The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-09-01
.L|BOWITz PAL
OF SHOP OWNER
SEVERAL YEARS
Merchant Tells of Moves
Since Leaving City
Last Sunday.
WENT EAST TO BUY
Declares All He knew of
Explosion Was Learned
Over Telephone.

Edward Traugott, part owner Of
he Traugott Clothing Store, re.
fuses to believe that his friend
Harold Libowitz, %, of 80 N. Jeffer-
son Ave, charged with arson, had
anything to do with the explosion
and fire which wrecked the store,
215-217 w. Washington ST., last
Sunday night.
II have known Libowitz for years.
think lot Of him. I don't believe
that he had anything to do with it, .
declared Traugott to a Times re-
porter late Friday when he came out
Ct day of Seclusion following his
return from New York City.
Libowitz is held under $25, 900
bond, at city hospital suffering
from serious burns. He was found
nth his clothes and hair flaming,
pinned beneath burning timbers
Flown from the rear of the Traugott
store, just after the blast. He has
denied knowledge of the outrage, in-
sisting key to the front door OF
the store he had in his pocket was
given to him by Traugott.
Alarm Calls Still Puzzle
In contrast with the failure of all
Efforts to get some inkling of Trau-
colts views on the fire during the
period in which he was in New York,
where he says he started Sunday
fternoon long before the blast, the
merchant talked rapidly and with
ut embarrassment to a reporter
Tho pointed out to him all the ques-
ions about the mysterious blast
which arose during his absence.
Traugott declared that all he
new about the blast was what he
earned through Attorney Paul
3charffin of Indianapolis, who went
cast with him and had a long dis
ance telephone conversation last
Wednesday morning with Attorney
Howard Phillips here, and what he
cleaned while he was in retirement
lere after his arrival from New
York at a. m. Friday.
Traugott'S statement that he was
n the store until l p. m. Sunday
checking over some goods with Lib
owitz and that he and Scharffin
eft for New York about 3:45 does
not completely clear up the Ameri-
ean District Telegraph reports from
The store the day of the explosion.
Checked Over Goods
The A. n IT mana oarnant an.
nounced earlier in the week that
Traugott telephoned Sunday morn
ing the store would be open until
about $50 p. m, which constituted
notice that vigilance could be re-
Taxed during that period. Later i'll
the day another Telephone call was
received giving notice the store
would be open until about $3.50.
About 8:45 the switch putting the
alarm system in effect again was
thrown and about two minutes later
the burglar alarm showed at the
A. D. T. headquarters. Whether this
was from opening Of the door or the
blast has not been publicly eX-
planned. A. D. T. men rushed to the
store as soon as the alarm was re-
ceived.
Traugott said he and Libowitz
were checking over the old and re-
possessed merchandise which de-
tectives this week found in the
store of Maurice Davis, 249 E
washington st. Davis said this was
delivered about noon Sunday by
Libowitz after Traugott had tele-
phoned Davis at his home two hours
earlier. that the consignment was
ready. This declaration about Libo-
Wits presence about five blocks
east of the Traugott store about
noon was in contrast to Traugott's
statement they were in the Trau-
gott store together until p. m.
Went to New York
Traugott verified Davis statement
that Davis had asked for some mer-
chandise several weeks ago and he
and Libowitz just happened to get
the consignment ready Sunday.
Davis valued the goods at between
$500 and $1,000. Traugott said ne
he'd intended to charge Davis $3.50
for it. 1t was invoiced at $475, he
said.
Then we left the store about
3:45 p. m," said Traugott,
mo" said Ira M. Holmes, Trau-
gott's attorney, "You mean you left
the city at 345."
Traugott assented. He said he
and Attorney Paul Scharff1n got
into New York in Scharfdn's car
about 9 Monday night.
"Scharffin had been after me for
a long time to make the trip. He
was going to see his wife who had
been on Long Island all summer. I
went to do the fall buying. That
buying trip was ten days late then"
The merchant told of starting hts
buying tours Tuesday and of learn
EIIIIII Observation-Disclosures Observation-Disclosures