The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-07-28
BY BRUCE CATION
NEA Service Writer

ment in municipal government. in
dulged in because the ghost of the
Ku-Klux KIan still stalks through
the streets Of Americas fourth city,
lust is coming to an exciting con-
clusion.
Mayor Charles Bowles, recalled by
the voters at a special election last
week. faces almost certain defeat
in the special election that will be
held in September to choose his
successor.
The experiment was a peculiar
one.
Detroit elected a mayor on q
reform platform and found the
gamblers and liquor dealers enjoy
ing a strange new prosperity under
his regime.
Mayor Is Strange Figure
Detroit defeated the candidate
Who called fer an open town and
then found that the town was more
"open" under the man it elected
than IL probably would have been II
the other chap had won. Now, since
the murder of Gerald Buckley,
radio vice crusader an unprece-
dented cleanup has taken place.
Mayor BCwles, storm center OF
the most hectic administration De-
troit ever had, is strange figure.
Born in the small town of Yale,
Mich. a former street car motorman
and then al obscure lawyer, he was
practically unheard of in Detroit
until six years ago.
Then he ran for mayor with ku
Klux Kla1 backing-although he
always has denied ever being a
member Of the khan himselt-ano
surprised everybody by polling
10000 votes
Dan Backs Him
He ran again in the next cleo
ton. Again he was beaten, but
again the khan helped him get a
huge vote. Bowles thereupon ran
for a judgeship in the recorders
court, won election, and bided his
time.
A year ago he entered the lists
again. Victorious in the primary,
h. faced former Mayor John W.
Smith in the fall election. smith
Is a Catholic and a wet.
Bovles set up a law-and-order
platform. Nightly he demanded
a cleanup in the police depart
ment. He urged the closing OF
blind pigs as SpeakeaSies are
known here-gambling joints and
disorderly houses.
simultaneously, the religious issue
entered the campaign-not IN the
open, but underground. The KAN
as an organization is moribund
here; but its ghost still lives, and
the religious issue won many votes
for Rowles. He beat Smith by
about $500 votes.
Elected, Troubles Begin
Bovles' administration hardly had
begun before he was in hot water.
First he tried to raise street rail-
vav fares from to cents and to
cut bus fares from 10 to 8 cents.
1t was charged that the effort to
cut the bus fares was an attempt
to reward voters in the outlying dis
tricts, who had gone heavily anti
smith in the election; at any rate
the CITY council refused to approve
the move. and it was dropped.
Then Bowles appointed to the
commissionership. of public works
one John Gillespie. Gillespie was
head Of the Detroit Reduction Com
pany. which held a profitable city
contract for the disposal Of garbage.
City "Opens Up"
When he took office Gillespie an
nounced that he had severed con-
nections with this company; never
theless. he had not been in office
ten days before he got the council
to re-award the contract TO the De
troit Reduction Company, and
fought sharply to kill proposal fer
construction of a city-owned re-
6uction plant.
Gillespie also was accused OF m
.erfering in the conduct Of other
departments. notably the police de-
partment. It was noticed. f. ~
more. that gambling houses were be-
ginning to reopen, and that blind
pigs" were running fun blast.
In addition. it was recalled that
even during the campaign the citys
gamblers had been reported to be
contributors to Bowles' campaign
fund.
Raids start Trouble
Detroit soon became. once more,
a wide-open town. The newspapers
stormed about il for a long time
without getting action.
Finally Mayor BowleS went 10 see
the Kentucky derby. and during his
absence Police Commissioner H. H
Emmons went out and made a series
Of raids on gambling joints and
blind pigs.
Bowles got back to town two days
later and promptly removed En-
mons from ONCE. putting Thomas
c. wilcox IN his place.
That was the move that provoked
the recall movement. II gained
impetus from that date. and the re-
cali campaign Just ended was one
Of the most spectacular and exciting
in Detroit's history.
Ito Be Continued