Imperial Valley press., 1926-09-03
EIGHT DAYS
|0F PROBING
|COMP[ ETEO
Grand Jury Lays Murder
of Don X. Mellet Upon
Three Bo0tleggers.
ONE IS FUGITIVE
McDermOt and MaZer are
Accused of Firing Fa-
tai Shots.
ny United Press Leased Wire

CANTON, Ohio, sept. ;. Three
men were indicted for first degree
murder here today by the Stark
county grand jury following it, eight
day probe of the Don r. Mclictt IL.
saseiua,ion.
The accused men are:
Patrick McDcrmott, fugitive since
he disappeared from Cleveland
haunt> July -. following the murd-
cr.
Ben Eudncr, Mas,illon boo'lc42cr,
arrested This mom.n2 ou murder
Warrant.
Louis Malcr Canton bootlcggcr,
heid "a county jail at Cleveland
charged with murder and conspiracy
10 violate the prohibition law.
The jury handed the indictments
10 Judge \. W. Aglcr shortly after
rcconvcning at =. III. following nd
. lounmcut Tins morning when tes'i-
monv of final witnesses had been
heard.
Mcllctt was aS>assinatod in the
back yard of his Lomc here July
! Is. six week, ago today, when he
went outside to pat up his automo-
bile shortly after midnight.
The Canton Daily News campaign
against hootlcggiug and civic vice
Was Immediately believed the cause
uf the murder by investigators
brought here 10 find the asSaSsinS.
Mellett was publisher of the papcr
owned hy former Governor James
Cos.
Admits Plot
\ few days after the uv"Stiga
tion started. Steve Kascholk, a
friend of McDcrmott, came forward
with tc,timuuy that he and McDcr-
mott had been offered money 70
"bcat up tie editor, who VAS
',poiiiug the liquor business
lie involved Ruducr and Malcr,
later Identifying them as the men
with whom the bargain had been
made. KaScholk said hc feared con
sequences Of the scheme to frghtcn
Mc!lctt and Withdrew from the
plot. McDcrmott left Canton the
| day after the murder. it WAS learn
ed
The fugitive was traced t. Clcv-
eland. His description was broad
east and reports Of his arrest came
from all parts of the country, but
rs vet So far rs investigators know,
| he is stiIl at large McDrrmoti ;
home is at Manly Clio, Pa.
According to Investigators, kHd-
ncr plotted Mcllctt'S death and
Mazcr and McDcrmott fired the IA
tai shots. Rudncr is said to be
head Of one o. the largest bootleg
rings in the. country, operating he
tween Pittsburgh, cleveland, Can
ton and Detroit.
Eighty six witnesses were heard
| by the grand jury before ITS an
(nounccmcnt Of indictments
The jury will rcconVcnc to name
other persons believed to have had
knowledge of the plot against Mel
| lett.
MASSILON, Ohio, Sept 3.-Ben
Rudncr, MassiIon hardware dealer
ana dlltHtu boollfS hihE' N"H "''''''
ed here this morning on Il charge OF
murder in connection with the Kill
| ing of Don Il. Mcllctt.
RHdncr was arrested at his hard
ware store at l0:4J II. m. by Deputy
TSheriff l.. S. Gibson, Canton.
Prosecutor G.. B. McClintock an
nounccd few days ago that per
sons expected to be indicted for
first degree murder, charged with
Mellctt IS staying, would be arrest
ed before the report is made public.
"Here am, but don I know
what for,' Rudner told authorities
who met him at the county jail. He
was searched and then allowed to
confer with his attorneys by phone
before being locked up in cell.
When the jury announces its ac-
ton, McClintock is expected to call
another session to name persons with
guiltv knowledge of the plot against
Mellett's life. Among investigators
it was predicted that one of the
suspects will confess details of the
plot and involve several persons not
indicted.