The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-09-10
CITY wins IN
fight TO GET
Player HERE
Missouri Governor Grants
Extradition of Suspect
in Club Robbery.
GUARD AGAINST ESCAPE
Seek Possible Link With
Gang Held Here in Ma
chine Gun Murder.

The powerful influence OF the st
Louis underworld today were beaten
by Indianapolis detectives who won
the fight to have Charles Phayer. 40,
charged with completely in the $780,
600 Broadmoor Country Club rob-
berry, ordered here for trial.
A United Press dispatch flashed
the word that Governor Sam a..
Baker of Missouri in a hearing at JEFF
ferson City, Mo-, had granted eX-
tradition of Player from st. LOUIS
to indianapolis. Detective Donald
Tooley, who represented the city;
was expected to start for st. Louis
to get the prisoner at once. He
might be able to reach the city with
Player Friday.
st. Louis police, regarding Phaycr
as dangerous man with dangerous
connections, were prepared to take
extraordinary precautions to pre-
vent Players associates from at
tempting to free him while he is
being transported to indianapolis.
Tooley was to be prepared for emer-
gencieS.
Watch Is CIew
Player has been Unidentified parti-
ally as one Of the six or eight men
who held up $50 guests at Broad
moor the night of May 80. He was
captured last Wednesday morning
with another underworld character.
Ben Boratti. Player had in the
waistband of his trousers a $3.50
watch taken by the Broadmoor rob-
bers from E. w. Fisher, 1910 N. Me-
ridian St, indianapolis. The st.
Louis police traced this watch and
notified indianapolis authorities.
Phayer contends he got the watch
in dice game he and seven others
operated in East st. Louis several
weeks ago.
Phayer attempted to employ Sig
mund Bass, the leading criminal
lawyer Of st. Louis, but Bass de-
clined the case after comforting with
st. Louis police. Phayer got an
other good lawyer. and this attor-
ney put up strenuous fight against
extradition He contended the par
tial Identification of Player by four
victims of the Broadmoor holdup
was insufficient grounds for his re-
moval.
Seek Wright Link
Police Chief Claude M. Wolley
was elated when informed the ex-
tradition fight had been won. De-
tective Chief Jerry Kinney plans to
grill Player about a number of big
robberies here.
The detectives also are working
to discover possible connection be-
tween Players gang and the group
arrested here Aug 21 in the inveS-
tigation Of the machine gun muir
der of Edward Eckerle, alias Shan
non, near Clinton, Ind. f omer
Wright and James Walker, both
with st. Louis connections, are held.
Wright was a friend of Edward
Traugott, part owner of the ex-
ploSion- wrecked Traugott clothing
store.
Phayer has said he knows Clar-
ence Wright. Homer Wright has a
brother of that name.
Probe Auto Thefts
Prosecutors were gathering evil
dence Of Wright'S past with the
idea of filing an habitual criminal
charge against him if facts warrant.
Conviction would send him to
prison for life. He is held now on
a charge of being an exconvict with
weapon. Detectives say they
found a machine gun in his apart
ment, 1929 N. Alabama ST. and a
revolver in his pocket.
Federal officials investigating the
Chicago Cleveland Indianapolis
auto theft ring also are expected
to be interested in the arrival of
Phayer. They have planned to in
terview Wright and Walker and
Arthur Hartman, also of st. Louis,
who was picked up for questioning
during the investigation of the Trau-
gott explosion.