The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-09-14
KIan Leaders Tell Police
That Autos Were Bought
InnoCentIy.
LICENSE SALES PR0BED
Continue Search for Stolen
Machine Farm Located
in State.

w. Lee SmlUn, former grand
dragon of the Ku-Klux Klan,
and a brother of Joseph
Huntingdon, present Indiana
Klan head, are among those
from whom stolen cars were
recovered by State police in
the investigation of the inter
state automobile theft ring,
it was learned today.
The police got Cadillac from
Smith and a Packard from Huffing-
tons brother, who lives in Tere
Haute.
Both Smith and huntington told
the police they innocently had pur-
chased the cars. Prices they paid
were not disclosed, but it is under
stood they were at figures regarded
as bargains" and far below the cost
of new expensive cars.
Other developments in the theft
ring roundup:
l. An inquiry by Secretary of
State Frederick E. Schortemeier
into the manner in which the theft
ring obtained Indiana licenses for
the score or more of cars stolen in
Cleveland and Chicago and sold in
indianapolis, Terre Haute and
Louisville.
Q, Search by State police for a
farm between Indianapolis and
Lebanon where the gang altered sp-
pearance and motor numbers of
stolen cars.
8. Search by State Policeman
Charles Bridges at Anderson, Ind.
for another stolen car. Sixteen
have been recovered through
Bridges efforts. The car he sought
today was stolen in Montreal, Can
ada.
4. Federal grand jury made
partial report today including in
dictments of Ted Baldwin, 30, and
Miss Lloyd Harrison, already held
at Chicago in the hot car" ring
probe, and adjournment until Mon
day when the quiz into the ring
may be started in earnset.
Deny Link 20 Politicians
State police said that rumor
that they were tracing stolen cars
to Marion County politicians, par
ticularly a county office holder.
was unfounded. They said they had
heard such a rumor and some time
ago checked a car owned by one Of
ficial only to find his ownership
unaSsailable.
Schortemeiers investigation grew
out of the fact that Michael J.
Glenn former policeman, declared
he could not find papers for a car
he bought from bootlgeger, which
later turned out to have been one
of those stolen, in State License
Bureau files in June. Glenn said he
was assured by a State policeman
the title was alright and so bought
the car.
The Secretary of State directed
Mark 'Rhoades, head of the license
bureau to rigidly probe the whole
matter.
II am not casting reflections upon
anyone" said Schortemeier, but I
want to be certain that no one un-
der me, in either the license divi-
sion or the State police department,
had anything to do with those
fraudulent papers,"
In each case, license bureau en-
ployes say, plausible New York GER
tificates of title were presented for
the "hot" cars and they issued the
Indiana licenses upon that assur-
ance.
Papers Given Grand Jury
The Marion County grand jury
today obtained from District Attor-
ney Albert Ward mass Of papers,
checks, ledgers and letters seized by
Federal agents and police late
Thursday from the pool room Of
William Laffey, 925 w. New York
st. in a raid.
Among the things found at Laf-
fey's place was a gold watch. OH
GERS are investigating to determine
If 1t had any connection with the
Broadmoor Country Club hold-ups.
Bills to Laffey from tire stores al
so are being checked to determine
whether they were for rum runners
cars or used to refit stolen machines.
A quantity of monograrns for the
sides of machines also was found.
TraugOttS Name on Checks
Traugotts name appeared on
checks and papers, it was said.
Martin Duveney, 81, of 14f
Ketcham ST., was arrested in the
raid on Laffey's place and held to
Federal grand jury on a liquor
charge, upon evidence previously OBJ
tained by dry agents.
No charge was placed by the Gov
ernment against Fred (Doc) Binzer,
Terre Haute optician, questioned by
agents and State Policemen Bridges
Thursday afternoon about a Pack
ard sedan traced through him.
Binzer said he bought the car
from a man named Payne and sold
it for $4,000 to a Terre Haute citizen
as a regular business transaction.
Rinzer is a relative of TraugOtt.