The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-03-29
KOKOMO MANS
PRISON VISITS
ARE REVEALED
Former G. 0. P. Leader De-
MES He Aid Pierpont in
Break.
BY DANIEL VI. KIDNEY
Times STAFF Writer

Omer Brown, Kokomo, former
Howard county sheriff and one time
Republican county chairman, visit
ed Harry Pierpont at the Indiana
state prison six times before Pier
pont led the escape Of ten prisoners
there Sept. &c, 1888, it was learned
by The Times today.
During the period the visits were
made by Brown. he was attempting
to obtain a parole for Pierpoint from
the state cIemency board
Brown was named by Prosecutor
Ernest Botkin, Of Lima. o., as the
finger man" in the delivery of John
Dlllnger from the Lima jailS. The
charge against Brown was brought
out by the prosecutor in closing
arguments at the trial Of Russell
Clark, one Of the DilLnger gangSJers,
for the murder of Sheriff Jess Sar-
Der, who was shot to death when
Dillinger was delivered
Pierpont and Charley Makley al
ready had been condemned for their
part in the murder.
Admits Lima Visit
Three days before his name was
mentioned by the Ohio prosecutor,
Brown gave a lengthy interview re-
garding his connections with Dill
hnger and Pierpont TO a KokomO
newspaper.
He admitted visiting Dillinger in
the Lima jail few days before the
delivery, but said he went there from
KOkomo to obtain an order for $50
which Dillinger had promised as aid
in obtaining a parole for a fellow
prisoner who still remained at the
Indiana state prison.
En- route to Lima, he again visited
the parents Of Pierpont at Liepsic,
o., Brown was quoted as saying. He
had been there before and the priS-
on records show that the PierpOntS
were with Brown when he visited
Harry Pierpont at the prison Aug.
4. Other visits of Brown to see
PierpOnt at the prison were June %
and %, July II and "a, Aug. and
IS.
Parole Is Denied
Pierpont's petition for parole was
denied by the state clemency board
Aug "a. All dates are 1888.
Governor Paul V. McNutt has
charged in speeches that officials eX-
pect to prove a payof' in connec-
ton with the prison break. Reports
of various amounts have been cur
rent.
State police admit that they are
looking for Pearl Elliott Of Kokomo
as a possible key witness in con-
nection with the case. Last trace Of
her was when she was reported rent
ing apartments for the Dillinger
gangsters during their stay in Chi
CagO, it was said.
In his statement to the Kokomo
paper, Brown did not disclose the
name of the prisoner on whose be-
half he was getting $50 from Dill
linger. He said an order was Given
him on IAN Indianapolis relay
whose name he would not care to
bring into the affair.
Pay Tribute to Sarber
His conference in Lima was the
frs time he had ever met Dillinger,
Brown explained.
Although his explanation was pub
lished on THURSDAY of last week and
his name was not mentioned by
Prosecutor Botkin until Saturday, it
contained the following
1T was inevitable. 1 suppose, that
my name would be brought into the
prosecutions over there at Lima, not
only because of my visit to Dillinger,
but because I had represented Harry
Pierpont in his attempt early last
summer to obtain a parole"
High tribute was paid by Brown
to Sheriff Jess Sarber and his kindly
reception at the Lima Jail.
Brown also stated that after Pier
pont escaped from prison he visit
ed his relatives and wanted them to
try to get in touch with him and
urge him to return.