The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-11-01
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Gilliom not more explicit when he made the
final gesture on Saturday evening, speaking in the
home city of Thomas Adams, the Vincennes pub
Usher and declared "a notorious State prison con-
Wet is trying to blackmail his way to freedom"
With or without his consent, Mr.. Gilliom was
commended to the Republican editors Of the State
as having more than usual interest because he has
been an assistant Prosecutor Remy in the invest
CATION of the Stephenson charges and other matters
Z Of like import.
That emphasis made what he said significant, and
Mr.. Giliom being attorney and accustomed to the
use of exact language may have been presumed to
have spoken from knowledge and by the book.
D He referred, of course to the charges sent from
his prison cell by D. G. Stephenson, once the ruler
of this State maker of governors, dictator Of laws,
a lobbyist of autocratic power.
When the attorney general says that Stephenson
tried to blackmail his way to freedom, he should
have said either or less
Blaekmail is extortion by threats of exposure,
public accusation, censure or disgrace
He should have told the people just what
this convict took to blackmail his way to freedom.
Whom did he threaten with exposure or public
censure if he is not released from his cell?
What had any one to fear and who was to be
protected from censure, exposure disgrace if he
were not released?
1t is matter of record that Stephenson has
not made public any documentary evidence since his
first challenge to the State which set the grand jury
of this county on the trail.
But many other things have happened, It has
: been demonstrated beyond doubt that Stephenson
had documents which he valued highly that he had
photographs taken of them after he was sentenced.
The purpose, of course plain. If the originals
were lost there would still remain facsimiles
The former business partner Of Stephenson has
been missing from the hour when he slipped into the
prison at Michigan City and interviewed Stephenson,
something which had been refused to six State Sen
ators and to representative newspaper owners and
5 correspondents.
That partner was readily admitted No other
citizen has been admitted. And he is gone and can
not be found.
Day after day the wife of this business partner
has been questioned by the grand jury in an effort
make her tell what she knows and still he is miss
ing and not be found.
If there is backmail scheme why is this part
hiding, so completely hidden that not even his
wife can reveal his whereabouts?
Was he part of the blackmail scheme, or does
Che have with him documents which might be inter-
. esting?
There is one other important omission from the
Gillom speech.
He should have explained why 1t was possible for
this convict to raise much turmoil and excite
3ment and inquiry.
He Should have explained why threat from
Stephenson differs from threat that might be made
sby any of the other 500 convcts in that prison
Blackmail is the ugliest of all acts In this in
bcident of the threats, that of physical Violence
s5 absent Stephenson hurt physically
Blackmail to be successful, must have some
semblance, at least of truth. Men pay to hide their
follies and their mistakes. The blackmailer plays
upon truth half truth, upon mistakes crimes
upon fear of disgrace or of exposure.
Mr. Gilliom saysawthout reservations that Steph-
tried to blackmail his way to freedom
The people may be pardoned if they inquire why
it happened that for five days following the publicity
given to his letters every force or official Indiana
was intent and jealous to prevent his seeing any one
who could have easily exposed his inability to make
any one quake in either fear shrink from his
cersure
The speech is important-qute as much in what
it left unsad in what it charged.