The Indianapolis times., 1931-01-26
COP 'FRAMEUP'
IS PINNED ON
G. 0. P. CHIEFS
LinthiCum Asserts Plot Was
Hatched in Office of
Sheriff Here.
ASKS CONGRESS ACTION
Inside Story Reported to
Have Been Told by Dry
Unit EmpIoYe.
BY LAWRENCE SULLIVAN
Times STAFF Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26-The
indianapolis police entrapment case
assumed proportions of a national
political scandal today with charges
by Representative j. Charles Lin
thicum Dem., Md that the entire
case had its inception in Marion
county.
washington prohibition authori-
ties knew nothing of the sensational
cleanup drive until several weeks
after the alleged plot to smear the
Democratic administration had been
approved by United States District
Attorney George, r. Jeffrey, Repre-
sentative Linthicum added.
The plan to build up the purport-
ed election eve police scandal was
conceived in the office of the Mar
ion county sheriff, George L. Wink
Ter, the congressman said.
Prohibition EmpIoye Talks
These disclosures came to the
Maryland representative from an
employe Of the prohibition unit who
had access to secret field reports
covering the case, he asserted.
Because publication of his in
formant's name could entail al
most certain dismissal from the
service, Congressman Linthicum is
guarding the details of his find
ings. He Stated, however. that
with this important link in his
chain of evidence, the entrapment
case is ready for the formal at
tention Of the house judiciary com
miittee.
Representative George S. Ora
ham (Rep., Pa, chairman of the
judiciary committee, last week told
Linthicum that if the Indianapolis
origin of the case could be estab-
lished the whole matter would be
probed by the committee.
Started in Sheriff's Office
If Graham follows through, all
reports and correspondence in the
case soon viii be available in the
public records.
Hailed in the Marion county
slleriff's office as a capital idea, the
entrapment plan next was broached
in quarters of the deputy prohibi-
tion administrator for Indiana
Linthicum charged. At this point
attaches of the district attorneys
office we're consulted on legal
aspects of the case, to insure that
specific evidence essential to grand
jury action should be obtained.
With these preliminary steps
agreed upon by Indianapolis off
cials, the plan was sent by mail to
John F. j. Herbert, prohibition sd-
ninistrator for the Seventh district,
at Chicago Herbert approved the
outline and submitted it to Wood
cocks office in Washington, Linthi-
cum charges.
Approved in Chicago
Within three weeks, Herbert had
sent two special agents to Indian
apolis with authorization from
Washington to establish the govern
ment-owned speakeasy at 1913 East
Twenty-second street, the operating
center of the entrapment drive.
Introduction of Herbert's name
into the alleged frameup recalled
senate debate concerning him about
a year ago, when he was removed
suddenly from the Baltimore dis
trict and assigned to Montana. Sen
ators Burton K. Wheeler Dem.,
Mont) and William E. Borah Rep..
Idaho) objected to the transfer, on
grounds that prior Investigation
by the department of justice had
found Herbert guilty of "rnalfeas-
ance and corruption"
In concluding his remarks on the
case on Jan. q, 1880, Borah said
on the floor of the senate:
Il know nothing about Mr.. Her
bert except what comes to me from
the department Of justice If the
facts as they were given to me be
true, this man has no business in
Montana, or Idaho, or anywhere
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