The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-03-27
Funds Irregularities and
Voucher ForgerieS Are
Among Charges.
STRAUB OPENS SHAKEUP
designations to Be Forced
on Several Officers,
Is Report.
BY WILLIAM II. MGAUGHEY
Times staff Writer

The federal government is
probing fund irregularities
and petit grating in num-
Der of units of the Indiana
national guard, The Indian
apolis Times learned today.
supplementing the federal inves-
tigation, a shakeup of the guard Of
hcer personnel is being made by
Adutant- General Elmer F. Straub,
who admitted that three captains
have been forced to resign and that
more company commanders will be
supplanted.
Evidence of voucher forgeries may
bring a federal grand jury investl-
cation, it was learned. Information
from Washington indicates thou
sands of dollars in national guard
funds have been taken in the last
few years.
Various types of Irregularities
have been discovered by investiga-
tors from United States Comp
troller- General J. R. McCarls Of
fee in Washington, The Times
learned.
Two operatives have been in In
diana from time to time during the
last three months and are reported
to have discovered number of
coses of forgery and petty graft.
Officer Charged CRATER
In one instance, in which no
name was disclosed, national
guard officer was being paid 500 a
month to guard the warehouse of
one of the Indiana units. He hired
a private to do the work for $50 a
month, received the 800 each
month from the government. paid
the private and pocketed the re-
mainder, it was reported
General Straub attributes the
guard situation to the setup which
prevailed under Colonel Robert T.
Young, who now is serving a federal
sentence for embezzling several
thousand dollars while serving as
the United States purchasing and
disbursing officer for the Indiana
guard.
Indiana guard officers who already
have resigned are Captains Harry r.
Piles. Company B, One hundred and
f1fty-first infantry, Greensburg;
James C. Gabriel, B battery. One
hundred and thirty-ninth field srtil-
lery. Charlottesville, and Howard E
Roosa. headquarters battery and
combat train. Second battalion One
hundred and thirty-ninth field ar
tillery, Evansville.
Discounts Importance
Captain Piles is alleged to have
forged the name of guard lieu
tenant to a federal check for clean
ing guard clothing at the Green's
burg unit. General Straub said.
General Straub discounted i'm
portance of some of the charges
made by the federal Investigators,
designating them as mere rule in
fractions rather than real cor
ruption, and estimated the total
amount involved in all units would
not exceed $500
He indicated officers are to be re-
tanned in many units and permitted
to make good funds shortages.
Meanwhile, new company COM
manders have been assigned to units
where officers have resigned. Cap
tain George H. Kelly has taken the
Greensburg command of Captain
Piles and Captain Owen l.. Grecelius
that of Captain Gabriel at Craw-
louisville.
State politics are injected into the
guard situation by the charge of
Captain Piles hurled at General
Straub
Officer Blames Politics
The replaced Greensburg officer
charges that while captain of the
Greenburg unit, his orders we're
overruled by General Straub at the
instigation of Anderson Ketchum
state tax board secretary and state
senator from Decature and Bar
tholomew counties.
Senator Ketchum picked a man
for custodian of the Greensburg
armory and dictated the appoint
ment to General Straub over the
former captains protest, the lat
ter asserts.
Piles told The Times there was
"a small shortage" in the Green's
burg units funds at the time of his
resignation and that since the
shortage has not been made good,
he has been placed on the in
active list"
Piles was appointed commander
of the Greensburg unit on recon-
mendation of Captain John Friday.
according to other officers of the
Greensburg unit, who assert the
appointment was over the protests
of a number of Greensburg citizens
and the American Legion post
there.
Captain Friday is successor to
Colonel Young as disbursing officer.
Noted Scientist Is Dead
By United Prcss
soUTHINGToN. Conn. March