The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-10-30
U. S. COURT MAY
TAKE TRAUCOTT'
ALLIED CASES
Concentration Move Waited
After Conference of
Remy and Ward.

nCIIlJ anu Uol us
ALI of the cases involving Ed
ward Traugott, merchant. and his
associates, growing out of the in
vestigation following the Traugott
clothing store explosion of Aug. 26,
may be concentrated in federal
court, it was indicated today after a
conference Of Prosecutor William H.
Remy with Albert Ward, United
States district attorney, at the fed
eral building.
Traugott is now defendant in
several cases concerning the alleged
interstate automobile theft ring in
federal court.
Traugott, Fred (Pickles) O'Roark,
former policeman; Homer Wright,
charged with being an habitual
criminal; Paul ScharfTin, attorney
and close friend of Traugott, and
Donald Underwood, professional
bondsman, are defendants in a
liquor conspiracy case in criminal
court.
Liquor Cases Transferred
While Remy and Ward refused to
discuss their conference it was I'M
derStood they talked over the adj
visibility of shifting the liquor case
to federal court.
Transfer of the liquor cases of
O'Roark and John Murphy, 1908
Of a raid last Friday by federal
agents and police, from Municipal
Judge Wetter's court to federal
court this morning was believed to
be the first step in the concentra-
ton of cases.
Agents charge that while ORoark
was still in the shadow of his other
troubles they found sixty quarts of
beer at his place, BOT Agnes street,
Friday. When the cases were called
in Wetter's court this morning they
were dismissed and O'Roark and
Murphy arrested by United States
marshalS on commissioner war
rants.
Taken to the federal building for
immediate hearings they were held
to the federal grand jury under
$4,000 bonds, which Mrs. Ivy Roark,
1912 Winthrop avenue, sister n-law
of O'Roark, provided.
O'Roark was charged with main
tanning a nuisance and conspiracy
to violate the liquor law and Muir
ply with sale of liqunor and con-
spiracy to violate the liquor law.
Meanwhile deputy United States
marShalS started searching for four
new defendants in the automobile
theft ring case, indicted by federal
grand jury Monday afternoon.
Names Kept Secret
Names of the four new defendants
were not made public by officials
because of fear they might leavt
jurisdiction of the court before
never have been connected with the
case, Ward said.
-Four indictments were returned
by the grand jury in the motor
theft ring, including a conspirac.-
indictment naming the four ne-g
defendants, fifteen named in the
original motor theft conspiracy in
dictment, and two others indicted
separately, Ted Baldwin and Mis-,
Lloyd Harrison.
The original conspiracy indict-
ment named Edward Traugott,
Wolf, Harry and Elmer Sussman,
William j. Laffey, Jacob and Morti-
mer Wohlfeld, Fred Binzer, Will
liam M. Jones, Mrs. William M.
Jones, w. Lee Smith, Robert F. Nc
Nay, Bertram Libowitz and two
others not yet arrested.
Traugott was reindicted in con-
nection with transaction involving
a stolen Lincoln sedan.
Investigation of the motor theft
case will not be continued by the
grand jury, Ward said, until after
trial Nov. Is of defendants already
named.
Arrangement of defendants named
in true bills Monday was set for $50
a. m. Friday.
Other persons named in indict-
mentS Monday included: Liquor
chargeS-Omer Moody, Elmer Alum
baugh, Ernest Bush, George Wilson,
Ola Armour, James Melvon, Warren
Nichols, Ruth Pash, Clifford jack
son, Joseph Drake, Wizard Drake
and David B. Digger, all Of Indian
apolis; George Padgett, Sullivan,
and Donald Harry Wall, Princeton.
Narcotic dictmentS-George Tack.
EFT, Terre Haute. and Leonard
Fleece, Indianapolis. Motor Theft
Fundamentally Wilbur Rigsby. In
dianapolis, and Walter Kelsinger
Coil and Charles Edward Stickley,
Whiting.
Following the grand jury report
Wilbur c. Caldwell, Muncie garage
owner, indicted month ago on mo-
tor theft charges, changed his plea
to guilty. He will be sentenced
NOV. Is.