Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-07-27
TWO INDICTED
ON CHARGE OF
BRIBERY PLOT
Collected 1925 to Fix Judge
and Others for Release of
Clifford Tate.
WOODS UNDER ARREST
Second Man Wanted Said to
Have Left Hotel Four
Days Ago.

TWO men were indicted by the
Marion County grand jury today on
charges Of receiving 1925 from the
parents and relatives of Clifford
Tate, who is serving a years SEN
tence at the Indiana State Farm on
a COW stealing charge, for the al
legged purpose of bribing Judge James
/ A. Collins of the Criminal Court,
Prosecutor William 2. Evans and
other courthouse officials to sign
their names to a petition asking for
the pardon or parole of Tate from
the State Farm.
I Lee Woods is one of the men arrested
at the State Playground this afternoon by
deputies from the office of Sheriff George
Snider. Woods IS known as an active
Republican ward politician, it is said
( The deputies visited local hotel where
the other man is said to have lived and
the clerk Informed them he had left the
hotel four days ago, leaving an unpaid
/ bill His name was withheld by the
authorities
TWO CHARGES
IN INDICTMENTS.
The men are charged with grand lar
ceny and obtaining money under false
pretense from Fuller E. Vanderhoof 3510
East Twenty Second street, a father-fn-
law Of Clifford Tate and John Tate and
Maud Tate. 1850 Manlove avenue who are
the parents of Clifford
1t is charged these two men repre-
/ sented to Mr.. Vanderhoof and the Tateg
that if certain amounts of money would
be given they could fix it, with county
officials to get them to sign a petition
asking that Clifford Tate be released from
/ the Indiana State Farm
SAID "S1Oo NECESSARY
FOR JUDGE TO SIGN"
The indictment charges that the two
men did "unlawfully feloniously and
falsely pretend to Fuller Z. Yanderhoof,
John Tate and Maud Tate that upon tha
payment to them Of S325 in lawful and
current money of the United States, then
and there of the value of 1925, that they
would cause to be circulated a petition
asking for the relase Of one Clifford Tate
! from Imprisonment who was then and
/ there seFing a sentence at the Indiana
State Farm, which said sentence had been
imposed upon the said Clifford Tate by
the judge Of the Marion County Criminal
/ Court and that the money received from
them would be used to pay and to get GER
tain public officials of Marion County TO
sign their names to said petition asking
for the release of the said Clifford Tate
from confinement" and that the two de-
PENDANTS falsely pretended that it would
be necessary to pay to the said public
officials an average Of $15 to get them
to sign as petitioners their names to the
said petition, excepting that it would cost
ion County Criminal Court and SO to
William P. Evans, prosecuting attorney
of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, to sign
their names to said petition, which said
petition was to be presented to the par
dons board and to the Governor of the
State of Indiana to secure the release from
confinement and Imprisonment of the said
Clifford Tate"
DECLARES THEY SAID
EVERYTHING FIXED"
1t is allegedIin the indictment that the
two defendants represented that every
thing was fixed" when the money was
turned over to them.
1t is further stated that the two de-
PENDANTS knew there was no agreement
with the court nor the judge for the
payment OF certain money to secure theiy
signature, and that all the representa-,
tons made by the defendants to Nander-
hoof and the Tates were false
The Indictment alleges that the de-
PENDANTS actually received 1925 from the
Tates and Vanderhoof under the false
representation that Clifford Tates re-
lease could be obtained through corrup-
ton and bribery
Prosecutor William P Evans issued
the following statement:
THE Indictment in this case charges
these men with serious offense IL
such practices are permitted to continue,
they will surely undermine the con-
fidence of the more credulous portion of
the people in our courts. Men who profit
financially by representing to the
friends and relatives of men who are IN
prison that they can secure recommenda-
tions from responsible officials for the
pardon or parole of prisoners sent from
this county and who go to the extent or
saying that they can secure recommends
tiOns for leniency from officials but
money must be employed, are striking
seriously at our judicial system. Unln-
formed people, under the stress of cir
cumstances, who are disposed tc believe
their statements must know the men
who make them are vicious and 1 hope
as a result of this prosecution such prac-
tices may be effectively stopped In
Marion County"