Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-26
CRY OF PERJURY
BY ALSO RAMS
NOW WFALLSFLAT
Grand Jury ExOnerates Voters
of Charges Made by News
Jewett Forces.
423 AFFIDAVITS FILED

The Marion Country grand Jury to-
day practically exonerated all voters
at the last primary of perjury when
the jury returned a report OF its in
vestigation and examination OF all
afidavits made at the primary cleo
ton held on May last.
The report of the grand ju.y prac-
tically means that no voter COM
mitted perjury in making out aff1-
davits when he declared party af1li-
alton at the primary.
That sufficient evidence has not yet
been procured upon which indictments
for perjury can be based with a reason
able expectation of securing convicting
thereon" the jury reported
This report silences the cry Of mem
berS Of the News -Jewett forces which
were back Of Mr.. Thomas C. Howe, who
was defeated for the nomination by Sam
uel Lewis Shank, that Democrats COM
mttted perjury in order to vote the Re-
publican ticket.
The grand jury reports that there were
only 42S affidavits made out by voters
ACAuOStAhS hepuDilCan DaIlOIs. line
small total number of affidavits there
fore indicates that the cry of the de-
feated News Jewett workers that the
Democrats "bolted" their own ranks to
nominate Mr.. Shank is not borne out by
the facts. The number of affidayits
shows that it was the Republicans who
unaided nominated Mr.. Shank and not
"Terjured' Democrats.
Prosecutor William P Evans publicly
announced some time ago the grand tury.
as required under the law, would ex-
anime all affidavits and would hear any
evidence tending TO show If any of them
were perjured. No one however, was
seen to appear before the grand jury.
The complete grand jury report, which
was rendered to Judge James A. Collins
today, is as follows:
To the Judge Of the Marion Criminal
Court:
We, the grand Jury of Marion County,
desire to report to this honorable court
that pursuant to section 710S, Buras Re-
yised Supplement, 1913, there was /deliy-
cred to your grand jury by the clerk of
the Marion Circuit Court seventy five (75l
envelopes, said to contain all of the af-
hdayltS taken on the day of the primary
election, held May 8, 1921, excepting those
OF the election board, and upon the re-
ceipt of said envelopes your grand Jury
opened same and proceeded to make in
quiry as to the truth or falsity Of such
aftidavits. Said envelopes contained the
following forms Of af1davits: % chhl-
lenged voter who voted at the last gem
eral election; (2) challenged voter who
did not vote az the last general election;
% voter under twenty one (21) years
old; "a voter who is unable to read the
English language; (5) voter whose name
does not appear on the registration
books of precinct; (6) oaths of members
of election board.
"Our investigation reveals that the
various afffants followed the forms pre-
scribed by the election board for the
making of said affidavits, with the ex-
ception Of eleven 11) affidavits which
did not state the name OF the political
party with which the affiant had
affiliated and those affidavits were not
counted or considered.
Your grand jury further desires to re-
port that Sufficient evidence has not yet
been procured upon which indictments
o. perjury can be based with a reason
able expectation OF securing conviction
thereon.
I'VE desire to submit herewith a sum-
mary Of all afhdavits received by this
grand jury from the county clerk deal
Ing with party affliation and rom those
whose names do not appear upon the
registration books, which summary show
ing the number of affidavits for each
party and those affidavits not counted is
as follows, to-wit: