The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-11-23
NEWSPAPER IS
CLEARED OF
FRAUD CHARGE
ScrlppS- Howard Executives
in Youngstown Win in
Court Battle.
lContinued Prom Page One


trial began. he has met with states
witnesses on numerous occasions
and discussed their testimony.
That, at the behest of County
Prosecutor Ray Thomas, he had
written a former Telegram en-
ploye in Belleville, Ill. inclosing
the prosecutors personal check to
meet travelling expenses, and later
had taken the employee to the pros
ecutors home for discussion of his
testimony.
When the decision was an
nounced, a joint statement was
issued over the signature of the de-
PENDANTS and Felix Bruner, editor
of the Telegram.
In the statement, in part, the de-
PENDANTS said:
While we realize that the deci-
sion of the court generating the
four men charged with fraudulent
advertising in connection with pub
LEGATION of the kilograms circula-
ton statements is conclusive, we,
nevertheless, had looked forward to
the opportunity to meet the charges
by presenting the defense testi-
mony.
Blames Discharged Employees
1.-THE defense case would have re-
vealed that the indictments followed
a long series of incidents, including
criticism by the Telegram Of certain
public acts of the prosecutor.
1T would have shown that the
charges were made by the prosecu-
tor after the case had been prepared
by a number of disgruntled former
Scripps- Howard employees, dis
charged by this organization.
1T would have shown that the
Telegram found, as far back as
1923, that there had been irregu-
larities in the circulation depart
ment, that a circulation manager
was discharged, and that the situa-
ton was cleaned up, as evidenced
by sharp drop in circulation fig
ures following this action.
The defense further would have
shown that Mr.. Bowling came from
New York expressly for the purpose
of determining the facts and for the
purpose of assisting the A. B. c. in
getting the facts.
1T would have shown that all de-
PENDANTS spent long hours ferreting
out the facts, obtaining them with
difficulty from district men, most
of whom later we're discharged, and
most of whom we're witnesses for
the state.
Finally Obtained Truth
1.-THE defense case would have
shown that in every instance the
defendants made every possible eff
fort to obtain the truth and that
they did obtain the truth.
THE testimony would have shown
that liberal deductions from the fig
ures, based upon facts obtained in
complete investigation, resulted in
deduction of 912 copies from the
published statement. 1t would have
shown that the A. B. G. believed |
that this deduction was too large |
instead of too small, but that Mr..
Bowling and he other officials in
sisted that this large deduction |
should be made.
THE Telegram, during the period |
covered by the states testimony, had |
in its circulation department a
number of men who were dishonest
When their practices were discov-
cred, they were stopped, the men
discharged, circulation built by dis
honest methods deducted from the
circulation statement, and adver-
tisers notified"
For the last two years Thomas
and the Telegram have been at
odds. The fight started over denomi-
nation of public officials by power
interests.
Thomas was indicted on several
charges, including bribery, after a
series of grand jury probes The
prosecutor blamed the Telegram for
much of his trouble, although he
was acquitted.
After Thomas trial last fall, it
was reported that he was trying to
get something on" the Telegram.
Later, in 1881, in December, the
Audit Bureau of Circulation started
to probe the Telegram at the re-
quest of the indicator and the
same agency started an investiga-
ton of the Vindicator circulation
at the request of the Telegram.
The result of the probe was the
A.. B. C. ordering a reduction of
1900 copies day in the October
statement of the Vindicator and
reduction of 912 copies in the Tele-
gram figures.