The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-07-23
SHOWDOWN is
/ STATE PLEDGE
IN TAX CASES
'PII Smoke Out Any Bribed
State Official Says
AttOrney-G General.
COOPER MADE TARGET
Chicago Oil Man Charges
Graft More Expensive
Than Paying Tax.

Louis II. Joers, Michigan City, al
seged pay-off man in a bootleg gas
oline scandal involving state Off
Gals. viii be called immediately to
testify before Attorney General
James NJ. ogden. the latter said to-
day.
His decision to interrogate Joers,
hgure-head president of the Dunes
Oil Company. followed conference
with Poole Harrison. Chicago, al
legged hacker Of Ike bootleg gas bust
ness. whose etory he declared coin
Cided perfectly with that Of j. d.
Conner. Chicago. a partner in the
business.
I am going to use every effort to
get to the bottom of this thing. If
state employees have betrayed their
trust and are guilty Of grating, they
must face the consequence"
This was the stand taken by At
torney-G General James M. ogden to-
day in continuing his probe of the
bootleg gasoline business and al
legged corruption of or by state en-
ployes, chief of whom, it is alleged,
Is former State Senator Bruce E.
Cooper, Republican, of StewartsVille
"A bribe-taking public official is
far worse for the whole fabric Of
government than business men who
engage in questionable practices, "
said Ogden.
This Office never will be party
10 protection of political grafterS."
Backer to Talk
Conner'S charges are alleged to
Involve Cooper as the originator Of
the scheme to beat the state out,of
the cents a gallon gasoline tax.
Cooper, until last week, was field
auditor in the gasoline tax division
of State Auditor Archie Bobbitt's
Office. He had been a primary can
didate for congress and was First
district Republican chairman until
the reorganization after the pri-
maries.
The scheme. as explained to the
encouragement, was to ship gaso-
line labeled "distillate." which was
passed through alleged collision Of
a state gasoline inspector.
Cooper wss charged with receiving
monthly payments, ranging upward
from more than S400 and reaching
a tota. of $1,000 in ten months.
Conner told Ogden that it would
have been cheaper for his company,
Knickerbocker Refining Company,
TO have paid the Accent tax than
10 meet the graft payments.
He alleges that he really owes the
state about $4,000 and wants to
settle, it is said.
Bobbitt permitted JoerS TO con-
tinue operating at South Bend.
through a settlement which gave
Clarence Fate. securities investiga-
tor in Secretary of State Otto G..
Fifield's Office, a chance to take over
seven of Joers' stations in northern
Indiana for Fate's son and Malcolm
Clark, Crown Point.
Probe State Connection
Fate's connection with the entire
deal also is being investigated by
the attorney general.
Bobbitt attended the conference
with Conner and afterward urged
that complete investigation be
made and all cards be laid on the
table"
This was the first enthusiasm he
has shown for the movement.
Fifeld denied that he had inter-
Siewed persons with the idea of ap-
pointing a successor to Fate and
upheld Fate's action in the matter.
Cooper came to Ogden's office
after the conference with Conner
and entered a general denial to all
charges.