The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-09
EX-PRISONER
DECLARES He
BOUGHT JOB
Printing and Tailor Shop
Heads at PendIeton
Are Accused.
BOTH DENY CHARGES
Suits Of Incoming ConviCtS
'PeddIed,' Assertion of
Former Inmate.
BY DANIEL NJ. KIDNEY
Times stat Corresnondent

PENDLETON, Ind, April g.
Bribery charges, brought by for
mer prisoner, were denied fatty in
writing today by two veteran officers
Of the Indiana state reformatory.
Having read the charges to them
on Wednesday, Superintendent A.
F. Miles of the institution ordered
them to give their answer in writ
ing to him within twenty-four
hours.
They presented the deniaIs at
noon today, Miles said Both are
highly incensed over the allegation,
he declared
The charges have been made by
Walter Arnold, former Ft. Wayne
police officer, discharged from the
reformatory July 6, 1928.
They involve several officers who
no longer are at the institution and
tAo who still are in service here.
The latter are H. A. Allen, who has
tWenty-f1ve-year service record
with the Indiana penal institution,
and Fred Phelps, superintendent of
the rcformatory print shop for the
last six years.
Paid for Job, He Says
Arnold alleges he paid Phelps and
Allen SIS apiece for job in the
clothing department under Allen,
when he had been employed in the
print shop.
He also alleges Allen was in a
frame-up to sell prisoners clothes
and received commissions on sales
Of shoes to prisoners.
He accuses Phelps of intercept
ing a struggled letter containing two
$40 bills and alleges Phelps kept one
and spent the other for him for con-
traband goods.
The officers explanations and
the Arnold charges will be taken
before the prison trustees, meeting
Friday, Miles explained.
Arnold made his charges public in
an interview in the April number
of the Hoosier Observer, a TT.
Wayne publication. They appear
under the heading politics at Pen
dleton," and the Arnold story is the
second Of a series.
Struggled Money Split
Arnold's first charge is that of.
the $40 split of struggled money
with Phelps in the print shop. He
then continues:
Through this connection with
the outside world, I was able to
pave the way to getting a job in
the clothing department under AL
len. I paid SIS apiece to Phelps and
Allen for the job. My imprison-
ment was becoming easier every
day because was establishing COM
munication with the outside world
through officers"
Telling of an alleged agreement
with one of the prisoners, who
acted as tailor, to sell incoming
prisoners clothes to officers, Arnold
charges:
ALLEN would get IS cash for his
share and the tailor and I candy
and cigaretS for ours. BY the way,
DR.. Williams Chouse physician sent
his topcoat over to be pressed.
thought it looked like the one I had
worn TO Pendleton. I looked at the
label and knew it was mine.
Told His Coat Was Sold
when I told Allen about the CO.
incidence, he laughed and said:
Your suit was sent home, but
the tailor sold your coat to Williams
for five bucks
Miles thoroughly discounts the
DR.. Williams purchase, pointing out
that Arnold was sentenced to the
institution June 81, 1925, and didn't
bring any topcoat with him.
Arnold did time for second de-
gree burglary. He had joined the
FIT. Wayne Ku-KluX Khan as an
undercover man and broke into a
safe and stole Khan records.