The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-07-11
LESLIE'S HOME
TOWN BRANDED
CRIME HAVEN
Lafayette Target of Ogden
Speech to Bar Group,
The Times Learns.
CHARGES VICE IS KING
BOotIegging, Gambling Goes
Unchecked, Declares
+ Attorney General.

lafayette. Governor Harry G.
LeSie's home town and seat of Pur-
due university, is the "horrid x
ample" Of civic unrighteousness
cited by Attorney General James NJ
Ogden in his presidential speech
before the Indiana State Bar As
ISOLATION at the summer meeting at
Bloomington, The Indianapolis
Times learned today.
Ogden has had more complaints
from that city than any in the
state, it was reported by an attache
Of his Office. He had one agent
there five days gathering evidence
and operatives two days.
Here is the result Of those in
vestigations a outlined in Ogden's
speech Thursday:
"As an illustration of the crime
conditions in some places in this
state I wish to recite to you the
facts as found in a certain city
visited very recently by an investi-
gator from the attorney-generals
Office. Lest there may be some mis-
understanding it should be stated
that this city is not in Marion
county. nor is it in Lake or Vigo
counties.
Vice Runs Wild
The repOrtf Of the investigator
states that in that city gambling,
bootlegging and vice are running
wild without apparent concern by
any of the city or county Off
Gals. Even if an occasional ar
rest is made. a small fine or a sus-
pended sentence is usually given
by the court.
The federal officers r the
only ones whom any Of the law
vioiatOrs fear. and at least one
of the federal officers is weak
and un~concerned. The federal Of
fcers bother nothing except the
LIQUOR law violators and as oon
Is they hit the city, warning goes
out to the bootleggers by an Or
gained system.
The police seem to bother
none except those guilty of traf-
&c law violations.
Games of gambling are run
ming at the - hotel and
have been for a couple of years.
The keeper is protected by his
brother-in-law. who is a police
man.
Chief on Parties
THE chief Of police attends liquor
parties and is a heavy drinker. 1t
appears that a lot of protection
money is changing hands as no
such conditions could prevail unless
this was the case; the postmaster
has large booze parties at his home
that are attended by the mayor; the
sheriff permits slot machines to be
operated at filling stations and bar
becues all over the county and is
making no effort whatever to stop
their operations.
He. together with a former prose-
cutting attorney, and the other man,
have the slot machine business I'M
der control and there is no interfer-
ence from any other source.
Mr.. Blank. as justice Of the
a is friendly to the slot ma
chine gang and is sure to make a
tip-od Of any contemplated raids
from any source.
Relative in Power
"a brother-in-law of the mayor
has a bootleg place at the corner
of - and - street. Many
who run the various resorts have
relatives who are on the police
force. or are employed at the
courthouse. or at the city hall.
The prosecuting attorney is very
weak on law enforcement, as he
does not go out of his way to force
the cases TO a head that come to
his attention. but is inclined to let
them drift along.
The law violatorS have a tip
of system Of using --, former
sheriff and now court bailiff. He
apparently keeps the law violatorS
informed as to any raids or pro-
ceedingS.
Hardly Be Worse
The conditions could hardly be
worse if there were no law enforcing
agencies in that city.
7 wish to state that immediate
steps are being taken to clean up
this city"
Ogden declared today that he
neither would affirm nor deny that
the city cited was Lafayette.
The Times. however, learned from
authoritative sources that Lafay-
cite was the city referred to.