The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-12-06
MERELY SUGGESTIVE


The admonition by Judge Collins to the grand
jury urging visit to the jail and other institutions
as required by law and demanding report by Dec
%. suggests that perhaps there is room for some
new organization which may take for its slogan,
"more-and perhaps better grand juries"
AS far as the public can see the present one
has done many things which has tended from time
to time to reduce the population of Marion County
and the State of Indiana.
If we had more grand juries, perhaps we could
get rid of more who are too modest or retiring
or scrupuous to do much good in building up great
community.
1t has been eight weeks or more since this
grand jury had it's attention drawn to the fact that
one D. c. Stephenson had said that he could, If he
wished prove many crimes against those in high
places.
Just to keep the record straight, it may be well
to recall that the grand jury not instructed to
this particular probe until after The Times, for at
least five days had demanded that something be done
and during this period every official voice hushed
and closed.
1t may be well to remember, under the stress of
haste and urge at the present time, that no official
of the State or Of this county demanded any inquiry
until after one Colonel Theodore Roosevelt had forced
hestant and reluctant expression from the highest
official in this State.
There was not that instant and spontaneous urge
of indignation which might have been expected.
Since the court has become impatient, and de-
mands speedy action, which is exactly what the peo
pie of the State DESIRE it is perhaps to recall
the incidents of eight weeks of waiting.
The public can not forget that during this in
Quiry many witnesses have fed from the State.
The public remembers that the grand jury has
been blocked at yturn, that those who ap-
parently attempting to stop the investigation have
been able to enter the prison cell of Stephenson
freely, while those who trying to discover the
truth have been blocked and hindered.
The public cannot forget that at the present
time one of the heads of utility corporation is
absent from this city and has been absent since the
jury has desired to and talk to him.
The same thing happened when the jury wished.
to talk to the business partner of Stephenson, and
he returned to cry aloud and in the open that to talk
would incriminate himself
Perhaps the impotence of Judge Collins may be
due to the fact that have too few grand juries.
The situation in this State may require many
such bodies If all the trails and all the leads Of graft
and crime and corruption are followed.
Perhaps there has been too much of this crime
high places in the past few years for any jury
to gather all the tangled threads of intrigue and
conspiracy and corruption.
Judge Collins is quite correct in believing that
the people want action But it would be rather un-
fortunate If his desire for haste should cause any in
quiry into graft to be sde-tracked in favor of hunt
for bootleggers and petty criminals.
Circumstances have convinced the public that
very grave crimes have been committed.
. When witnesses from the courts, when i'm
porant block Investigations, when fear is writ
ten in high places and panic prompts official actions,
it is hardly the time to stop probing
If we have reached the point that suspected
thieves and booteggers being deprived of their
rights why not call special grand jury to give them
the speedy trials to which they entitled and per-
NIT this jury to dig deep it may into the his
tory of graft in Indiana?