The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-10-12
CITES GILLIOM
STAND IN FIGHT
ON BOOZE CASE
Bought Whisky to Save His
Daughter, Defendant
Says in Court.

Liquor found in his possession was
obtained in a desperate effort to
cure his daughter Waneta, IL, sick
for two years with intestinal in
fuenza, John r. Griffen, 80, of 1923
Olive Ave-, pleaded before Municipal
Judge Dan v. White today.
And although Governor Jackson's
and Attorney General Arthur L.
Gilliom's name were not mentioned
in court, Griffen's plea that his mo-
tive for violating the Wright Bone
Dry Act was the. same that led
Gilliom to procure whisky to save
the lives of his three sons and caused
it's administration to the Governors
wife when she was critically i'll, won
him a continuance until next Tues
day.
Orders Liquor Test
Judge White ordered that the
liquor be tested by the city chemist,
indicating that whether it was pure
would determine his decision.
cit all depends on what the ma
ture of the whisky is" White said.
"If 1t is pure corn whisky, the court
is impressed by the story. If not
and it is only white mule and poi
sonous. that story doesn't mean
much here.
There isn't much doubt about
the man being guilty of violating the
prohibition law, but, unlike other
blind tiger cases, there is a differ
ent angle here. There is no doubt
that the man will have to be found
guilty, because he has admitted
buying the liquor and transporting
it, but the test to be made by the
city chemist will have a bearing on
the penalty"
Doctors Recomri =, Liquor
Five or six of the nine doctors
who have treated his daughter said
good liquor" might cure her, Grit
fen, an auto doorhanger, testified
His wife corroborated his testimony
and was prepared to submit list
of the nine doctors who have treated
the girl, but both said they did not
remember which of the doctors had
advised liquor
The last doctor 10 treat the girl
did not prescribe whisky, they adj
mitted.
Last spring a fellow employee OBJ
tanned a pint of corn whisky for
him and he gave it to the girl, never
more than a teaspoon at time,
Griffen testified.
The child im.-oved greatly I'M
der the whisky treatment and this
fall was able to go back to school,
the father said. But soon she be-
came worse again and realizing that
liquor had helped her before, he
started hunt for whisky, but was
unable to get any.
Dickers for Whisky
Last Sunday, on his way to the
! drug store for medicine, he told his
brother and a group of men on a
corner near his home of his need
for medicinal liquor, Griffen testi-
fed.
A man he knew only as Butch"
talked with a man in an auto across
the street and "Rutch" arranged to
deliver him a half gallon of whisky
at the Oliver Ave. bridge and Ken
lucky Ave for So, he said.
Griffen declared he sought only
pint, but Butch" said he could
not make the trip for that small
amount.
Griffen, with the liquor in the
rear of a used auto he had bought
last week, was driving to the State
house to transfer the title of the
auto when State Policeman Bridges
stopped him at Capitol and Ken
lucky AYES. he said.
Plates Cause Arrest
Bridges noticed that there we're
different license plates on the front
and back Of the car, and when Crit
fen explained he was on his way to
the Statehouse to get new plates. let
him go on ahead while he drove the
car to the Ohio garage.
At the garage Bridges found the
liquor in the car.