorney General at
tached especial Significance, alleged that
the mails were used Ito defraud all tho
| people of the state of Michigan.
| The sixth count charged that not only
were all voters of the state defrauded
| but that honest campaign contrinn-
| tors were also victims in that they were
misled into believing that the legal lim-
| its of expenditures hal not been ex-
ceeded 1t also charged that more man
100000 of the contributed funds were
| converted to the personal use of some OF
| the campaign managers
This sixth count also contained clause
| charging that James Helm, former state
dairy and food commissioner, and oppo7
| nent OF Henry Ford in the democratic
primary. received from the Newoerry or
ganization funds "for his compensation
| and expenses in seeking. nomination 70
said office Of senator at the primary,
| the alleged purpose being to alu the
| Newberry cause by preventing Democrat
ic voters from lining up with ford III
| the republican primary
| PAlD w ZEN IL ofAhHN
| In a list of 3S covert acts attached 10
the indictments, was an accusation that
| Helms compensation for his canoi-
dacy was $50 week
These % alleged overt acts were
| charged against IA men and carried ac-
cusations of having given rewards rang
! ing from promises of IA good 1op. 70
| payments of sums varying from - TO
$3.50 as returns for support or activity
| in the Newberry campaign. One country
editor is alleged TO have received ton
of print papcr. =.
| The extreme penalty which may "
| imposed under the indictments is ms
OF $4,000 and two years Imprisonment
| The identity, OF only the CHER figurss
| In the case were revealed in court todsf'
| On instructions from Judge Clarence w
Sessions of the United states districe
court, the names Of the others were I'M
nounded. to be released only when their
| owners have been served with warrants
based upon the indictments.
| John S. Newberry, the senator's oro-h-
or. was active in the primary and .slsr-
| ton campaigns and. according to stass-
meut filed after the election by the Now.