The Indianapolis times., 1928-06-13
The Klinck Verdict

penitentiary.
Behind the reply of Prosecutor Remy was a
suggestion of facts which he, as prosecutor,
could not bring before the jury but which the
people of the State should know.
"This man, with whatever powers that be,
tried to ruin the regulations of men who were
protesting against corruption in government" "
said Remy as he excoriated the wrong and
emphasized the fact that Klinck probably had
others behind him.
The truth is that Klinck was but the agent,
the paid agent, for some very ''respectable" "
politicians when he secured the forged affidavit
and obtained the illegal notary jurat.
That forged affidavit was intended and de-
signed to procure the indictment in the Fed
eral Court of this district of Thomas H. Adams
publisher of the Vincennes Commercial; Of
Boyd Gurley, editor of The Indianapolis Times,
and of William Rogers, the witness whose
name was forged to the affidavit.
Every pressure of fear and every promise
of reward were held out to Rogers to induce
him to sign the affidavit which declared that
the testimony he gave to Senator Reed con-
cerning the Klan passport of Senator Watson
was false and that he had been paid by Adams
and Gurley to give this evidence.
When Rogers refused to sign the affidavit,
his name was forged to the document and it
was delivered by George V. Coffin the Seventh
district Republican chairman, to the Federal
grand jury.
Just how it got from Klinck to Coffin
is not known. But that fact alone shows the
conspiracy which was designed by the politi-
clans to prevent the exposure of corruption.
On the word of the national manager of
Watson it may be stated that Senator Watson
contributed to the expenses of Klinck while he
was engaged in this work of endeavoring to
destroy the two editors who were exposing
political crookedness
The crime for which Klinck stands convict
ed was committed early in 1927. The events
which followed show the reason why some in
dividuals were quite willing to resort to forg-
cries.
At that time The Times had not yet printed
the Stephenson checks, especially that one for
$2,50O which Governor Ed jackson says he got
from Stephenson for the horse which lied on
a corn cob.
At that time The Times had not exposed the
attempt of Jackson and Coffin to bribe Warren
T. McCray nor had they resorted to the statute
of limitations to escape the penalty for this
crime
At that time Duvall was still safe in his
power and his sins and the guilty councilmen
were peddling the city's good name and well
fare.
AS far as Klinck is concerned he probably
had no personal interest in protecting those
who have been later exposed and driven from
Office
Men do not commit acts which send them to
the penitentiary, especially of this kind, just
for the fun Of it.
There must have been rather compelling
purpose behind this Klinck, whose former
record would recommend him to those who
want forgeries.
It is significant that at his own trial Klinck
sat silent and that no witnesses came to his de-
fense or to testify for him. Lawyers will under
stand that. A question of an ill-advised sort
might permit the prosecuting attorney to in
produce evidence which he could not otherwise
get before the court.
There was danger that the full story might
be told, not the mere story of how Kllnck in
duced girl falsely to swear to forged sigma
ture, but the story of who induced him to en-
bark upon this enterprise, how much he was
paid, to whom he reported and other very I'M
portant facts.
Klinck is guilty, says jury in very few
minutes. But his guilt is small compared with
that of others The real criminals in the con-
spiracy to frame the case in the Federal Courts
against Adams and Gurley, to send them to
the penitentiary in order that exposures might
be prevented, to destroy confidence in their
work, are the real criminals.
Klinck is on his way to the place where he
belongs. He should have some very distln-
guished company.
China's Chance