The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-07-07
RACKETEERING
brand PLACED
ON REPORTERS
LingIe Declared Only One
of Many Newspaper Men
In on Graft
UGLY RUMoRS SPREAD
Expose Started in Chicago
by Articles Appearing
in ST. Louis Star.
Bg United Press

bN q fMf0 fFfhH
CHICAGO, July 7.-Insinuations
of corruption in Chicago journalism
have become so numerous since the
murder Of Alfred j. Lingle, Chicago
Tribune reporter, that they threat
ened to take precedence in the pub
lie prints today over the question
of who killed Lingle and why.
over the weekend, wide diver
gence of opinion as to proper meth
DDS of investigating the murder and
ugly rumors which followed it de-
veloped among the powerful Chi
cago newspapers which adopted a
resolution four weeks ago pledging
unlimited cooperation towards
breaking the underworld's grip upon
the city.
The resolution, however, was
adopted before it was known gen.
orally that Lingle had betrayed his
journalistic trust through a per-
sonal alliance with the underworld.
Today the publishers appeared to be
no less determined to stand united
in cleaning up Chicago. but they
were far from united on methods
of dealing with the insinuations
that numerous other reporters are
as much racketeers as was Lingle.
Exposed by Outside Paper
Although rumors of racketeering
by other reporters have been plen-
tifuI since Lingle was killed four
weeks ago today. it remained for an
outside newspaper to bring them
before the public.
Frank w. Taylor Jr., editor Of the
st. Louis Star, sent reporter to
Chicago TO write a series of dis
patches about the Lingle case and
its ramifications. Within a few
days the Star began publication OF
the reporters stories, which con-
tanned charges of wholesale racket
eering among Chicago newspaper
men.
The Chicago Tribune reprinted
the stories. which had been copy
righted by the Star. thus giving to
Chicago readers for the first time
the charges that certain unnamed
men on the stats of other Chicago
dailies were using their professional
positions to obtain graft.
The appearance of the Stars dis
patches in the Tribune brought edi-
torial criticism from the Tribune's
contemporaries. The Evening Post,
demanding that the author of the
Stars dispatches, Harry 7. Br'ln-
dige. be called before the grand
Jury. referred to the stories as being
''Joyfully published in the Chicago
Tribune"
Mccormick Is Assailed
One of the Brundige stories quoted
Colonel r. r. Mccormick, publisher
of the Tribune, as saying he would
make a personal appearance before
the grand jury to appeal for indict-
ment of Lingle's killer. The Eve
ming American, Hearst paper, said
editorially that Colonel McCor-
mick's action in granting this ex-
elusive interview to the st. Louis
Star was IAN assault from within"
on the solidarity of the Chicago
press. as expressed in the resolution
of cooperation.
The Chicago Daily News said
Brundige's charges sought to make
il appear that the commerce car
ried on by Lingle. a Tribune re-
porter. with criminal gangs and po-
lice officials, was of a piece with
practices common among reporters
on other Chicago papers. The Daily
News denies this charge and de-
mands an investigation.
A new grand jury, which was to
be sworn in today. faced the double
task of clearing up the Lingle muir
der and the whole crime situation
in general since the Lingle case has,
in one way or another, been con-
nected either in rumor or fact with
almost all the crime and alleged
crime activities in the city,
Asks Jury Probe
A new request that the grand
fury examine fully the charges
made by Brundige was sent last
night by Col. Mccormick to States
Attorney John A. Swanson.
THE revelations Of the last Few
weeks have been distressing to many
of us. We wish the matter exposed
never had ccurred," write Nc
Cormick. Eve tend TO wish that
soiled linen be not washed in pub
lie but out of so much evil a great
good may come.
THE activities of Lingle and men
of his stripe are like paths Leading
into the forest of crime which hlth-
erto have proved tracklesS. BY fol-
lowing them, the whole criminal or
ranization which has Chicago by
its throat may be surrounded ana
DESTROYED"