Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-12-08
GAMBLING LID
LEFT TILTED BY
ADAMS FAILURE
FiascO Made of Presenting
Evidence in Dan Smith
Case in City Court.
WAY SEEMED CREASED

WAY SEEMED CREASED
The utter Indifference of the prOsecu-
tor Of Marion County TO the open gam
bling conducted by a syndicate Of re
markable influence In the moral and po-
litical life Of Indianapolis was empha-
sized Yesterday in Police Court when
Dan Smith. politician. former saloon
keeper and "Oil company promoter wa9
fined SO and costs by Judge Walter
Pritchard on Il charge OF pool selling
Smith appealed from the Judgment and
unless the prosecutor Is compelled by
public sentiment TO present better case
gainst him in Criminal Court than was
presented in the City Court. the convic-
ton cannot be expected to stand.
In convicting Smith yesterday, Judge
Walter Pritchard drew on his judicial
knowledge Of the gambling that has ex-
listed unm0lested in Indianapolis for
years for che facts on which TO base his
decision after the State, as represented
by an assistant to the city attorney, had
failed miserably to present to the court
evidence which it had at hand and which
might have been employed efficiently not
only to convict Smith. but also TO break
MP the gambling syndicate that Is prey
ing on the people OF Indianapolis.
CASE CALLED
MONTH AFTER.
The presentation of the case against
Dan Smith, almost a month after his ar
rest in his "Oil company Office at Is
West Market street, was left to William
Remv. assistant city attorney. whose
duties I'm the Police Court ordinarily are
the presentation Of cases involving vtO-
Iations Of city ordinances.
Ralph Spaan, deputy prosecutor, was
absent conveniently from the courtroom
when the case was tried. Nos repre-
sentative Of Prosecutor CIaris Adams was
in the courtroom.
The afidavits against Smith were not
made ont previously TO the date Of trial,
although he was arrested Nov. u, and
the arresting officer, former Sergeant
Russell, had never had sn opportunity
10 confer with the prosecutor relative to
the case.
At the last minute. a sort Of double
relied" affidavit charging Smith with
epting a bet of 500 to 500 with J. T.
&orman that Watson would be elected
genator was filed out and presented to
> the court.
The affidavit was based on two tickets
found by Russell on the person Of Smith
when the arrest was made.
TWO TICKETS
ARE INTRODUCED.
These two tickets. the same IN form
as the tickets used by the Stegemeier
Bros. before they agreed TO stop taking
bets at their place Of business, were In
troduced in evidence.
Smith asserted on the witness stan1
that they were old tickets. representing
bets placed on the election four years
ago, and declared he just happened TO
lave been carrying them in his pocket.
No effort was made by the state 10
establish the identity OF J. T. Norman.
although it is an ofTense under the Jaws
Of Indiana 10 place a bet on the cleo
tion.
The only J. T. Norman known In Indi-
annapolis is an officer OF the National
City bank and close business associate
Of Governor James Z. Goodrich. This
MoOrman was q stockholder and direc-
tor in the Globe Mining Company when
c0nvicts from the penal farm were en-
ployed iu opening the stripper mine Ct
that company in Pike County. At that
time Governor Goodrich said Norman
was zone Of his cleest business and per-
sonai associates"
MOORMAN AND
GARBAGE PLANT.
J. +. Norman also was an officer Of
- he Indianapolis Reduction Company.
which sold the sanitary district Of Indf-
Moorman himself had testified that the
plant was not worth the cost Of junk
ing it.
In addition to the betting tickets which
Sergeant Russell found he produced a
number Of horse race form sheets. MEM
oranda Of odds bets. etc, which he tes-
tided he found ia the desk used by Dan
Smith and sam Barton.
Smith denied ownership OF them anl
declared he did not know they were in
his desk
Barton equally was vociferOus IN dis
claiming any knowledge Of these papers.
Barton declared he was an oil stock
salesman. but lie could not remember
that he had sold any oil stock in the
last two months
Among the papers found in the desk
by Russell were bills for telephone
service rendered by the Postal Tele-
graph Company 10 one Donnell which
showed a large number Of calls 10 one
Wolf and one Katz at Cincinnati and
Louisville
JUDGE PRITC HARD
Is SURPRISED.
Some surprise was expressed by Judge
Pritchard that the Postal Telegraph
Company was rendering a telephone sery-
ice in Indianapolis without any lega.
franchise for such service, but no one
connected with the prosecutors office
The climax OK the sheer ineficieucy Of
the prosecution. conducted without the
assistance OF either the prosecutor or a ny
of his deputies, was the admission Of Mr.
&Remy that personally he had only a
&Ergue idea OF q pool such as Dan Smith
- accused OF selling
IS a result of the complete failure Of
the prosecutors office 20 pay any at
tentiOu whatsoever 20 the case against
Dan Smith. these opportunities were lost:
l. To uncover the methods of the
gambling syndicate In indianapolis
2. To ascertain under what author
ity the Postal Telegraph Company
provides telephone service from
racing centers to betting places IN
Indianapolis.
3. To convict Dan Smith on a
charge such would make him
study the advisability Of continuing
the operation OF his "ofi stock sales
Office" at IS West Market street.