Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-04-10

Almost Immediately he was
whlsked away in an automobile be-
longing to Louis c. Huesmann, presi-
dent of the Central Supply Company.
Beyond the fact that he was in In
dianapolis and that he greatly feared
that he had lost favorite pipe,
fear that ultimately turned out to be
groundless to his great joy, Mr..
Daugherty refused to discuss any
thing, admit anything, confirm or
deny anything, or say anything.
When asked If his visit had any bear-
ing on the coal strike situation, he an
swered:
II am not saying anything now. How
ever, l used to do some newspaper work,
and did some guessing, too. And it was
mighty seldom that I missed a guess"
A news dispatch from Washington to-
day said Attorney General Daughertys
trip to indianapolis was believed to be
in connection with a Government move
in connection with the coal strike.
With the Attorney General were War
rem T. Martin, private secretary; Ches-
ter Mcclure, stenographer, and Jesse
Smith, who said he did not have any
official position, but is believed to be
either a secret service or department of
justice agent, and to be acting in the
capacity Of a bodyguard.
LOST PIPE
CAUSES WORRY.
Mr.. Daugherty wore a checkered suit
and a worried expression. The latter
disappeared when It was discovered that
the pet pipe Of the Cabinet official was
not lost. The pipe had been a COM
panion Of the I attorney general for
fifteen years, it was explained
After stating that he might possibly,
perhaps, maybe, but not at all GER
tainly, have something TO say late this
afternoon, Mr.. Daugherty and some Of
his belongings drove off in Mr.. Hues-
mann's car, while the rest OF the party
was borne of in a taxicab.
That Attorney General Daugherty's
visit is concerned with some phase Of the
coal strike is taken for granted on all
sides, but just what he intends to do is
the question that is arousing the great
degree of speculation.
EXPECTED TO
TAKE ACTION.
The general opinion seems to be that
before he leaves indianapolis he will go
before Judge Albert B. Anderson in Fed
eral Court and move the dismissal of the
indictments returned Feb %, 1921,
against 225 coal operators, union officials
and companies, charging them with v1o-
lstion Of the Sherman antitrust law.
This opinion is Lased largely on the
statement of Mr.. Daugherty made at
Washington several days ago that if
miners and operators would arrange for
a conference in the present situation that
they need not fear prosecution for so
doing. However, 1t is understood that
both miners and operators felt that be-
fore a conference could be held the in
dlctments pending before Judge Ander-
son should be disposed Of, as these In
dictments are based partly on conferences
of similar nature held in the past.
LOCAL OFFICIALS
ARE SURPRISED.
The attorney generals arrival came as
a complete surprise to Federal officials
here. Homer Elliott. United States dis
trict attorney, said he had no word in
advance of the visit, and L. Ert Slack
special assistant to the attorney general
In the prosecution of the coal case, did
until an hour after the arrival of the at
torney general.
In fact, ever since President Harding
took office there has been a very general
feeling that the cases never would come
to trial.
1t has been pointed out that there ars
strong personal and business ties ex-
listing between members Of the Repub-
lican national administration and many
Of the defendants For example, one of
the defendants is William X Field,
president Of the Pittsburgh company and
the Pittsburgh Coal Company. Andrew
J. Mellon, secretary of the treasury, is
a director of the Pittsburgh Coal Com
pany, and a close personal friend Of Mr..
Field. Attorney General Daugherty and
Mr.. Field, both live in Columbus, are
neighbors, and their friendship is Of
long standing.
Another defendant, George NJ. Jones
of Toledo, Ohio is president of several
corporations affected. He was charged
by the Democrats during the last ma
tional campaign as being one Of the most
prominent collectors of hte Harding
campaign fund in Ohio.
Many other alleged connections Of the
same kind have been mentioned Until
the coal strike became effective it was
believed that the cases would be con-
tinued Indefinitely and no steps taken
to bring them to trial, until they be-
came decrepit with age and the public
had lost interest in them and then they
would be dismissed on motion Of the
attorney general.
The coal strike is believed by many to
have made this procedure no longer pos
sibe and to have made immediate action
of some kind, necessary.