Evening star., 1927-04-04
GUNS Of TROOPS
LIKELY TO GUARD
CHICAGO ELECTION
Sheriff and Militia Heads
Confer Over Tense Situa-
ton on Eve of Voting.
INJUNCTION IS SOUGHT
TO BAR POLICE AT POLLS
Thompson Followers Charge Con-
spiracy-Democrats Force
Special Grand Jury.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, April 4.-While Adjt.
Gen. Cralos Black of the Illinois Ma
tional Guard, Maj. Gen. Roy -.
Keehn, commanding the 33d Division
of the Guard, and Sheriff Charles j..
Graydon conferred today on the pos
sibility of using guardsmen to main
tain order at the polls in tomorrow S
mayoralty election, petition for an
Injunction to restrain the police from
interfering with Republican precincts
was filed.
About the same time special
grand jury was sworn i'll as result
of a petition by the Democratic cen
tral committee, and turned to Charles
c. Case, special prosecutor, to IN
yestigate election and registration
frauds.
Governor on Ground.
Some color was lent TO the belief
that the military officers were serl-
ously considering calling out Chicago
units of the Guard for the first time
in a local election to protect polling
places when it was learned that Brig.
Gen. John J. Garrity, Chicago, COM
manding the 65th Infantry Brigade,
had been summoned to a conference
at 1870 pm. with Gems. Black and.
keehn.
Gov. Len Small also was in Chicago
watching the situation, but took no
part in the military conference.
Only local units of the Guard will
be used if it is decided to call them,
Gen. Keehn said.
The moves for the guardsmen and
for an injunction to prevent the police
from interfering with Republican pre-
cinct workers were fostered by sup
porters Of William Hale Thompson,
Republican nominee for mayor.
The special grand jury petition was
filled by adherents of Mayor, William
f. Dever, the Democratic nominee.
Police Conspiracy Charged.
Thompson followers charged con-
spiracy in the police department TO
interfere with precinct workers and
make arrests before the polls open
and hold the workers TO prevent them
appearing sat,the voting places.
Similar charges were made by the
Democrats in seeking a special grand
jury and special prosecutor. The
Democratic leaders alleged that Robert
Z. Grove, States attorney, a Thomp-
son leader, had following of hood
luIns and that efforts were being made
and planned to prevent a fair election.
States Attorney Grove had a grand
jury Of his own. the regular county
grand jury, and has stated that Attor-
ney General Oscar Carlstrom would
appear before the body if necessary.
Besides the operations of the legal
and judicial and military machinery
Of State and city, the candidates or
ganizations were combining to make
the closing hours of the campaign the
noisiest and bitterest ever seen in
Chicago.
Loop District a BedIam.
The Loop-that district bounded by
the elevated railways-was a bedlam,
with calliopes. bands, whistles and
sirens ringing, shrieking and footing
from midmorning on through the day.
The Democratic organization in be-
half of Mayor Dever is led by George
l.. Brennan, Democratic national com.
mitteeman from Illinois, and the
Thompson organization is led by
States Attorney Grove, Homer r.
Galpin, long Republican Cook (Chi-
cago) County chairman and Thompson
himself.
Racial and religious questions have
been injected into the fight, with the
Democrats accusing Thompson Of
promising the big negro vote all man
ner of preferment, Thompson leaders
charging the Democrats with seek
ing to incite race riots
DIR. John Dill Robertson, former
health commissioner when Thompson
was mayor is the third candidate, run.
ming as an independent Republican.
Fred Lundin, once a bosom political
companion of Thompson, is aiding
Robertson.