The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-09-17
BALKS At Jury
QUESTIONS IN
BLAST PROBE
Witness Is Taken Before
Judge Collins Before
Consent to Quiz.
HEAR TWO WITNESSES
Clarence Douthitt, Ear
Sells Are Called Before
Inquiry Group.

Clarence Douthitt, %, held in the
Traugott store explosion inquiry
baked at testifying before the
Marion County grand jury today
and had to be taken before Crimi-
nal Judge James A. Collins before
he would answer questions or con-
sent to be sworn.
Douthitt'S examination marked the
formal opening of the grand jury
inquiry into the mysterious gasoline
blast which, Aug. 26, wrecked the
Traugott Store and the En- Roe
Sporting Goods Store, 800 to 217 w.
Washington st. City, County and
State and Federal officials have
been probing ramifications of the
explosion for three weeks, and
Prosecutor William H. Ren1y now
has his evidence in shape to put
before the indicting body.
After the blast inquiry and rou-
tine cases are disposed of the grand
jury, it became definitely known to-
day, will undertake a general crime
situation investigation similar to
that now going on in Philadelphia
Held on $4,000 Bond
Earl Sells, 81, of 2408 E. Thirtieth
St., admitted rum runner, arrested
late Saturday in the Traugott in
quiry, was the second witness before
the grand jury.
1t is understood Sells was ques-
toned about checks of Edward
Traugott to him, one for $500. He
was followed by H. L. Lockman, for
mer owner of tourist camp west
Of Plainf1eld, Ind, who told of hav-
ing seen a truck Of the Binzer
Warehouse Company abandoned at
his place the day after the Traugott
blast. This was later found to be
the truck in which some goods had
been transferred from the Traugott
'"store to another store the day of the
explosion.
Douthitt became an important
witness and was held under $4,000
bond on a vagrancy charge last
week after he refused to talk about
the Traugott blast with Remy, and
when it was learned he was inter
ested in a pool room at 18 S. Capt.
tol Ave.
The pool room is around the
corner from the Traugott store and
has been known as the loafing place
{ of a number of persons mentioned
In the investigation.
Harold Libowitz, %, of 80 N. JEFF
| ferson Ave, who died of burns Suf-
fered in the blast, declared he had
been playing cards in the pool room
q few minutes before he walked be-
hind the store and was caught By
the explosion.
Douthitt was taken before Judge
Collins few minutes after he had
been brought to the grand jury
room from the Jail. Prosecutor
Remy declared Douthitt even re-
fused to be sworn.
Warned by Judge
Douthitt stubbornly insisted he
wanted to see lawyer before he
talked. Collins pointed out that he
must answer questions touching
this general investigation" if they
did not make it necessary for him
to incriminate himself.
Remy was instructed to bring the
witness back before the judge if he
persisted in silence. Douhitt re-
manned in the grand jury room more
than an hour and was returned to
Jail, it being presumed he offered
no further resistance.
State police held a new clew In
their investigation, with Federal
authorities, of the interstate auto
mobile theft ring. Edward Traugott
. and Harry Sussman, owners of the
bIast-wrecked store; Elmer Sussman
cousin of Harry, are under Federal
arrest on charges Of conspiracy to
participate in the theft rings &C.
tivitieS.
The new clew was the finding by
State Policeman Charles Bridges
and squad of lc.le Indiana license
plate in an abandoed farmhouse
near Royalton, halfway between In
dianapolis and Lebanon, late Sat-
urday.
Identify License Plate
The State officers found license
plate No. 640-470 in the house near
Royalton. This, an old trunk and
an old couch, which appeared as if
someone had been sleeping on 1t,
were the only things found in the
house.
~~>yThe license plate was identified as
belonging to Peter Hoffman, 40 N
Senate Ave. Hoffman was inter-
ested in the discovery because one
of the plates from his Ford coupe
was stolen from it as it stood in Sle
rear of his place few months ago
Hoffman said he got a new plate
and few weeks later lost it.
Bridges announced he had a linS
on six more stolen cars in south
ern Indiana.
When Prosecutor Reny went be-
fore the grand jury he carried {
handful of cancelled checks which
State fire marshals took from th'
Traugott safe the day after the fire
Detectives communicated to Fed
Aeral operatives the fact that GeraiC
p Godby, 1907 w. REIMBURSEMENT
st. arrested Saturday night b.
Webster Agency men, had named +;
man involved in the auto theft rinl
as an accomplice IN a fraudulen
check scheme.