The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-06-15
BALLOT FRAUD
]. CRAFT ALLEGED
%s
IN EVANSVILLE
Corrupt Elections Charged
TO Indicted Males
Organization.
By BIN STERN
Tfwes gtaF Correspondent


records reveal
The Vanderburg county grand
Jury after a tnree-month investiga-
&+on not only indicted Mayor Her
EsTt Males and the members Of his
bard OF works board for the alleged
seal on the sewer contract, but
also indicted Louis Diessler, city
building inspector, BENJAMIN Bart
Jett Males lieutenant and city IL
eense inspector, and Eugene Single
fTld Albert BreedIove, election Off
cials. charged with altering cleo
Don- returns in the primary.
The Indictment set out that aft
err the votes had been tailed in the
Third ward Diessler. Single and
Breedlove took the Republican tally
Sheet and changed the vote in favor
81. Henry Gonnerman. city council
nan, who was running for re-elec-
ton.
7-In the true and original vote
Gonnerman obtained 211 votes and
his opponent, James Campbell $40
Notes.
bsying erased Campbell's name be-
fefe 211 TALES and placed there
Gonnerman's name; and then erased
the l54 tally marks from the 211
and added the amount to the 80,
giving Gonnerman 524 votes instead
Of the 211 he really got and giving
Campbell 81 votes.
Negro Boss Indicted.
Bartlett and Ernest Harrington,
Negro political boss. are charged In
separate indictments with entering
polling places primary night before
the votes we're tailed and after the
PAGES legally were closed. What
occurred is not known. the grand
Jury report statese but what occurred
rIay be understood IN view Of what
Happened IN the other precincts.
1.-THE list of indictments for cleo
TON frauds includes five others who
prevailed upon voters to repeat; and
ircludes the name Of Eugene Brown,
Inspector in the Third ward, who re-
fused to turn over 10 the county
clerk the afIidavitS of voters who
required assistance in voting.
Embezzlement and padded pay
rolls. were also resorted to by the
employees Of the city, the Indictment
set forth
John c. Males, son Of the mayor,
and secretary of the waterworks
board; George W. Koch, clerk of
the waterWorks board, and Edward
Strupp, construction superintendent,
are charged with enbezzling be-
tween $1,000 and $4,000 from the
city by casl4ing to their own credit
checks presented in payment of
water rents.
Strupp also is alleged to have col
lie ted on falsided pay rolls.
The mayors son. Edward F. Her
berer, president Of the waterworks
board; George c. Bruner, member
Z OF the board; and Charles Anderson,
superintendent Of the waterworks-
+ plant. took a pleasure launt to Cali
. fornia to attend a WaterWorks con-
vention and then presented and OBJ
tanned $4,000 for the expenses in
/ Cured by their wives on the trip,
other indictments charge.
Petty Graft Uncovered.
Petty larceny graft went hand in
hand with hundred thousand dollar
deals, the grand jury declared, and
indicted William Waible superin-
4 tendent of the city garbage and
! rendering plant, on charge Of &C
i cepting a bride of $50 for selling at
& a greatly reduced price heads taken
& from the animal bodies brought to
4 the plant.
Racketeers. bootleggers, and gam
blerS who support Administrations
by contributions must receive their
s reward, which means suspended jail
sentences when arrested, and re-
f mitted fines.
4 The Males organization left this
4 branch Of the work to City Judge
i Harlan Mccoy. the grand jury re-
4 ported, and added two more indict-
4 ments to the thirty-nine others al
i ready against the city judge.
Court records show that after Nc
Coy would pass sentence according
to the law he would hold a star
chamber sentence and remit the
i fines.
The alleged corrupt conditions in
Evansville are directly attributable
I to the Ku-Klux Khan advance TO
power in 1922 in Evansville under
direction OF Joseph huntington, who
is serving a federal penitentiary
i So u 81 rT7
nection with the interstate hot car
ring.
Males was elected on the Khan
ticket and as soon as he assumed
s Office he appointed henchmen to
positions Of trust.
This organization, as does the
i Coffin organization in Marion
i county. has controlled all city and
county Offices with but few eXcep-
tons
Manager Election Planned.
The analogy continues in that the
. heads Of both organizations have
been indicted, Coffin, however, es-
Gaping the penalty by pleading the
4 statute of limitations.
In order TO escape continuation Of
& such corrupt government as has
& been saddled on the city in the past,
an election viii. be held in the fall
6 10 determine whether the city will
assume city manager government or
continue under the present federal
system.
Such election was held two years
ago, but a suit carried to the su-
preme court has withheld election Of
commissioners and so hackers OF
the management system plan an
other eferriOs7