The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-10-19
GIVES $4,000
SURETY; ONLY
.S4,21O BACKING
Probe of Robbery Reveals
ShakineSS of HOreSthief /.
Detective Bonds.
$6 FEE FOR EACH ONE
Report Works Board Mem
ber Boosts Louis Brown
for official BondSman.'

Although official records show
him to own property worth only
$4,210, Louis Brown, Jr., of 326 E.
Pearl ST., has been permitted to be-
come surety on Horsethief Detective
bonds aggregating $4,000, in ad-
dition to bail bonds approximate
ing $7,225 in two rooms of the mu-
nicipal court.
This disclosure came to light in
an investigation of the Horsethief
Detective Association prompted by
the robbery of D. j. Murname
Greencastle merchant, on the Alli-
sonvillle Rd., Saturday night, when
a 5000 diamond ring was taken.
According to records in the Of
flee of George Hutsell, clerk of
the court, Brown signed thirty
seven of the 321 active horsethief
bonds now on file. Under the law,
Hutsell passes on fitness of the
surety.
Others Have Expired
Each of the bonds is for the sum
of 81 900 and is held for indemnifi-
cation purposes ih event of wrong
doing on the part of the detective.
Other horsethief bonds on which
Brown was surety have expired,
their tenure being one year.
The Commercial Casualty Com
pany is listed as being surety on 246
of the horsethief bonds, while the
Metropolitan Casualty Company is
on thirty such bonds.
1t is understood that Brown has
been collecting a fee of Sc each for
signing bonds. Charles L. Riddle,
board of works member, has been
active in having Browns bonds &C
cepted and inducing g members of the
independent companies of detectives
to use Brown as surety.
The hsrsethief detectives organ
ization functions under an old law,
passed in 1852, amended several
times. Under its terms only cap
tain of company can suspend the
man for wrongdoing during the
term of his bond.
Killed by Steve's Legislature
Effort to give the Governor the
right to suspend and making rec
ommendation of the Judge and
sheriff necessary before a commits
sion is granted was killed in the
Legislature controlled by D. c. Ste
phensop in 1925.
Brown has been signing bonds
for the independent group of de-
tectives at Sc while members of the
Marion County Council of H. T. D.
have been paying but S.. Oren E.
Davis, president of the Marion
County Council, said that but one
member of his group had bond
signed by Brown, as far as he knew
Most of the bonds signed by
Brown are for men affiliated with
Baline No. 49 of the H. T. D. A.
and with the Royal Oak Company
in which Jesse Mcclure, city recre-
alton director, has been reviving
interest of his candidacy for sheriff
Members of these two companies
were active in passing handbills re-
Gently, seeking to engender racial
prejudice.
Signs Bonds for Many
Those for whom Brown signed
bonds are Glenn Burkett, Emmett
Stephens, Tom Lincks, Roy Breed
love, Mile Schenck, Howard Nc
Million, Charles Becker, Joseph
Sewers, Byron Icenbarger, Hershel
Foxworthy, Howard Lee Hampton
Alva o. Foster, Wayman Byers, B
L. Wocherling, William @. Meyer
F. D. Pierce, Thomas A. Butler
Harry S. Hoover, Isam Dillon, Roger
Hoffman, Walter Ray, Otis Rybolt
C. F. Dillingham;, Herbert L. Cox
Ben F. Scott, Roy Evans, Karl o
Schmidt, Carl M. Meyers, Ernest j
Branham, Steve Watson, John J
Bowman, Levi Newland, Fred A
Clements, Ray G. Uhls1 Noah P
James, Arthur Russell and Henry
McClain.