Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-06-02
JUDGE GEIGER
DIRECTS CASE
Defendant, on Stand, Finds He
Is Not the One to Give
Instructions.

Frank J. Dowd and Joseph +. Cochran,
2142 North Pennsylvania street, were
tried IN Federal Court before Judge Fer
dinand A. Geiger today on charges Of
having IN their possession an automobile
that had been stolen in Chicago.
1t was the contention Of the Govern
ment that these men came here from
New York several months ago with the
intention OF conducting a fence" for sto-
len automobiles.
When they were arrested by Detectives
Rugerstcin and Hines, April 3 they were
working on the car In question In a va
cant lot in South Meridian street. al
though they were operating an automo-
bile salesroom at sos North Delaware
street Evidence introduced by Floyd
J. Mattice assistant United States dis
trlct attorney. who was In charge of
the case. showed that IN addition to the
sglesroom DOwd and Cochran rented
barn At 1855 South Meridian street, where
the stolen car was kept for about two
weeks The detectives testified that be
tween the time the car was stored In
the barn and the time the arrests were
made that the motor numbers had been
changed as had the license plates. A
set OF dies for changing motor numbers
was found at the salesroom.
BRINGS DOWN
JUDGES WRATH.
Cochran, VITO is deaf, brought down the
wrath OF Judge Geiger upon his head,
when he said he would refuse to answer
questions Of Mr.. Mattice unless the as
sistant district attorney came up and
stood by his chair.
II am conducting this case Judge
Geiger said, "and II there are any di-
u - l. 7 iii - 4
not you"
1t was noticeable that from this point
Cochran's hearing improved to a marked
degree,
The defendants took the stand in their
own behalf, denied any knowledge Of
the fact that the car had been stolen
when they bought 1t and denied that they
knew anything as to how the motor num-
bers had been changed while the car was
in their possession.
PETE WILLIAMS
BOND FORFEITED.
The $4,000 bond of w. D. (Pete) Will
liams, whose sentence of six months In
Jail imposed on him for violation of the
Federal liquor laws by Judge Albert B.
Anderson almost two years ago, was at
J ffrmed by the Supreme Court of he
United States recently, was declared for
feited by Judge Geiger. All attempts Of
Milton Mangus, Williams attorney, or Of
the bOndsmen, Arthur Heizer and Henry
Lang, both Of Indianapolis, to locate
Williams have failed.
Frederick Van Nuys, United States
District Attorney, said today that he will
institute suit on the bond in the near
future.
Following his policy of refusing to re-
view the decisions of State courts, Judge
Gelger permitted Clyde Hartman of South
Bend to 70 free. Hartman admitted that
he had manufactured a large quantity
of prune wine, and that for this offense
he had been fined 5000 and given a SEN
tence Of sixty days in Jail by the city
court at South Bend. He said that the
days had been suspended because he was
the father of twelve children.
Eighteen members of the graduating
class Of the Benjamin Harrison Law
School, two Of whom were women, were
admitted to practice in the Federal Court
The oath was administered in open court
by Noble o. Butler, clerk of the court.