The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-01-28
COUNTY READY
FOR PROBE Of
SALARY Order
Jury to Seek Facts About
Missing Record of
Pay Boost.
OFFICIALS TO TESTIFY
Action Is Taken After War
of Court Reporters for
Increases.

PINNED with facts shedding light
on the missing" county record
which gave eight Marion county
court reporters a $500 annual salary
raise, artillery of the Office of Prose-
cutOr Judson L. Stark today was
trained toward an approaching
grand jury probe. which, it was re-
ported, may implicate at least five
county officials.
Stark announced he will take per-
Sonal charge of the investigation,
with Vinson Manifold. grand jury
deputy prosecutor, assisting, to
bring before the quiz body testi-
mony in a chain of evidence show
ing an alleged deliberate" destruc-
ton Of the record.
Hearing Is Postponed
Date for the supreme court hear
ing of a writ of prohibition, OBJ
tanned recently by counsel for COM
misSioners, preventing Circuit Judge
Harry o. Chamberlin from enforc-
ing an order for the salary boosts,
was postponed today to Feb. 6. It
was to have been held Wednesday.
Smoldering quarrels between
judiciary of eight major county
courts and a group of county Off
Gals. who form the Coffin political
faction, famed anew Monday.
Criminal Judge James A. Col
Inns and seven other judges took
-. H. ecI,+ Fc~ cO,,,.f ,-o,Noytarc' col
airy by hurting accusations at Coun-
ty Auditor Harry Dunn, County At
torney Clinton H. Givan and county
commissioners that the record has
been destroyed"
Raising Of the reporters salaries
rest with Commissioners John E..
Shearer, George Snider and Charles
o. Sutton. These members are
charged with signing a draft in
January 1929, approving the raise,
on which judges predicated eight
individual orders, increasing each
reporters pay from $4,000 to $4,000.
Salary Increased
County council, although allowing
the $4,000 salary last year, declined
to continue the salary allowance
through 1880 and appropriated only
S2.4O0 for each reporter. Salaries
have been rejected until differences
are settled.
Grand jurors will be summoned
before Collins Wednesday morning
for /. truction in the investigation,
with aries C. Fitch, 2317 North
DELI street, acting as foreman.
\ while. county officials under
susr..~Ion were retaliating to the
judiciary's accusations with charges
that the outbreak is a political
play" with this Years election in
view. They back .4Ieir remarks with
knowledge that the judges probably
will be candidates for reelection.
Political Play"
This reputed scandal has all the
earmarks of a political play" Shear
er said. ''It appears to me they are
attempting to bring themselves to
the front for reason.
Dunn explained the situation by
asserting the order which judges
claim they saw, was one in which
commissioners expressly disap-
proved the raise. He said a tenta-
tive draft. calling for the salary
boost never had been signed by
commissioners. and it was this order,
he said. which the judges saw.
Chamberliu. following conferences
last week WITH Dunn and Givan,
said Dunn admitted the record was
destroyed.
Dunn Rolled Around"
He quoted Dunn as insisting the
latter had been rolled around in
politics until he didn't know where
he stood" ano knew definitely that
the record had been destroyed"
Reporters salary raise question
has been a bone Of contention in
the Coffin county council through
three recent sessions.
differences that Givan, advisor 10
the Coffin group in matters OF law
as well as political maneuverS, has
accurate knowledge of the records
disappearance, also have been made
by the judges.
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