The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-12-10
DEMANDS u. S.
PROBE TRIAL
OF CITY COPS
LinthiCum of Baltimore to
Demand Showdown
With WoodcoCk.
POLITICAL FRAME SEEN
Operation of SpeakeaSy
Here by Dry SIeuthS
Called Shameful.
BY LAWRENCE SULLIVAN
Times STAFF Corresnondent


WASHINGTON, Dec. 10.-Char-
acterizing the operation of speak
easies by prohibition agents as a
shameful degradation of govern
ment," Congressman j. Charles Lin
thicum of Baltimore announced to-
day his intention to begin for
NAL inquiry into the recent con-
viction of six indianapolis police
men on charges of conspiracy to
violate the prohibition law.
The Indianapolis case was pre-
sented to Linthicum in five letters
of protest received from Marion
county citizens since publication OF
the verdict last Saturday.
Linthicum said he did not feel at
liberty to divulge the names of
his petitioners, since they had
written him as individuals. He
announced, however, that he for
mally would demand of Prohibition
Commissioner Amos w. Woodcock
whether the use of public money
for establishing illicit grogshops is
sanctioned by federal authorities.
Goes After WoOdcock
Next Tuesday Einthicum plans to
lay the details of the indianapolis
police conspiracy case before the
executive committee of the nom
official house committee on modit1-
cation of the Volstead act, of which
he is chairman.
Meanwhile, he hopes to obtain
from Woodcock an official utter
ance as to validity of the methods
used to entrap members Of the In
dianapolis force last summer in the
governmental speakeasy at
1918 East Twenty-second street.
In the trial, United States At
torney George Jeffrey told the
jury, in his opening statement, that
Federal Agents Cronkey and Nc
Grath had opened this establish
ment as poolroom. Bpotlegger
Jim Taylor worked hand in glove
with the federal authorities to trap
the police officers, using a Negro
attendant, Horace Lyle, to pass SO in
cash on one occasion to patrolman.
The Indianapolis verdict has been
followed by reverberations of in
dignation in congressional circles,
not only because of the fact that the
operatives admittedly resorted to
criminal acts in building up the
case, but also because of the fact
that the cleanup was developed
during the midst of the political
campaign.
Started in Herbert's Office
Preliminary Investigations by a
member of the house has developed
that the Indianapolis drive" was
initiated in the office of District
Administrator j. F. ]. Herbert at
Chicago, following word from some
unrevealed source in Indianapolis
that matters merited attention"
Linthicum wants to know whether
this information came from persons
who sought political advantage from
a prediction cleanup in a city
under a Democratic administration.
All unofficial discussions of the case
call up the striking relationship be-
tween the date of the drive and the
election, together with the fact that
only Republican appointees and
prosecutors had supervision of the
work designed to entrap the police
officers.
Every responsible administrative
official has stated repeatedly that
the prohibition agents must not
resort to criminal methods Of en-
forcement," Linthicum said. "Yet
the cases continue to come along
in which federal money actually is
used to make crime. 1t is shame
full degradation of government.