The Indianapolis times., 1930-01-29
SEEK Defense
IN PAY RAISE
Order PROBE
County Officials Unearth
Draft of Record for
Wage Boost.
JURY QUIZ WILL START
File on Reporters Salary
increases Destroyed,
Judge Says.
JURY QUIZ WILL START

Building a defense against a rigid
grand jury investigation, county
officials today dug into old records
and produced the shorthand draft
Of a court reporters salary increase
order, which. it is alleged by coun-
ty judges, either was destroyed or
removed after it had been approved.
The shorthand statement was
Transcribed and placed in a safe In
the office of County Auditor Harry
Dunn and probably will be one of
the chief exhibits In the grand jury's
quiz into circumstances surrounding
the alleged disappearance of the
original record.
Written June, 1922
The purported statement carries
the date June %, 1923, and is said
to have been written by former
stenographer in Dunn's Office.
Under this order, If approved, the
commissioners would have rescinded
the action taken earlier in January,
1928. in which they would not al
low increases of $500 annually to re-
porters.
Dunn said the order never was
signed by commissioners although
Clinton H. Givan, county attorney,
is reported to have said he made a
similar order draft but this was de-
stroyed. The officials would not
comment on whether Givan's pur-
ported order and the one uncovered
today may have been identical.
Prior to discovery of the docu-
ment, Criminal Judge James A. Col
lins instructed the grand jury TO
probe the matter Of the order that
either has been destroyed or re-
moved"
Judges to Testify
The Jury adjourned today and
will hear witnesses Thursday.
Among the first witnesses probably
will be county judges who have
charged they saw the pay increase
order, signed by commissioners.
The previous order which would
have been revoked by the June, 1928,
statement, was signed by Commis-
sioners George Snider and Charles
o. Sutton.
Late this morning Commissioners
Sutton, Snider and John f. Shearer,
Dunn and Givan held long confer
ence with William L. Taylor, dis
trict Republican chairman.
Order Destroyed"
at has been brought to the at
tention Of the court that the order
of agreement, approved by commits.
sioners, has been destroyed or re-
moved from the custody Of the audi
tor of Marion county, Collins said
in his instructions.
"He is, by law, charged with the
care of records and orders Of COM
missioners. Under provisions of the
Indiana statutes, it is made felony
to maliciously, mischievously or
fraudulently alter, deface, injure,
mutilate or destroy the whole or any
part of such record.
Upon this information, brought
to the courts attention, I now
charge you to make a diligent in
uuiry II this public record has been
destroyed and If you can obtain
evidence to warrant an indictment.
an indictment should be returned In
this court"
Writ Is Issued
Meanwhile, Judges Linn D. Hay.
Harry o. Chamberlin, James M.
Leathers and Collins were pre-
vented from attempting to en-
force payment of the salaries by
prohibition writs served on them
Monday and Tuesday by the SUI
Dreme court.
Petition for the writ was filed by
Givan, political foe to the judges
and chief adviser to commissioners
and Dunn.
Nine court reporters have declined
to accept the appropriated s2,400
year until the wrangle is ended.
Saw Document
It is understood judges will testify
they saw the signed document In
the presence Of county officials.
They predicated separate orders
calling for the yearly increase on
this order.
Dunn asserted the paper ex-
hibited to the judges was without.
official signatures. Dunn Is said
to have admitted TO Chamberlins
however, that in q press Of politi-
cal moves" the document was de
stroyed.
Hearing before the supreme court
on the writ of prohibition, wa
postponed until Feb. 6.