Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-10
INDICTED INDIANA
GOVERNOR TO FACE
CHARGE OCTOBER3
Jackson, Former Law Part
ner and G. O. P. Chairman
Accused of Conspiracy.
INDIANAPOLIS EXECUTIVE
NAMED IN BRIBE PLOT
Grand Jury Acts on Revelations
Made by D. c, Stephenson,
Former Klan Head.
By the Associated Press.

jackson, George V. Coffin, Repub-
lican County chairman, and Robert /.
Marsh. attorney, indicted yesterday
ON charges of conspiracy to commit
felony and attempted bribery. will
he held before Judge James A. Collins
in Criminal Court october g.
Mayor John /. Duvall also may be
am aligned at the same time on an in
dictment charging him with violation
of the corrupt practices act. DuVal
is scheduled TO go TO trial in Criminal
Court Monday on similar charges.
The indictment returned by the
grand jury yesterday against Duvall
represents for the most part repeti-
tion of charges previously filed against
him in the form of affidavits.
Judge Collins said he would make
no departure from the procedure fol-
lowed in other criminal cases. The
arraignment of defendants is always
on the first Monday of each month,
he said.
Ex-KIan Leader Is InfOrmeT.
The defendants on October will
enter pleas of guilty or not guilty, or
their attorneys may file motions in
the case.
From a prison cell where the quon-
dam grand dragon Of the Indiana ku
kluX klan is serving a life sentence for
murder, the finger of alleged political
corruption has been pointed at In
dianas chief executive, at the mayor
of Indianapolis and at two other
prominent political figures of the
State.
Indictment of Gov Ed Jackson,
Mayor John L. Duvall,s George V.
Coffin, chairman of the Marion County
UEdianapolis) Republican committee.
and Robert 1. Marsh, formerly law
partner of the Governors. was the
elimination of an investigation started 4
nearly year ago by revelations of ID.
G. Stephenson. the former high Klans-
man, now in prison at Michigan City.
Under the indictments, returned
late yesterday by Marion County
grand jury, Gov. Jackson, Coffin and
Marsh are charged with conspiracy
to commit felony and with attempt
ed bribery. Mayor Duvall was in
dicted under the corrupt practices act.
Predecessor Recently Paroled.
Gov. Jackson is the second success
size Indiana chief executive to face
criminal charges. His predecessor,
Warren T. McCray, was paroled only
a few days ago from federal prison
where he was sent for conspiracy to
use the mails to defraud
McCray's name, too, figured promi-
nently in the present charges. Gov.
Jackson, Marsh, Coffin and Stephen
son are charged in the indictments
with having offered the then Gov.
McCray $4,000 if he would name
James E. Mcdonald prosecutor for
Marion county.
Jackson at the time was Secre-
tary of State and McCray was under
Indictment The alleged bribe also
was said to have included an offer of
immunity from prosecution.
The grand jury in its report yester
day also charged efforts were made to
intimidate McCray so that he would
not reveal an attempt had been made
TO bribe him. The threat of interfer-
ence with plans for lis parole from
prison were held before McCray, the
true bill said.
Note Started Investigations.
Mayor Duvall was indicted on vir-
tually the same charges as were con-
tained in an affidavit filed against him
by the prosecuting attorney several
weeks ago. and on which he is sched-
uled to go to trial Monday The in
dictment charges the mayor promised
<AiHAlldSS, pOls
itican, the right to name men to city
positions, IN return for political sup
port in the primary and election of
1925. which put Duvall into office.
A note written in Stephenson's cell
and secreted out of the prison into
the hands of Thomas II. Adams, pub
Usher of the Vincennes Commercial,
started the series of investigations.
Stephenson's charges were that
- - tat,
and Office holders had engaged with
him in political intrigue, both during
and after the time he was grand
dragon Of the Klan.
Mystery, in the form of "black
boxes" alleged by Stephenson to con-
tain documentary proof of his
charges; the disappearance of star
wituesses, with subsequent country
wide searches; trips to the Indiana
State Prison TO interview Stephenson,
and an investigation by the United
States Senate's investigating com
mittee,. under Senator James Reed of
Missouri, were among the high lights
of the long probe.
First Two Juries Discharged.
The first grand jury action came
nearly year ago, when the jury was
automatically discharged after II
weeks or investigation. Voluminous
testimony was turned over to the
Criminal Court authorities by the
jury. The second grand jury was dis
charged after one of the jurors in an
affidavit charged he had been ap-
preached and offered a bribe If he
would vote not to indict Mayor Duvall.
An independent investigation was
then taken up by William II. Remy,
prosecutor Of Marion County, which
ended in tie filing of an indictment
against Mayor Duvall, charging con-
spiracy TO commit a felony and viola
tfon of the corrupt practices act, for
which the mayor is to stand trial
Monday.
One of the documents offered by
Stephenson in support of his charges
was q Cancelled check for $500, from
Stephenson to Gov. Jackson, which
Stephenson stated was the first one
fourth payment on a $4,000 campaign
contribution. Publication of a photo
graph Of the check by an indianapolis
newspape" was followed by a state
,nent from Gov. Jackson charging
stephenson was attempting to black
mail himself out of prison." The gov.
ernor claimed the check was in pay
ment for saddle horse Stephenson
bought from him.
None of the indicted men would