The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-03-14
UNDERWORLD
CHIEFS WAGE
FIGHT ON DALE
Several ACCuSerS of Mayor
Have Criminal Records
in MunCie.
Continued From Page II

committee cleared everyone in
sight-but Williams was told TO re-
fund the $4,000, for some mex
plicable reason, and he did. And
Dale was responsible for spelling
the well-laid plans Of the spoilers.
This explains, in part, the enmity
of Cranor toward Dale and his in
terest in the present case.
Scott at Protection Charges
Friends Of Dale say charges that
criminals operated under a protec-
ton system are shattered by a
check Of police records, which show
that several of them were driven
out of business by constant raids
by Dale's police force,
H. Vernon Walburn - better
known as "Plug"-is reported to
have said that he paid protection
money to Dale. Police records show
a succession Of raids against his
place. Dale stationed a policeman
in Walburn's place on South Wal
nut street, to write down the name
of every patron who entered. Bust
ness suffered, so Walburn aban-
doned his upstairs gambling house,
and installed craps game in the
rear room, with buzzer in front to
warn the players.
Fooled in their efforts TO trap the
gamblers, two police squads swooped
one night on the place, crashed the
rear door with railroad tie.
charged through the front door with
IRE axes, and wrecked the Joint.
Walburn went out of business then
and there-and became an honest
apple peddler
One Link Breaks
That's a sample" declared one
police official today. IF that's pro-
lection, wonder what would hap
pen to some one we didn't like"
Boast of federal operatives and
their stoool pigeons for weeks be-
fore the indictments were returned
was that they had Dale and his
police chief, Massey, hooked on
resale OF confiscated liquor.
They intimated to reporters that
253 gallons of liquor confiscated in
a raid Of the farm of Elmer Cen
try, deposed king of the Muncie UNI
derworld, had been sold to Corbett
johnson, who then operated a farm
IN Blackford county, near Hartford
City.
The evidence" was regarded as
certain to convict Dale-until fed
eral agents suddenly discovered, ac-
cording to Dale, that the liquor had
been poured out in Muncie police
station by one of their fellow
sleuths, spelling their resale story.
Stories of witnesses quizzed by
federal agents in their headquarters
In the Y. M. G. A. indicate that wit
nesses were told what they were to
testify, rather than queried what
they knew of the situation.
Fears Perjury Rap
A sample is the case of one alleged
collection man for Dale.
This man, bootlegger and gam
bier, who prospered under the
Hampton regime, when Muncie ran
wide open, was harassed by Dale's
police until his business was
wrecked.
you, George Dale, and police
official, sat on Dale's back porch
one night and arranged a deal that
would give you a gambling conces-
sion with ample protection" he told
Dale the federal sleuths informed
him. Nov, come clean on it."
incidentally, Dale's house, at the
southwest corner of North Jefferson
and East Gilbert streets, has no
back porch. 1t has a front and side
porch, directly under the glare of
street lights.
Il told Them" the gambler says,
shat after what Dale did to me,
1 wouldn't dare to go near his
house, let alone proposition him to
get protection for a gambling house.
I'd rather take the rap for running
n gambling house which I hadn't
operated than take a chance on
what Dale would do to me for per-
jury like that"
Pastors Uphold Mayor
Two Muncie pastors, who asked
that their names be withheld, to-
day declared that Muncie, under
Dale's administration, has been a
cleaner city than at any other time
they could recall.
L do not know personally Of an
Instance in which city pastor has
complained of laXity on the part Of
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