The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-06-22
176 IN indiana
FACE CHARGES
BY U. S. Jury
Former Allen County Sheriff
Among 1o7 Fl. Wayne
Liquor Defendants.
ELECTION INQUIRY LAGs
Federal Body in Report at
South Bend Declares
Evidence Weak.

BIZ Times Special
SOUTH BEND, Ind, June "a
Shelving its inquiry into the charges
of fraud on the part Of the Repub-
lican machine in Lake county in the
1928 election, the federal grand jury
laid a heavy hand on the liquor
conspiracy situation in Ft. Wayne
Friday, when it returned forty seven
indictments against l07 persons in
that district.
Several prominent persons in TT.
Wayne are included among defend
ants. DR.. Guy limerick, former
Allen county sheriff, must face trial
on charges Of conspiracy to vio-
late the national prohibition law.
Names of twenty-five others In one
conspiracy case were withheld pend
ing arrests.
George Biemer and August
Klenke, said to be racketeers of
Ft Wayne, we're also indicted for
CO lspiracy.
This action against alleged crime
and vice rings in the city is the
strongest attack made by the local
federal office in that city. Two pre-
vious jury Investigations resulted in
large numbers of true bills against
racketeers in South Bend and rack
eteers and public officials in Michi-
gan City.
The jury returned total of
ninety-seven indictments against 176
persons in the northern Indiana
federal district.
Hotel Proprietor Accused
Chief among the f1fty-five South
Bend persons indicted was Andrew
G. Weisberg, proprietor of the Oliver
hotel, who faces trial for alleged in
come tax irregularities and viola
ton of the internal revenue law.
Results Of the investigation into
the Lake county election fraud
charges will be announced at the
next grand jury session if ever. In
returning its report to Judge
Thomas w. Slick the jurors as
serted that they had not received
sufficient evidence to indict. The re-
port reads:
'The grand jury has spent con-
siderable time in investigating
charges of fraud in the 1928 cleo
ton in Lake county. 1t has had
the testimony of some eighty-four
witnesses in this connection. In the
opinion of this body there is not
sufficient evidence upon which to
predicate any indictment at this
time Although there has been evi-
dence tending to show irregularities
in various polling precincts in Lake
county, in our opinion there is no
evidence to establish any organized
effort to corrupt the election or to
violate the federal laws in that con-
nection.
Direct Evidence Lacking
Much testimony was heard con-
cerning stories of fraud and much
was said concerning the importation
Of floaters from the south side of
Chicago to Lake county to vote there
on election day. However, there is
no direct evidence from any witness
to establish this as a fact. It is our
opinion that the government agents
should continue their search for
witnesses who will have direct eyi-
dence Of such violations if such wit
neSseS can be found"
Among the eighty-four witnesses
heard in the Lake county case were
John D. Williams, deposed head of
the state highway commission; r.
Earl Peters, Democratic state chair
man; Boyd Gurley, editor of The
Indianapolis Times; Warren Fair
banks, publisher Of the Indianapo-
lis News; John J. Moroney, erst-
while department of justice agent
and reputed to have once been a
special investigator for Senator
James E. Watson; Walter Scharge,
mayor and chairman of
the Lake county Republican COM
mittee, and Prosecuting Attorney
Oliver Starr Of Lake county.