The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-17
JURY MAY ACT
ON CORONER'S
FEE CLAIMS
Constable Believed to Have
Collected Mileage
Illegally.
SUBPENAS NOT SERVED
Doctors and Police Assert
They Attended Without
Summons,
SUBPENAS NOT SERVED
BY DICK MILLER


BY DICK MILLER
Probe into fee claims paid by ths
county to Hugo Sommers, constable
in the Office of Coroner Fred w.
Vehling, for service of SubpenaS in
death investigation cases. was
opened today by county commits
sioners and Harvey Grabill, county
attorney.
Although commissioners have sur
veyed several of the claims, they
said they will continue the inyes-
tigation until they are convinced
either OF the legality or illegality
OF the claims paid by County An
ditor Harry Dunn.
Each Of the claims has been
countersigned and attested as a
true statement by vehling.
Grand Jury May Act
IL was reported at the courthouse
however, that if the commission
ers' investigation leads them IN
believe some of the claims NAV
have been paid for services not
actually rendered, the matter prob
ably will be turned over to Pros
ecutor Herbert E. Wilson. In this
case the grand jury probably would
investigate.
The county is protected against
loss OF the funds paid In claims
should they prove to have been OBJ
Ialneo Illegally, because Vehling is
unoer $4,000 bond as coroner.
County officials have the right
10 sue for all or any part OF this
pubic Office bond. Sommers also
is under bond.
Investigation by The Times led
commissioners to open their nroI,e
after it had been disclosed that
claims may have been filed for
mileage and service costs when
sunpenaS actually were not served
Many Sent by Phone
In several instances, It was
learned that subpoena services were
conducted by phone, with no ex-
pense involved, although fee claims
"~~S ~%@SNA HNAANl paul.
Claims for rs cents for aIIeeed
service of subpenas to city hospital
lnterneS, filed by SommerS. are to
be Sifted first by the county Of
f1ciaIS.
At the hospital, internes were
questioned and each of them denjec,
navlng been served personally by
Veh1lng, Sommers, or any other at
tache of his Office.
lnterneS said they appear at the
courthouse and testify in death
cases voluntarily. For this each Is
paid 75-cent witness fee.
Doctors Deny Subpenas
among the doctors who dor,oa
n suopenaed, but whose names
appear on records of the corons~
are >. D. Rogers, D. c. Barrett
Donalo j. White, l.. E. FoItz and MT
S. Brown. 'D 0Ai0 M
Inc records state that Sommar.
served each with subpoena for which
he claimed Is cents: a return IN
cents, and that he Travelled four
miles under the 1o-cent mileage
rate. --''S0
Attaches Of the city hospital Of
nee said Sommers never has an
peared there to leave subpenas for
lnterneS, but that phone calls have
peen received from the coroner,a
once requesting internes to an
pear.
Miss Della Dugan, Office super-
VISOR at the hospital, told The
Times that on one occasion an I'M
identified man left lists of deceased
persons and asked that doctors CON
uecOed with thu cases be informed
that they wey roner's cases. The
LstS were o. Unmarked paper and
no suopenaS we're attached. She said.
Police Not Subpenaed
Fee claims have been filed SINH
larry in cases in which police were
10 testify. Police say they never
nave been Subpenaed, but copies Of
thelr reports in death cases often
are made by Sommers.
Sommers claimed $40 for serv-
ing witnesses in the case Of Mr.. and
Mrs. Ben Stickel and William Coble
asphyxiated in their home. 33I East
Tenth street, Feb. 81.
According to his claim. Sommera
served four witnesses in the case
Lieutenant Marion Van Sickle in
charge of the emergency squad in
vestigating the deaths. said his re-
port was copied by the coroner's
Office.
DR.. G. B. Fausett of the city hos
pital said he testified twice in the
case, but also stated he was not
served with summons to appear.
DR.. Thomas A. O'Deu, 37l41z East
Iwenty-fifth street, said he yolun-
tarily offered testimony and re-
ceiVed witness fee. He said no
one served him with summons.
either at his home nv. office