The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-16
Government by Gunmen

The charge by an Indianapolis newspaper
man that an effort had been made to assas-
sinate him because of his insistence on fed
eral investigation of crime in northern In
diana is too serious to be overlooked by the
highest officials of the government.
If true, it means that we have govern
ment by gunner in this state and that any
one who dares to demand an end to the reign
of gangsters, election crooks and bootleggers
invites execution by the new rulers.
If it does nothing more than to call to the
attention of very high authorities, and Presi-
dent Hoover would not be too high to take an
interest, the peculiar conditions in the Calu-
met swiftly and may be remedied.
The history of the investigation has not
been such as to give confidence to the people
who prefer a government of law to one by
gangsters.
Many months ago the charge was openly
made that in the elections of 1926 and 1928
vast frauds had been perpetrated at the polls.
1t was charged specifically that in the 1928
election truck loads of colored voters had
been imported from Chicago, carried from
precinct to precinct, and voted repeatedly.
The size of the vote in Lake county was
such as to invite suspicion. 1t was many
more thousands than the number of legal
voters estimated by either party or reason
ably expected from the census reports.
When the grand jury met to make an IN
vestigaton, the district attorney was on
vacation and returned only after widespread
criticism of his absence.
One jury listened to evidence. It recon-
mended that the inquiry be continued. There
was delay in calling a new jury. The statute
of limitations was running against any posi-
bic exposures as to 1926,
Finally there came demand for special
assistance. The government sent two or
three special attorneys from Washington.
One of them had an Indiana back ground of
politics that gave little hope of real action.
Another was heralded as the most expert
man on the drawing of indictments.
The jury listened to evidence, much evil
dence, and proceeded to indict the mayor of
one city, the police force of another and
numerous bootleggers.
The jury indicted no one for an election
fraud. But the dry raiders for the govern
ment were able to find hundreds of booze
violators. There had been no raids for three
years of any importance. The charge was
openly made that immunity had been given
to the bootleggers in return for votes at the
elections.
1t is significant, and more than signii-
cant, that the local authorities apparently
had made no effort to curb the activities of
the criminal element, so easily found when
public opinion forced attention to that To-
cality.
The record since then is even less assur-
ing. At the first hearings, one big batch of
alleged conspirators was turned loose because
the court held that the indictment, the prod
uct of the government expert, was so faulty
that even the poorest lawyers could find the
flaws.
Two men who appeared before the grand
jury and gave, so it is reported, evidence
against the gang, were killed. They were
killed Immediately after their testimony.
The government ordered the marshal to
put on a force to protect witnesses. But one
citizen of that county, prominent in forcing
inquiries, has hired his own private guard
to protect his life.
Up to date the batting average of the
gangsters has been nearly thousand.
Two witnesses against them have been
killed. Another charges that an effort was
made to murder him because he discovered
evidence of frauds md corruption.
There have been few small fines, few
short sentences and many suspended ones,
for bootleggers who confessed to violation of
the law.
Thus far the government has indicted no
one for election frauds. 1t has convicted no
one of Importance. 1t did not even send
flowers to the funerals of its witnesses.