The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-07-30
After Long Months

OOuAIy SIduO jury.
Finally there appears a chance that the peo-
pie will gain whatever truth my lie behind
that famous Letter which he struggled from the
penitentiary months ago in which he said that
he could prove vast corruption in the time
when he was "the law"
Whatever the State has suffered in the
meantime can be laid at the door of the officials
of this State who have persistently blocked any
real inquiry.
The people remember when Stephenson was
brought here before for the purpose of testify
ing and announced that he would answer no
questions.
That was interpreted then by those most in
terested as suggestive that he had no docu-
ments Of any sort and that he had been bluff
ing.
The grand jury was differently organized
then. 1t had special prosecutors who were be-
ing paid from the contingent fund of the Gov
ernor. It finally drew suspicion upon itself
by its unusual report.
His appearance before the grand jury at
that time came after lapse of time during
which only those who might be interested in
suppression had been allowed to see or talk to
the former dragon who had made himself die
tator of Indiana
The people remember that following the
publicatio nof that frse Letter ever effort to
see Stephenson was blocked.
Newspaper men were refused admission,
although for fifteen years or more they had
been permitted to freely interview any prisoner
who might have something of interest to the
public.
Even the request that six State Senators,
representing both political parties, be allowed
to see him was refused by the Governor and
the prison trustees who are named by the Gov
ernor.
But Maroney, that Federal agent who has
always been in close confidence of politicians,
saw Stephenson
So did Julian, who was named by The Times
as the probable custodion of the Stephenson
documents. IT..
He was admitted to the prison and then
disappeared for weeks while the grand jury
was in session.
Others saw him, but only those who were
interested in maintaining in the public mind
doubt as to the existence of any documents
of any kind. And the politicians of the State
spread the word that there were no documents,
that Steve was braggart and blackmailer,
that he had nothing.
Everyone quit but The Times and Thomas
H. Adams of Vincennes The cloak of secrecy
covered the affair.
The Times had proved to the public that
there had been documents y It produced the
photographer who had made copies of them. It
produced witnesses who saw them while Ste
phenson was feverishly writing his notations
upon his cancelled checks.
In an unguarded moment the prison
trustees permitted the editor of The Times to
talk to Stephenson out in the open and in
their presence. And from that moment things
began to happen which have changed the pic
ture from the time that Stephenson, under life
sentence and having nothing to fear in the way
OF punlshments by courts, smiling said that he
would answer no questions Of grand jury
whose verdict he predicted with accuracy
The Times was then able to publish check
given to Ed Jackson for $4,000. During the
grand jury inquiry the Governor had denied
the existence of $4,000 check "or any other''
for campaign purposes. The Stephenson note
written in the Noblesville Jail said that the
check was one-fourth Of $4,000 given person
ally to jackson for his primary campaign The
Governor said that he sold Steve horse.
That made one issue clear and plain. The
Governor said it was legitimate transaction,
although he had not made the path of the
grand jury easy last fall by telling them of
this check and thus dispelling any doubts as
to the existence of checks of any kind. Ste
phenson, months ago, had said it was polit-
zeal contribution
That check started other things And more
followed when The Times publishe da letter
written by Stephenson to jackson during the
campaign of 1924
In that letter Stephenson complained that
he could no longer keep his word to jackson
not to quarrel with the Khan leaders who had