The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-07-17
CANTON PEOPLE
FEAR GANGSTERS
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Continued From Page y
4 to solve the mystery" Police Chief
S. A. Lengel, one of the city Of
fficials who felt Melletts reform
cudgel, declared.
Our men have worked constantly
and have run down every available
clues, without result" said Captain
Of Detective Ed Swope.
May Side-Track Chief
j Meanwhile State and county Of
sfcjals were known to be contem-
,pla ting removal of the, inquiry from
the police chiefs hands.
r Safety Director Earl Hexamer also
indicated the city would make other
plans, unless the police department
obtains results within a reasonable
time. ftV,
The council is to meet Monday
: night to consider the employment of
a special Investigator.
Telegram From Governor
A telegram from Governor Vic
Donahey to the Mellett family today
contained intimations the State will
join in the concerted move to bring
the assassins to justice. The Gov
ernor also intimated the State will
take part in cleaning up Canton's
under world, where. the plot against
Melletts life was believed Matched.
you have my since sympathy"
the executives telegram said in
part. don died in a battle for
right. Others will continue where
he left off and his fight will not
have been in vain"
Little Progress
Little or no progress had been
made by the force in the thirty-six
hours of investigation which has fol-
lowed the Staying of Mellett, beyond
the obtaining of vague descriptions
of two men seen in the neighbor-
hood of the Mellett home a few
nights prior to the shooting.
One of these is described as tall
and wearing a cap. His companion
was short and also wore cap. Both
were roughly dressed. A more COM
plete description was expected to-
day when aSyet an unidentified man
is located somewhere in Penn.
sylvania.
The unidentified man with his wife
was accosted by the two suspects.
who apparently had mistaken him
for Mellett and then learned their
mistake, according to woman
neighbor. Police have located the
apartment building where the Penn
sylvania man was visiting. but up
to an early hour today had failed to
locate his host in the building.
The apartment is but a few
hundred feet from the Mellett home.
Police refused to admit today that
they. had been questioning a score
or more of the dominant figures of
the underworld with whom Mellett
had waged unceasing warfare.
tp3g. Parallel in Funeral
~ The funeral of Mellett was held
this forenoon. By grim prank of
fate the services were conducted in
church which was the target several
years ago for a bombing. The act
was attributed to vice lords who be-
came the enemies of Meilett in his
good government campaign. Dyna-
mite was used and the church build
ing was partly destroyed. The pas
tor had incurred the enmity of the
underworld by his pulpit utterances.
Brother Aids Quiz
Hickman Mellett, a brother, for.
mer mayor of Anderson, Ind, and
candidate for the sheriffship there,
will return to Canton Immediately
after the burial to take part in the
investigation.
y Roland Mellett of indianapolis de-
clared that the Staying of his brother
was a challenge not only to the good
citizenship of Canton, but to the
State, and Nation.
The theory that paid gunner from
>another city killed Mellett was re.
garded as most tenable by officers.
Cantons underworld had reason to
hate the fearless reformer and suf-
flcient connections with gangsters of
neighboring cities to secure the serv-
ices of killers, they pointed out.
Narcotics Figure
Although Cantbn's bad lands are
said to run to locally manufactured
moonshine liquor, it is considered
likely there is or has been some for
efgn traffic in narcotics. beer and al
cohal which would tend to establish
connection in Chicago, Pittsburgh
and elsewhere.
Developments Of the investigation
into reports that large automobile
bearing Pennsylvania license was
often seer on the street near the
Mellett home the day before the muir
der. were not revealed. DQcal author
tiles have adopted apolicy of keeping
their activities secret. Cooperation
of State and possibly Federal officers
in the. search for Mellett's slayers
may carry into an investigation Of
conditions which made such a crime
possible.
Three murders were committed in
three successive days here. only last
week.
I'VE shall welcome efforts of any
outside agency which will help
bring the killers of ,MelIett 20 JUS