The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-03-25
CASE AGAINST
DEARTH IS IN
CONTINUED From Page u

Thompson, now deceased. On objec-
ton of the prosecution the witness
was not permitted to answer.
Grand jury proceedings are to be
kept secret, according to law.
Otto Snodgrass, Muncie auction
Ger, was also called to tell of a con-
versation with Dearth regarding
jury practices.
Jury Called
He. told how. a jury on. which he
had served was called into the jury
room by the judge after they had
returned a verdict Of mot guilty"
in a case where a statutory charge
was being tried.
"The Judge said to u.s." the wit
ness testified, IT am surprised at
the verdict returned by this jury
it doesn't suit the court at all. Here
am trying TO establish a record In
my Juvenile court and 1 wanted this
man convicted" ..r..
Senator Sumner Clancy Rep.), In
dianapolis, brought out that the en-
tire jury Lad returned the verdict
OF acquittal in less than two hours
of elaboration.
Why in Vaultsf
Was it because he was suspicious
Of Cavanaugh, Judge Dearth's jury
commissioner, that Court Clerk
Mansfield removed the box, from
which the names of jurors were
drawn, from its accustomed place In
the clerks office to the safe keeping
Of the vaults?
This was what the House board of
managers and the Senator's sought
to learn when Mansfield was re-
called to the stand. He testified
late Thursday.
Mansfield readily admitted that al
though the box was locked with a
paddock to which Cavanaugh had the
key. he felt that 1t was better to put
it into the vaults to which Cavan-
augh had no key.
''Was Jacob Cavanaugh the only
Democrat in Delaware County when
he was appointed commissioner by
Judge Dearth in 1927" Representa-
tive McKesson asked.
II know that he was not" said
Mansfield.
Were they any other Democrats
in the county thta were owners of
real estate?"
YES" said Mansfield.
Upon questioning Of Senator Otto
Koenig Dem.), FIT. Wayne, Mansfield
went on to explain that he really
didn't know just how good Demo
crat Cavanaugh was or whether or
not he was active in Democratic
politics.
McKesson then resumed the quiz
as follows:
did you ever get suspicious re-
garding how the box was filed and
and lock 1t up?"
Eyes. back In 1924 1 started to
put the box in the Office vault"
How many jurors were used in
Delaware County in a year,"
The witness hazarded a guess of
from 125 to IT'S.
Never Double Number
WAS there ever a time in De-
cember when at least 200 names
were placed in the box so that it
might be somewhere near double of
the number of jurors to be used dur
ing the year?"
mo"
Mansfield told of how the names
were brought into the office and put
into the box at various times
throughout the year. He declared
they were not taken from any lists
in his office.
did you lock the box because
you were afraid that Cavanaugh
might tamper with III" he was
asked.
well, I locked IL because of
criticisms regarding jury selection
from attorneys and citizens" was
the answer.
Senator Howard A. Cam HsepL
Frankfort, demanded to know the
names of the complaining attorneys
and was told that they were Thomas
V. Miller. John Neal. and Fred Mc-
Clellan. The first mainly handled
criminal and the latter two civil
"a SEES according To Mansfield