The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-03
u. s. RESUMES
LAKE COUNTY
crime PROBE
New indictments, Fruit of
Secret Investigation, to
Be Returned.
BOOK TRIAL IS OPENED
Eight Gary Cops Among n
Defendants Facing Dry
Plot Charges.
Rn Times SDccinl

m iHtfS NDtftHt
SOUTH BEND, Ind, Dec. g.
Spectacular developments on three
fronts today broke the fog of legal
technicalities which has hidden the
Governments warfare on an alleged
politico-criminal alliance in Lake
county for the last two months.
Following the wholesale indlct-
ments returned by a federal grand
Jury in the northern Indiana district
court here early in the fall, the gov
eminent. supposedly, has been con-
centrating its activities on prepara-
lions for the trials.
Most of the indictments returned
against the more prominent Oh
Lake county's citizens charged con-
spiracy to violate the national pro-
hibition act.
So many were included in the
conspiracy cases-about 30O-and SO
involved we're the charges against
them, that few could follow the
various ramifcations as exposed IN
the indictments, and in the lew
bits of testimony that filtered from
the grand jury room
Procedure Tedious
The tedious procedure OF arralgn-
noant took I'D considerable time IN
the Hammond federal court, Where
Judge Thomas w. Slick began to
near the cases three weeks ago. More
time was expended in tediousneSs as
the efendants-among them mayor
Raleigh P. Hale and Police Chlet
James w. Regain of East Chicago
sought In vain to escape through
s. pleas of abatement.
Today, however, these three lac
tors are evident:
The Book case trial opened before
Judge Slick.
oscar Luhring, assistant United
States Encouragement, reVealai
that a secret investigation OF condl-
tions in northern Indiana had been
CONNECTED and 100 additional indlct-
ments are to be returned.
oliver M. LOOMS, district attorney
advanced his plans to obtain more
than 100 abatement orders against
alleged liquor selling places In the
Calumet district.
The Book trial at it's opening TINS
morning found twenty-five de1eno-
ants. eight of them Gary policemen
lighting charges of conspiracy 70
break the dry law.
Secret Probe Surprise
The announcement by Assistant
Attornev-General Luhring that the
government has completed secret
Investigation of conditions in north
erp indiana came as distinct sur
prise.
Tuhring made his statement at a
meeting of special prosecution at
4ornevs in Chicago Monday alter
noon. He intimated that the case
had spread throughout the northern
mart of the state and that high of-
ficials from counties other tnan
Lake would be included in the nst
of defendants in the 100 indlct-
mentS.
This. of course. further compn-
oates the situation. Ever those IN
ON the know" were astounded by the
news that the federal agents had
made a secret Investigation. Many
federal agents from other sections
of the country have been drawn INTO
the Lake county case.
LOOMS, E. J. Connely, head OF
the department Of criminal lnvestl-
cation in Chicago, and John 5.
Pratt and Oliver Pagan, assistant
general. took part IN the
conference. which was followed by
Luhring's announcement.
Assisted LoOmiS
Ihbring. Pratt and Pagan were
assigned to assist Looms In the
prosecution of the case by Attor-
ney-General Mitchell.
In the third phase of the Situa-
ton. federal agents completed prep
aration of more than 100 orders OF
temporary abatement to be served
on owners of places where agents
have found liquor during the course
of their activities in the past four
months.
The abatement writs prohibit the
sale of liquor and also forces the
owners to show cause within twenty
days why padlocking should not be
made permanent.