Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-04-15
VIII II. LGttG, EdUUin A. Hunt and Mrs. Mary Bell
Are Charged in Jurors Report With Conspiracy
to EnbezzIe Public Funds-TOtaL About $50, 900

Charges Of conspiracy to embezzle pub
lie funds were made in indictments re-
turned in Criminal Court today by the
Marion County grand jury against Rich
ard V. Sipe, former Marion County clerk
and three others, who are charged with
working with Sipe.
According to the indictments, approx
mately $4,000 of a trust fund is in.
volved
Richard '. Sipe, embezziement OF pub
lie funds, failure to pay a court JudE-
ment of 5000 due Mrs. SOla b. Parrish
and conspiracy to embezzle public funds
VIII II. Latta, a lawyer, conspiracy to
embezzIe public funds.
Edwin i. Hunt, president of the Pivot
City Realty Company, conspiracy to en-
bezzle public funds.
Mrs. Mary Gunter Bell, cashier for sIpe
when he was county clerk, conspiracy to
embeZzle public funds.
The indictments were returned at 1t
o'clock when the grand jury appeared In
the Criminal Court room,
The allegations upon which the indict-
llCnts We're known follow:
trust fund tOtaIing approximate
" S15O.O0O was exhausted illegally by
Sipe and others through an alleged
conspiracy.
Sipe as county clerk was response
ble under a 100000 bond with the
Hartford Accident and Indemnity
Company as surety for all funds In
his possession.
Hunt is alleged to have approached
Sfpe county clerk for the purpose
OF obtaining a loan" of about SiO,OOO
OF public money and Hunt. vino l. de-
scribed as an agent for Latta. knew
that money which sipe loaned the
as stocks given by SIpe to Hunt, were
from public trust fund.
Sipe not only exhausted his entire
trust funG of more than $3.50. .O0O, but
spent his entire income. approximate
Iy S93,C0O In three years. 1t Is ad-
mitted sips Is penniIess today.
BEGAN BUYING
STOCKS EARLY.
The Indictment indicated tha, Sipe's
misuse o. public funds began shortly
after be took office on Jan /, 1919 He
is said 10 have bought $500 of worth
less movie stock soon after that date.
Under the law the county clerk pays
the salary Of his deputies and clerks out
OF his S31,OO a year income. Prosecutor
Evans IS confident that Mr.. Sipe after
delivering some certificates OF stock to
the bonding company, is now broke"
The State Is unable to show either
through grand jury investigation or by
the field examiners Of the State board OF
accounts just how much Sipe paid for
office help. It is figured that there Is
$4,000 a year gross clear revenue IN the
clerks office, but Sipe has nothing TO
show for his margin of profit.
Both the prosecutor and the State
board Of accounts during the weeks Of
investigation, were handicapped by the
lack Of accurate data showing office ex-
penditures as Sipe mixed both his per
sOnRl and county moneys This he ad-
mitted in public statements following his
arrest on March 1. At that time he
stated he couldn't tell definitely, just
when he began using public funds TO
aid his friends" He admitted such
misuse OF funds had been going on
nearly all the time he was in Office.
EASY MONEY
sPENDER.
The extent Of Sipe's fling at high
finance is indicated in the Indictments He
spent thousands Of dollars with appar-
emily no concern. He could not tell
when be spent his money or that of the
cOuntv.
During the latter part of 1920 Sipe was
forced TO begin covering his losses by
system Of check klting. By this
way he was able to postpone discovery
Of his defaulcation until late last year
when he converted S300G0 worth Of stock
into cash and by depOsitins the money