The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-07-15

plete picture from a jig-saw puzzle. A
great many isolated facts must be fitted to-
gether before the entire and connected story
of Judge Frank P. Bakers conduct of Marion
County Criminal Court is known.
Let us look over the evidence, as made
public to date BY The Times:
Feb. 12-The revelation that Mark Gray.
publisher of the Indianapolis Commercial, has
been paid s4261 for items of legal advertising
that had never actually appeared in the paper
There was no grand jury investigation, no
action by the prosecutor or by Judge Baker.
Feb. 22-The County Commissioners started
an investigation of County Auditor Charles A.
Grossarts payment to Mr.. Gray, but like the
time Huckleberry Finn prayed for the fish
hooks. "nothin come Of it," At the same time
it was revealed that even had the items been
published the s426l would have been an over
charge of s1O6O6O Mr.. Gray offered a check
in this amount as a refund. There was no
action by grand jury, prosecutor or Judge
Baker.
April 15-The Times published the fact
that Auditor Grossart. charged with collec-
ton of delinquent taxes, had himself failed to
pay s3179O8 of his taxes and that mis- de-
linquency was not listed on the 1885 duplicates
as required by law. There was no official
action.
April 23-Exposure Of the fact that II days
after Auditor Grossart decided nine parcels of
land to Mr. Gray the auditor authorized a loan
of s181o to Mr.. Gray from school funds on these
same lots. The amount was in excess of that
permitted by statute. There was no action by
the prosecutor, Judge Baker or the grand
jury.
May Equalization of the Barker case
which showed that Lee Barker, whose sem
tence had been affirmed by the Supreme Court,
had not been committed to states prison as
the law directs. On the contrary, he had been
sent to Marion County Jail on contempt of
court order from Judge Baker when actually
he had never, so far as the record showed,
been in the judges court. He was held for
20 days and released few hours after his wife
had posted $3.50 with an indianapolis physi-
clan. The Times courteously asked the judge
to explain. His response was to open a mud
cunning campaign on the editor, the editors
wife and men and women employees of this
newspaper
ON the same date it was revealed that many
~ important documents in the Barker case
had not in fact been signed by the Judge but
by Joel A. Baker, who holds minor official
position under Judge Baker but who obvious
ly exercises powers entirely beyond that posi-
ton. When this was pointed out to the judge
his reply was merely irrelevant SANDER.
May 6-Exposure of evidence that when
Dell Barker, Lees brother had completed a
sentence in Federal prison, the United States
authorities were told bv county officials not to
hold him since he not wanted in Indiana.
AS a matter of fact the Supreme Court had
upheld his sentence of a year in Michigan
City prison. There has been no explanation of
this curious oversight.
May 8-Prosecueor Herbert Spencer adj
mitted that while running for his present Of
flee he had demanded $500 from the Bark
ers to keep them from going to prison when
neither he nor Judge Baker had any power to
do SO under the law. The $3.50 was a COM
promise figure. No action or explanation has
been forthcoming from Judge Baker except
for lewd remarks about the editor
May 20-Discovery that one of Mr.. Spencers
deputies, Peter A. Cancilla, was being paid as
a deputy prosecutor and was at the same time
acting as paid defense counsel in Criminal
Court. Mr.. Spencer ordered this practice
stopped and Cancilla later resigned his official
position.
On the same date came the revelation that
Clyde C. Karrer. frequently appointed by
Judge Baker as a temporary judge had actual
~ sat as judge in the case of man who had
been his client in a lower court. Mr. Karrer
refused to explain.
May 23-Revelation that the records of an
assault case up on appeal to Judge Baker bore
a penciled notation that it should be not set
for trial until "JAB"-Joel Bakers initials
gave permission. Joel A. Baker was not elected
by the people to conduct the affairs of the
court. No explanation action came from
Judge Baker about this strange power of the
official he appointed.
IUNE 19-Exposure of the fact that three
days after Clyde Karrer became sole at
torney for Selden Blumenfeld, charged with
obtaining money by false pretense Judge
Baker reduced his bail from $4,000 to $1,000,
then released him on his own recognizance
and finally quashed the charges without trial.
No explanation of Mr. Karrers singular good
fortune after another attorney had withdrawn
has been forthcoming
June 2O-Discovery that Joel A. Bakers
legal status on the public pay roll was open
to question He had not taken an examina-
ton as probation officer as required by law,
and the Legislature had not set up any job
of Criminal Court investigator" The at