The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-02-15
BY LOU WEDEMAR
Times staff Writer

INJECTOR ]. EDGAR HOO
- YER sat in Office of the
United States bureau of investi-
cation studying a letter. He
pressed a button, a voice an
swered, and he said, ASK Special
Agent J-12 to come in, please"
A moment later one of the most
trusted men in the service stood
in his chiefs Office.
Il have a very delicate job for
you" the director said. 1T may
invoke the administration Of JUS
tice in a federal court. I want
the matter cleaned up, no matter
how high it goes"
Special Agent J-12 studied the
letter. 1t was vague, but IN
general way it declared that
group of gangsters had practically
taken over the corridors of Brook
Ign federal court.
The gangsters specialized IN
getting men out of prison, the in
formant wrote, even going so lar
as to forge judges names.
J-12 would have liked to consult
the anonymous letter writer, but
there was no hope of finding him.
So J-12 made his first visit to the
famous old courthouse.
The corridors were filled with as
cosmopolitan a collection Of hang
ers-on as J-12 had seen in any
courthouse in America.
There were shyster lawyers, bail
bondsmen, reporters, marshalS,
bailiffs, clerks, stenographers, gun
men, mingled in the dimly lighted
halls.
T-12 devoted himself inconspicu-
j ously to watching the opera
lions of freeing prisoners. When
men charged with crime were
brought before judges OF commits
sioners, they were released on bail
pending indictment by the grand
jury or pending trial.
In most cases, and in prohlbl-
ton law violations especially, the
agent saw that the bonding rou-
tine was carried out more eXpedl-
tiously than he had believed
possible.
Posing as a lawyer awaiting
clients, J-12 watched His investi-
CATION showed him at once that
one group of bondsmen had a
monopoly.
The Nittoly runners, as they
were called, we're very efficient
young men. A prisoner scarcely
would reach the bar before a Nit
toly runner would rush into the
court room with a court order APP
proving his admission to bail.
J-12 watched one particular case
with interest.
A speakeasy near the federal
building was raided during the
lunch hour, and a bartender, John
Dougherty, was brought into the
courthouse Immediately after
ward.
Less than fifteen minutes
elapsed between the time of the
raid and the appearance of the
Nittoly runner with the bond APP
proval.
When the order was filed with
the clerk of the court, J-12 man
aged unostentatiously to get the
name of the approving judge. 1t
was Selah B. Strong.
Justice Strong of the state SUI
preme court, had power to ap-
prove bonds in federal cases. J-12
went to Judge Strongs chambers,
but he was unable to learn, with
out showing his hand, how the
Nittoly organization obtained such
exceptional courtesy.
A search of all the bonds on file
for the preceding two months
showed nothing Strikingly irregu-
lar.
DUT one point troubled him:
Id On many of the Nittoly
bonds there was a slight rough
ness where the judges signatures
were affixed; OIL others there was
no such roughneSS.
He was bothered by peculiar
error on one bond - the name
Walsh was spelled "Walll'' in
one place. 1t was difficult to ex-
plain the error.
Gossip he heard around the
courthouse was not of a nature
to encourage him in his investiga-
ton. He heard one man COM
planning about the cost of his bail
bond.
You'd better take it and shut
up" the man was told by dark
individual whom jig frequently
saw around the place. "Merrick