The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-05
Sheriff Arrests Workers on
Charges of Distributing
illegal States.
Continued From Page one)

Lewis K. Murchie, deputy prose-
cutor, stood in the rear of the
courtroom and refused to act as
representative of the prosecutors
Office at the hearing.
Judge Myers SET the bonds at
$1,000. The n1en were returned to
the County Jail. IN the true sense
Of the word" said Judge Myers,
this is Federal election because
congressman are to be nominated. 1
am not hearing any evidence, out
1t seems to me that these men
should be held and turned over to
Federal officers"
Judge Baker then returned to
Criminal Court and Sheriff Ray took
the five men. to the county Jail to
await bond money.
Judge Baker previously told Ray,
the sheriff said:
This is not Philadelphia, where
they have political racketeering.
Sheriff Ray said Judge Baker told
him that he was hurting the
chances of Democratic nominees in
the November elections.
The organization is hurting its
chances, am not" the sheriff said
he told Judge Baker.
Sheriff Ray was refused warrants
for the five workers on charges of
violating the election laws by deputy
prosecutors in municipal court, he
said.
Paul Rockford, the sheriff's at
torney, took statements from the 10
persons brought to County Jail by
sheriff's deputies shortly after the
polls opened.
Eight of the political workers were
released after the statements were
obtained.
Sheriff Ray declared he had re-
ceived an opinion from Mr.. Cause
that it was illegal to stamp Showers
name on the regular Democratic or
ganization slate.
Legal, Spencer's View
Mr.. Spencer. father of the prose-
cutor, expressed an opinion over the
telephone that the stamping in of
Mr.. Showers name was legal. He
pointed out that the organization
had obtained consent from Mr..
Shower for the use of his name.
But Mr.. Cause, according to
Sheriff Ray, said that failure to
have the name of the printer who
placed the stamped Shower"
on the slate made it an illegal hand
bill
Walter g. Boetcher, Democratic
county chairman, said the rubber
stamped states would be withdrawn
from all precincts. He declared the
county committee did not order the
use of the rubber stamp, but said
that 1t had received an opinion
from attorneys that the use of the
stamp was legal.
Sent to HOhlt Office
The Sheriffs action resulted in
threats of irate Democratic organi-
cation workers to obtain a habeas
corpus action to release persons
held at the County Jail.
Two deputies went to the office of
Leonard Hohlt, Perry Township
trustee, on report that the states
had been stamped in his office.
Sheriff Ray said he asked Louis
Adams, deputy prosecutor, for a
warrant for Mr.. Hohlt's arrest and
that the warrant was refused. Mr..
Adams told the Sheriff to get in
touch with Prosecutor Spencer.
Mr.. Adams said that Prosecutor
spencer told him not to issue any
election warrant. He said the prose-
cutor would handle election COM
plants out of his own office.
A few minutes later Sheriff Ray
and Trustee Hohlt clashed verbally
in the prosecutors Office.
Asks Warrant for Trustee
Sheriff Ray entered the prosecu-
tors Office and said
Il want warrant for the arrest
Of Leonard Hohlt."
Prosecutor Spencer retorted:
We're waiting for Judge Cause.
election commissioner. He said he'd
be down here. My father CIV. w.
Spencer, state election commission
err is waiting here now and when
Mr.. Cause comes We'll find out if it
is a violation of the law"
Sheriff Ray said:
You might get some saps to sit
around here and wait but I'm Just
too smart to do it,"
Then the sheriff added:
III take responsibility for any
affidavit issued and signed by me-"
Anyway" answered the proSecu-
tor, "Hohlt is not going to leave
town."
AT this juncture Mr.. Hohlt en-
tered the Office and the prosecutor
said: Here's Hohlt now"
The sheriff and the township
trustee faced each other and the
sheriff said: "As soon as I can I
am going to get an affidavit out
against you. I've been down to
your place already"
Mr.. Hohlt retorted: "And I'm
going to get an affidavit out against
you for entering my office without
a search warrant"
Your workers invited me in"
answered the sheriff heatedly.
mo one has any right in my Of
fice," declared MIR. Hohlt.
Wrangles With Spencer
Prosecutor Spencer then inter-
posed with the assertion that all his
Office was attempting to do was to
protect every ones reputation" and
find out whether the slate is legal.
Il can take care of my own repu-
tation," Ray said.
The law on states was passed to
defeat states like that" said Mr..
Spencer.
The sheriff then said that he
would obtain other afidavits, if
necessary, charging persons with
registering from places other than