Indiana daily times., 1920-10-08
REGISTRATION
CHARGES STILL
IN PIGEONHOLE
Prosecutor Adams SHES at
Sitting Prediction
Allegations.
VOTERS UNPROTECTED

Failure of Prosecutor Claris Adams to
conduct q grand jury investigation of
charges made by Democratic County
Chairman Reginald Sullivan in sworn
petition in a mandatory proceeding to
obtain free access to the registration
books that there is a large number of
fraudulent registrations In this city and
county, leaves the voters unprotected as
far as the prosecutors Office is concerned.
IT is matter of record in Superior
Court. Room s. that Chairman Sullivan,
IN his petition for a mandate TO compel
County Auditor Leo X. Eesler to permit
him and his representatives to examine
the records of the first registration, stated
under oath that he was "dehnltely ~
formed and fully believes ana charReS
the fact TO be that in instances too nu-
rnerous 10 here set OUT that ''many OF
tba anplications for registration now IN
+he hands of the defendant (Fesler) are
false and fraudulent"
Judge T. J Moll saw fit to issue a
mandatory order on the request OF the
Democratic County chairman VINO de-
sired access TO the registration BLANKS
in an effort to detect the alleged frauau-
lent registrations.
SULLIVAN SPECIFIES
THE PLACES.
Sullivan. in his application for the
mandate swOre that be had in1ornateon
that fraudulent registrations exist IN the
Thirteenth, Fourteenth ana fIteeuln tV.l't
nrecincts Of the Fourth ward; First
second. Third and Fifth precincts OF tbt'
Etfth ward: the Seventh. Eighth ana
Ninth nrecfucts of the Third ward. and
second Third and Fourth precincts OF
the Sixth ward.
In face of this accusation made in
court Of competent Jurisdiction in man
dafory matters, Prosecutor Adams mas
NOT taken a single step to summon MI
Sullivan or any others IN an attenlpt 10
rrevent the voting of alleged fraudulent
rse,strations at the coming election.
Neither has Judge James A. Collins
of the Criminal Court, who receives all
reports of the grand jury. and who. un-
der the law. IS charged to direct the
grand iurv's attention to such matters.
ordered the grand jury to Investigate
the charge which. if true, would result
in fraud and corruption on election day.
Deputv Prosecutor Ralph Jones, who
IS In charge of the grand jury, has sum.
1noned no witnesses saving he has NOT
been directed TO investigate the charge
sheriff Robert F. Miller has received
no summons ordering the appearance OF
any persons TO appear before the grand
Jury relative 10 the alleged fraudulent
registration.
The statement. sworn TO by Chairman
Sullivan. stands uncontradicted in the
court of Judge Moll.
NOTHING WRONG.
SAYS FEsLER.
Leo X Fesler. county auditor, and
prominently identified in the Republicaa
county organization, and in whose Gus
tody the registration records are KEEP:
until election day. contends there are no
fraudulent registrations
'There are probably a hundred or two
hundred people who have registered in
the wrong precincts and that will be
submitted to the various chairmen," said
Fesler.
Continuing, he said, Every dag we are
& receiving registrations by mail but they
are too late aud we are notifying them
Of that fact by mail.
II Will go so far as to say that I win
offer 500 reward If the Democratic county
chairman can show that a single mem
Der of the registration boards in Sep
tember criminally and fraudulently put
illegal reg 'strations on the books
Chairman Sullivan specifically charged
IN his petition for 4 mandate that the
law was violated at the first gegistra.
ton In that voters whose names ap.
peared Oh the applications did not sign
them" and that some applications "pur-
port to be signed by various voters Ia
said precincts but that they are not SO
signed"
This easily could be done without
s the registration officials willingly or
even knowingly doing it, as hundreds
of applications were made out at places
other than the registration headquarters.
Not a single step has been taken so
far by Prosecutor Adams to determine
whether there are fraudulent registra-
tiOns on the books.
Auditor Fesler has never announced
that he has made personal investiga-
tion to determine whether there are
false registrations in the precincts and
wards specifically named by Chairman
Sullivan in his mandatory petition.