The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-11-12
WILSON SLATED
TO INHERIT "a
MAJOR CASES
New Prosecutor to Serve in
Trial of Schroeder,
Alleged Slayer.

cratic county prosecutor-elect, takes
Office Jan. 1. he viii inherit TWEEN
ty-four important criminal cases
which Judson l.. Stark, Republican
incumbent. failed to try in the last
TWO years.
-Four of these cases. involving
murder charges. have drifted aim
lessly along on the monthly criminal
court calendar because Of legal
technicalities. and will be received
by Wilson as cases of first I'M
portance.
Three other cases, all OF which
have been before the public's eye for
as long as four years, will be handed
to Wilson for prosecution during his
tenure.
Probably most important of these
"carry-over" cases is that Of Harold
Herbert Schroeder, Mobile 'AlaJ
business man held in the county
iail since June 20. for the first de-
gree murder of an unknown man,
MAY 81. in the High School road
luto-pyre mystery.
Faces Death Penalty
Facing the death penalty if con-
victed. Schroeder will go to trial
some time this winter with the de-
tense the unknown man died OF a
broken neck for which Schroeder
says he is not responsible.
Wilson will receive the murder
case of William c. Hill former IN
dianapolis policeman accused OF
killing, during a robbery, Charles
Zeller. lottery operator. Hills case
has been venued to Noblesvllle,
While tho defendant awaits trial as
20 prisoner in the Indiana state re-
.ormatory
Case OF Ernest Pryor, Martins
lie. confessed wife-pOisoner, held
or murder, probably will shift to
Wilson. Pryor's case was venued
out of Morgan circuit court to Mar
ION county after the defendant
pleaded not guilty to the charge,
although he allegedly signed con-
fession to the crime.
LOT LiLLlC AlLcullOti
Case Of William Secrist. alleged
gambler, held by Stark to be re-
sponsible for the death Of Victor
Lockwood, following a drunken
brawl in haywood in 1928, will be
handed to Wilson for possible grand
Jury action. Secrist's case is said
to have a political aspect, and has
received little attention under Stark.
Another widely discussed case,
that of Lyle T. Laub, fCsmer presi-
dent of the defunct Realty Finance
and Building Company, Indianap-
oils, indicted for the alleged en-
bezzlement Of thousands of dollars
from private investors, will be
placed under Wilson's prosecution
Scharffin Case Pending
Echo of the fire and explosion at
the Edward Traugott g. Co. cloth
ing store two years ago is the long
delayed case of Paul Scharffin, at
torney, charged in an Indictment as
result of the fire with conspiring to
commit felony and transporting
liquor Efforts of attorneys to quash
the case have failed, although Stark
never urged immediate trial
Further still, are the untried
cases of three alleged loan sharks
arrested under Stark for preying ON
borrowers by charging $40 per cent
interest year on loans. These men
are Amos G. Haines, Jesse A. HaineS
and Hansford z. Pool
Recent cases relegated by Stark to
Wilson'S care are those of twelve of
the city's most prominent gamblers
indicted by the grand jury a week
ago as result Of a probe into corrupt
conditions in the police department.
Tommy Dillon Named
Named in the indictments are
Denny Rush 228 South Illinois
street; Emil Rahke, II North East
street; Tommy Dillon. 742 South
Capitol avenue and nine others.
Wilson also viii have charge of
three important political cases
which have been tried and now are
on appeal to higher courts. Out
standing in this group is the case
of Paul Dunn. ex-county council
man, tried and found not guilty of
alleged shady deals in being elected
10 the Office. Stark sought to re-
open the case by a supreme court
appeal. Case of Irving Webster,
indianapolis publisher found guilty
Of blackmail, also has been ap-
pealed.
Primary election fraud cases. in
Guiding john L. Benz, 7S-year-old
precinct committeeman, and E. w.
Hoover. poll inspector, will go to
Wilson's care. Hoover has not
been tried.