Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-01-27
NEWBERRY, With
l34 AIDES, FACES
FEDERAL COURT
Vast Fund Used to Beat
Ford in Michigan,
Charged +

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. Jan. 27.
senator truman H. Newberry and
l34 others prominent Michigan poll
ticians went to trial in federal court
here today charged with violation of
the elections laws.
Senator Newberry and 1874 other
men were charged with corruption.
fraud and conspiracy by the federal
grand jury which investigated the
senatorial election of 1918. Senator
Newberry is Republican. When the
indictments were returned Nov. 80,
last, United States District Judge C.
W. Sessions, who assembled the Jury,
indicated that evidence obtained by
The inquisitors disclosed that between
$500,000 and $1,000,OOO had been
expended fraudulently in connection
with the election.
The indicted men included every
member of the committee that con-
Quoted the Newberry campaign and
state, county and municipal officials
in virtually every county from Lake
Superior to the Ohio border.
Manager Took Toll.
The conclusions Of the grand jury
were embodied in two blanket indict-
ments. They charged violation of
both federal and state laws by use
of sums of money far in excess of
legitimate expenses in the campaign:
and violation of the federal corrupt
practices act, which penalties pay
ment of money to voters. Use of
the mails "to defraud all the people
of Michigan" was further charged
against the campaign committee.
More than 100000 of the contribut-
ed fund, it charged was converted to
the personal use of some of the cam
paign managers.
James W. Helme. former state
dairy and food commissioner, who op-
posed Henry Ford for the Democrat
ic nomination in the senatorial pri-
mary, another clause of the indict-
ment alleged, was compensated by the
Newberry organization for making
the primary race. The alleged pur-
pose was to prevent Democratic vot-
ers from "lining up" with Ford in the
Republican primary.
Attached to the indictments was a
list of more than two score covert
acts" These contained charges that
number of those indicted had given
rewards ranging from promises of a
good job" to payments of sums
ranging from SIS to $2,750 in return
for support in the Newberry cam
paign. One country editor was al
legged to have received a ton of print
paper.
Daley the Prosecutor.
The grand jury investigation was
conducted by Frank o. DALEY. of
Indianapolis, former United States
attorney for Indiana. It was order
ed by the Department of Justice Oc-
tober Is, and was based, it was an
nounced, on complaints filed with the
department "and also published
charges of fraud and corruption
made by Lieutenant Governor Dick
inson, of Michigan, and others.
Senator Newberry and thirteen of
the men who directed the campaign
work in 1918, appeared before Judge
Sessions Dec. and on the advice of
counsel stood mute. This was done,
it was explained, that the validity of
the indictments might be challenged
later, should it be decided to attack
them. The right to raise technical
questions, it was stated, would have
been sacrificed by pleas of not guilty.
Senator Newberry and each of the
thirteen men who appeared with him
were held in bonds of $4,000 and
$4,000 on the first and second indict-
ments, respectively.
The maximum penalty for the of
fenses charged, is a fine of $4,000