The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-24
OGDEN PUSHES
QUIZ ON $1,000
UTILITY CHECK
Attorney General, M'IntoSh
to Confer on Alleged
Misuse of Money.
INDICTMENT is HINTED
Commissioner Says He
Doesn't Know What It's
About in Seymour Case.

Il have sufficient evidence that,
if laid before a grand jury, it will
result in indictment.
This is the allegation made today
by Attorney General James M. Og-
den in commenting on his sched-
uled conference with Commissioner
Calvin Mcintosh of the public serv-
ice commission regarding alleged
misuse of $4,000 in unusual and ex-
traordinary expense at the time of
passage of the telephone rate in
crease at Seymour, Ind, in October,
1929.
The conference was arranged by
Ogden for this morning, following
a long conference Friday with Gov
ernor Harry G. Leslie, Ogden,
Hufsmith, deputy in charge of utili-
ties; Lon GrifithS, president or for
mer president of the Southern In
diana Telephone and Telegraph
Company; James w. Noel and Rob-
ert Armstrong, indianapolis attor-
neys for the company; E. S. WEIGH,
Seymour, general manager, and
Claude Carter, Seymour, public re-
lations man.
Probe on $4,000 Check
Mcintosh declared before the
conference today Il don't know
what it's all about"
Informed several weeks ago Of
the attorney-generaIs probe he de-
clared that so far as he was con-
cerned he is "as clean as a hounds
tooth"
The matter came to a head this
week when it was first announced
from Seymour that Grifitts had
been ousted as president of the
Southern Indiana company, fol-
lowed next day by his declaration
he wouldn't quit.
Friday night he issued the fol-
lowing statement regarding the Og-
den investigation:
II gave Mr.. Lett a check for
$4,000. Otc. IA, 1929, when he. in
our employ as public relations man,
said he had been under unusual
and extraordinary expense in In
dianapolis.'
Postmaster Is Quizzed
what he did with the money ]
do not know and thought nothing
more of the matter until I was
called into Attorney General Og-
denis office.
'The check was obtained by the
attorney general from the account
ing department of the Southern In
diana Consolidated Utilities Cor
poration.
st will be glad to assist in what
ever way possible in clearing this
matter up"
Ogden had Dr. H. Lett, Seymour
postmaster, in his office for question
ing regarding the check, which had
been deposited in the State Savings
and Trust Company bank here Oct
IA, 1928.
Check Large Expenditures
Lett merely explained the money
was due him, according to Ogden.
The check was written across the
face "Batesville stock" Ogden said.
Griffitts' company failed recently
to get general rate increase for
the various towns served in south
ern Indiana and the testimony dis
closed large personal expenditures
by the president charged to over
head. The case is pending in fed
eral court on appeal.
Mcintosh and other commission
ers, except Howell Ellis, first were
called as witnesses, but never took
the stand.
Mcintosh had written the Sey-
mour order granting the rate in
crease, but opposed the one grant,
ing general increases.
Fuller Named by Ogden
In addition to the $4,000, seven
$500 checks given by Lett are being
mentioned in the probe. Bert Full
Ter, campaign manager for Governor
Harry G.. Leslie, has also been
named by Ogden as having possible
connection with the affair.
Fuller stated recently that he sold
a $4,000 insurance policy to one
of the key men" of the Southern
Indiana company, through Grifhtts,
and las a friend" had tried to get
both Mcintosh and Chairman John
w. McCardle of the commission to
change their minds regarding the
general rate increase order.