The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-04-16
18 MONTHS
IN COURT,
THEN FREE

When Willie Primm, Negro, Ills
Lafayette St. was arrested in
October, 1925 OF charge of driving
while drunk he told Deputy Sheriff
Omer Hawkins:
"I'll never be stuck for this"
And he wasn't.
But, it took Willie eighteen
months. two judges a paid in ad-
vance attorney. Rufe Page and the
chemistry of Father Time to get
out of the mess.
Now Willie, worked for Rufe
Page. Rufe is the colored boss of
string of precincts. They never
go Democratic.
No one would be so bold as to
come right out and say what kind
Of work Willie did for Rufe. but
Rufe complained bitterly not so
long ago because police, claiming
they were trying to suppress
gambling in the Negro quarter. prac-
tically camped on the doorstep of
Rufe's place near Thirteenth st.
in Senate Ave.
Rufe's His Friend
Rufe went to bat for Willie. Rufe
is quite powerful He has been ar
rested-the police only know how
many times-but try to find a con-
viction on the record.
But this is a story about Willie.
Oct. %, 1925, the sheriff produced
evidence to show Special City Judge
Thomas Garvin that Willie was so
drunk that he deserved ten days in
Jail and $40 fine.
Judge Garvin told Willie that if
he paid the fine he would suspend
the days.
But Willie had told that sheriff
he wouldn't be stuck.
Wnlie's a man of his word. He
appealed to Criminal Court. Judge
James A. Collins appointed Fred T.
McCallister, former law partner of
Ira Holmes, and Feb. 10 1926, Willie
went to bat again. But Willie
grounded out McCallister found
him guiltier than Garvin had. He
sentenced him to thirty days on the
Indiana State Farm and fined him
500 and costs.
Comes now Ira Holmes, former
law partner of Special Judge Mccall
lister Willie had gotten himself
new lawyer. Holmes moved for
new trial. The record shows it was
sustained.
NibIack Asks a Question
The Criminal Court docket does not
show what judge sustained it. Nc
Callister was asked by Deputy
Prosecutor John l.. Niblack Friday
il he did not remember telling Nib
lack in February, 1926, that Judge
Collins had asked him to grant the
new trial? McCallister did not re-
member.
The cloud hung over Willie a long
time. 1t wasn't until Friday after
noon that the second trial started.
1t liked to never got started even
then.
First, they couldn't find the sher-
iff. They got a deputy in court.
Then they couldn't find Willie and
his lawyer. While they waited
Judge McCallistcr remarked from
the bench:
II don't know whether Ira will
defend him or not because he told
me he hadn't received his fee and
I was Ira's law partner for a long
time and know his customs"
At 4:45 p. M. in came Holmes,
Willie and his friend, Rufe.
The trial started.
Holmes moved dismissal Of all the
charges on the ground that the affi-
davit did not sufficiently describe the
location Of Willie's alleged spree.
Father Times Work
The affidavit had been through
many n hard-fought battle and
looked the worse for it, In fact, a
piece of it had dropped out of the
center, where it had been creased.
The affidavit read that Willie had
been intoxicated at Allisonville and
Fall Creek.
Deputy Sheriffs Brown and Rea-
gan contended that where that hole
was there once had been the abbre-
waited "Rd.," standing for road
The court looked intently at the
paper and said:
'Why, that's a hole
Brown and Reagan countered
"Why, it was written right there"
The judge insisted that it was
nothing but hole and Willie walked
out n free man.
The sheriff might have known.
Hadn't Willie told him eighteen