The Indianapolis times. [volume], September 25, 1929, Home Edition, Second Section, Image 11

About The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965

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Second Section
SHEARER CASE
SPURS INQUIRY
> INTO LOBBIES
General Investigation Is
Likely to Result From
Ship Probe.
ATTORNEY IS GRILLED
New York Counsel Tells
, How Builders Came to
Hire 'Expert.’
tv Unit'd Press
WASHINGTON, Sept. 25—While
agitation for a full investigation of
lobbies was being revived in con
gress, the senate committee investi
gating the Shearer propaganda
activities today heard Henry C.
Hunter. New York attorney, tell
how American shipbuilders had em
ployed William B. Shearer, self
styled naval expert.
A succession of developments
outside the committee room indi
cated the senate soon would be
called upon to delve into the tariff,
prohibition, and other lobbies, like
It* naval sub-committee now is
investigating the merchant marine
and disarmament lobby.
The developments thus far In
clude :
The Brookhart charge that “a
gentleman from Wall Street named
Fahey” had given a wet dinner for
senators .
Lobby Probe Necessary
A statement from Senator Bing
feam (Rep., Conn.) that he had em
ployed as his secretary in secret
tariff hearings a former secretary
of the Connecticut Manufacturers’
Association vitally interested in
tariff matters.
Statement of Senator Robinson,
Democratic floor leader, to the
United Press that the “whole sub
ject of lobbying will have to be gone
into.”
Statements by Senator Caraway,
CDem.. Ark.) and Representative
Garner, Democratic floor leader of
the house, that the new develop
ments make their moves to force a
lobby investigation all the more nec
essary.
An editorial in a Washington
newspaper charging that the
Shearer investigation is a mere
sham compared to the tariff lobby
and stating: “By beginning an in
vestigation immediately, hundreds
of tariff lobbyists can be caught red
handed. Every' member of the house
can furnish a few dozen names of
•uspects.”
Shearer Used in Capital
Hunter’s testimony ip the shearer
Inquiry confirmed the previous state
ments of American shipbuilders that
they had employed Shearer not only
as "an observer” at the Geneva dis
armament conference, but also as a
worker in Washington.
“Frederick P. Palen. vice-president
of the Newport News Shipbuilding
Company, came to me and said
Shearer first had been employed to
help the shipping board in prepa
ration of tts merchant marine plan
of 1926. to conduct speaking trips,
and to issue statements to news
papers and publications,” Hunter
laid.
Hunter is counsel of the National
Council of American Shipbuilders
and acted as disbursing agent for
the three shipbuilders involved in
the Shearer case.
Hunter Not Interested
Shearer first came to him and
tried to sell his services as a pub
licity man. but Hunter said, he was
“not interested.”
“He represented himself to me as
ft member of the staff of the New
York Commercial (a newspaper),”
Hunter said.
“He said he was anxious to con
duct a plan of publicity in behalf
of the American merchant marine
In which he was interested.”
Hunter said his council never had
discussed the Geneva conference at
Its meetings. He said he never
was consulted about the hiring of
Shearer. He did. however, pay
Shearer by checks forwarded to him
from the shipbuilders and received
Shearer's reports from Geneva.
Hunter posed on the witness stand
merely as an intermediary between
ghlpbuilders and Shearer.
As the committee recessed for
lunch Hunter identified several
copies of letters sent to him from
Geneva by Shearer, in which Shear
er claimed to have an influence
upon press matter being sent out
by newspaper men from the con
ference.
ORGANIZE BOY’S CHOIR
Teacher Forms Group of Singers at
School No. 29.
A boys’ choir is being organized
ftt school No. 29, Twentv-first street
and College avenue, under direction
of Miss Evelyn Christopher.
According to Principal Louise J.
Bonar. the school also is engaged in
a character development program,
and has started a library of books
on character. Morning programs
will be conducted with this project
in mind. The choir will sing at
these programs.
COMMONER'S WIDOW ILL
Mr*. William Jennings Bryan Fail
ing in Health for Months.
By United Press
WASHINGTON. Sept. 25—Mrs.
William Jennings Bryan, widow of
the great commoner, is ill here. She
has been in bad health for several
months, but her illness is not criti
cal. according to friends.
She came here recently from
Miami, Fla., to be near her daugh
ter, Ruth Bryan Owen, now of Flor
ida, congresswoman. She has seclud
ed herself entirely.
Full Ijfnp'd Wire Service of
(be T.'olted Press Association
AMERICA AGAIN TO
HONOR MME. CURIE
) JOSS >&■
l / fIW &gaE , --^SjCfc' :: -i[|'Mf||m , n iTOCTirT'nuil 1
Above is Madame Marie Curie, the famous French scientist and co
discoverer of radium with her late husband, who is coming to the
United States in October. Below are her two daughters, Mile. Eve
Curie (left), an accomplished musician, and Mme. Irene Curie-Joliot
(right), who is following her mother as a scientist.
Famous Woman Scientist
to Arrive Oct, 15
for Visit,
Bv y E A Service
PARIS. Sept. 25.—When Madame
Marie Curie makes her second
visit to America, on Oct. 15, her
friends in the United States wall
make their second gift to her of the
rarest and most valuable element
known—radium.
In 1921, when Mme Curie first vis
ited America, she was given a gram
of radium, worth something like
$70,000.
This fall she will be given another
gram of the same substance.
The first gift she devoted to her
radium institute in Paris, “to be
used as long as it shall last.” The
second she is going to give to the
new Institute of Radium in Poland,
her native land.
This time, as on the first occasion
she will scorn to make any personal
profit out of her pre-eminence as a
scientist.
That, in fact, has been her at
titude throughout her life. Her
whole career has been an almost
unbelievable study in contracts—
contrast between unparalleled scien
tific fame and achievement on
the one hand, and modest, almost
straitened private means, on the
other.
In Washington, she will be enter
tained at the White House by Presi
dent Hoover, a warm admirer.
HURT IN BUS CRASH
Mother and Son Hit Empty
Coach in Light Car,
Two persons were injured serious
ly when their light sedan crashed
into an empty People's Motor Coach
Company bus and overturned at
Twenty-second street and Park ave
nue this morning.
They were: Mrs. Mary W. Cooper,
46. of 2402 Park avenue, and Ray
mond Kinzer, 24, her son. Both
were unconscious when taken from
the wreckage of their car, but she
was revived in a few minutes. Kin
zer is in serious condition at St. Vin
cent's hospital.
Richard Watts. 23. of 1425 Pros
pect street, was driver of the bus.
FRIENDS SEE 'BYE-BYE
WORLD’ NOTE OF FLIER
Message Inside Rusted Can Is
Signed “Miss Doran.”
Bn Unit'd Press
SANTA CRUZ. Cal., Sept. 25.
Friends of Miss Mildred Doran. Flint
(Mich.) school teacher lost in the
Pacific when the airplane bearing
her, Augie Peddlar, pilot, and Vilas
Knope was forced down during the
Dole flight, were expected to deter
mine today from the handwriting
whether she wrote a note found on
the shore near here.
The note, inside a rusted can,
read: “Am Floating on the water.
Have been for three days. Forced
down by engine trouble. Had no
time to locate it. Bye-bye. world.”
It was signed "Miss Doran.”
FILM STARS PAY HIGH PRICE IN CASH AND TIME TO STAY BEAUTIFUL
Bv Timi s Special
Hollywood, cal., sept. 25.
This, kind masters, is the
lowcown on that ever-running,
all-star cast, off-screen comedy
drama of feminine Hollywood en
titled—just as you prefer—“ What
Price Beauty” or “How Do They
Stay That Way?” Meaning, of
course, how do those fascinating
film femmes retain the skin you
love to watch?
The answer, supplied by Kath
erine Albert, Hollywood cor
respondent of Photoplay M*g&-
The Indianapolis Times
TIMES TO FILM
MOVIE FOB KIDS
Send in Your Application to
Be in Big Show,
How many young football players
are there in Indianapolis? Practice
up on your forward passing, boys,
because you’ll need it in the Golden
Rule Safety Club movie soon to be
filmed through co-operation of The
Indianapolis Times and the Lyric
theater.
The whole story revolves around
the big game between the Bearcats
and Panthers, and the big scenes at
the football game, which all those
who join the Safety Club are going
to help film. It will show how the
Bearcats —well, that is, will show
who wins the big game and how.
But the big thing is that every
boy and girl in Indianapolis may
take part and actually be in these
big scenes. Here’s your chance to
be in the movies and see how it feels
to see yourselves on the screen.
All you have to do is to fill out and
send in the coupon appearing on
Page 16. Address it to the Safety
Movie Editor, The Indianapolis
Times. Then watch the paper daily
for further announcements, because
we are going to hold tryouts for the
principal characters soon.
Remember, that you are sure to
be in the picture if you send in the
Safety Club application blank, prop
erly filled out, whether you are se
lected as one of the main charac
ters or not. Enclose a photo if you
have one.
Columbus Man Dies
COLUMBUS. Ind., Sept. 25.—’Wil
liam Drake, 76. died suddenly at
the home of his daughter, Mrs. Evin
Moore, here of heart disease.
COUNTY JOB CUTS
ARE UNDER ATTACK
Action of county councilmen in
paring salaries of county employes
fixed by statute was attacked today
as the state tax board began a sur
vey of the 1930 county budget of 41.5
cents, an increase of 10 cents more
than the 1929 rate.
Appearing before the board “in
interest of the public at large” Ed
ward V. Fitzpatrick, attorney, brand
ed the council's action as “outside
the body’s authority.”
He indicated legality of the
council's action in reducing sala
ries of several county court bailiffs
and clerks may be tested by litiga
tion. and that “members of the
council are subject to contempt ci
tations for disregarding statutes fix
ing bailiffs’ salary.”
Assertion that some reductions
made by the county council in the
1930 budget may have to be re
stored were contained in a state
ment to the tax board today by
Chamber of Commerce officials.
Their report branded the reductions
zine, is that they spend an aver
age of three hours a day guarding
and striving to enhance their
beauty.
Miss Albert has been sifting out
some interesting statistics anent
the beauty industry of the movie
capital. She finds, for instance,
that Hollywood—a small town by
any standard of measurement—
supports 125 beauty parlors. She
finds that of 150 leading feminine
players no fewer than eighty-eight
"touch up” their hair weekly or,
more precisely, have it touched
INDIANAPOLIS, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25,1929
lINSANITY PLEA
ABANDONED BY
WIFEJLAYER
Earle Peacox, on Trial for
His Life, Declares He
Is Sane.
NERVOUS IN TESTIMONY
Witness Loses His Poise as
He Tells of Bloody
Scene in Home.
Bv United Press
WHITE PLAINS, N. Y., Sept. 25.
—Earle Francis Peacox today ap
parently curtained chances of using
insanity as a defense against the
charge of murdering his wife and
then burning her body. When he
testified, he regarded himself now
and in the past as sane.
On cross-examination, he told of
having been examined by several
alienists.
“What are your claims as to in
sanity?”' District Attorney Frank
Coyne asked the 22-year-old radio
operator.
“I don’t think that I am insane
now.”
“Were you ever insane?”
“No.”
The questioning of Peacox today
concerned almost entirely scenes in
the room after he had killed his
wife.
Witness Is Nervous
The witness began to show nerv
ousness as he told how he had seen
his wife's head in a small pool of
blood and how he had tried to clean
up the blood with waste rags and
towels.
Then District Attorney Frank H.
Coyne started questioning regarding
the economic side of the unhappy
marital life of Peacox and his wife.
It was brought out that some of the
furniture came from Mrs. Peacox’s
mother.
“Did you ever give Dolly any
clothing between January and
April?” Coyne asked.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Did you give her any money dur
ing that time?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
"Sometimes sls a week, sometimes
S2O and sometimes $5.”
Earned sls a Week
He had testified that during that
time he earned sls a week as a
radio instructor and picking up a
little money on the side in servicing
radio machines. Some of the furni
ture he bought was purchased with
money given him by his wife.
The cross-examination finally
was completed and Peacox’ own
attorneys started a re-direct exami
nation.
The redirect examination was
brief. The young defendant was
asked concerning a telegram he had
sent regarding annullment of his
marriage. He said the telegram
merely was asking for an appoint
ment. rather than definite agree
ing upon a separation.
Syme was criticised by the court
for wasting time in trivialities with
his next witness and then the de
fense attorney called Elvira How
ard, who had known the couple
when they lived in Mt. Vernon.
Aunt on Stand
Most of the questions asked of
•her—questions relating to Mrs. Pea
cox’ friendship with a young man
after she had married Earle—were
ruled as objectionable and she was
dismissed.
Mrs. Ida Huested, Mrs. Peacox’
aunt and one of her confidantes,
was called.
She told of receiving several let
ters from Dolly, as Mrs. Peacox was
known to her family, but the court
sustained an objection to her dis
cussing them.
in salaries and elimination of jobs
as “unwise economy.”
This group and the Indiana Tax
payers’ Association today requested
the county free gravel road fund be
sliced from 5 to 2% cents.
Reduction of Prosecutor Judson
L. Stark’s staff was criticized by the
organizations and purchase of ad
ditional equipment for Sheriff
George L. Winkler by the council
was a point of comment.
BELATED HONOR~GIVEN
Veteran Get* Medal Eleven Years
After Heroism In Battle.
Bv United Press
CHICAGO, Sept. 25.—Eleven years
after he lost an arm, a leg and two
fingers, while leading his company
through artillery fire at Belleau
Wood. Leslie Hardy today was dis
playing a distinguished service cross,
awarded him by the government.
Despite his handicaps, he has be
come a successful attorney.
by an expert coiffeur, a constant
and expensive process.
But that three hours a day!
“It’s a conservative estimate,”
Miss Albert says in the current is
sue of Photoplay. Many of them
spend more, and they spend it
out of working hours.
Nor is time the only consider
ation. A host of the stars striving
to retain their beauty pay upward
of SSO a week to hair dressers,
manicurists, masseurs, and other
practitioners of the beauty cult
France and Italy Will Throw
Snags in Navy Agreement Path
\ MacDonald and Hoover to
Face Vexing Question
at Parley.
This l the first of a sorios of si*
stories bv Milton Bronner, European
manager for NBA Service and The
Times, presentin* she background of the
approaebine Hoover-MaeDonald naval
arms parley.
BY MILTON BRONNER
NEA Service Writer
LONDON, Sept. 25.—Despite the
calm efforts that President
Hoover and Prime Minister Ram
say MacDonald are making to iron
out differences between America
and Great Britain on the question
of naval parity and to seek a for
mula for the vexed question of the
freedom of the seas, the projected
meeting of these two warriors for
peace in Washington this fall will
face plenty of vexing problems.
The American President and the
British premier will be treading to
gether a path on which tftey will
be harried by the die-hards and the
“big navy” men of their respective
nations. And even if they agree
upon a common platform, there still
will be France and Italy, who will
prove tough customers with their
rival demands and their rival pro
grams.
Just as soon as the two states
men announce that they have found
a. way to bring about a parity be
tween the American and the Brit
ish navies, two questions will be
In AMERICA: How about Brit
ain’s vast mercantile marine,
many of whose vessels can be
rapidly converted into auxiliary
cruisers?
IN BRITAIN: How about Amer
ica’s vast superiority in airplanes
attached to its fleet?
They will not be idle questions.
They will be very serious questions
and they will be very hard to an
swer.
Swift Ships Big Asset
The World war showed the enor
mous value of swift-running passen
ger ships which could be converted
into cruisers and commerce de
stroyers and troop conveyors. Many
of these vessels could, show a clean
pair of heels to all but the swiftest
ships in the war navies.
Now Britain owns more than dou
ble what we do in mercantile vessels.
More than 20 per cent of its mer
cantile marine is less than five years
old. Only 3% per cent of ours is.
When we come to the big liners of
15,000 tons and more, Britain once
more displays a great superiority. It
owns more than 50 per cent of such
vessels.
The line of attack of the British
die-hards was recently clearly in
dicated by a significant article writ
ten for the Daily Telegraph of Lon
don by its naval correspondent.
Among other things he said:
“That aircraft have become an
integral and vital component of
naval power is admitted by all com
petent authorities. From now on,
therefore, the factor of air strength
must be included when estimating
the power of navies. At present the
United States is enormously superior
to all others in air strength and its
lead is being rapidly increased.”
America, Far Ahead
He says that on March 1 of this
year we had in our navy 867 effec
tive airplanes to Britain’s 135. Since
then purchases have been author
ized on both sides which bring
America’s strength to 1,140 and
Britain’s to 153. In July, he says,
our navy department at one blow
ordered 152—0 r as many as the total
possession of the British navy.
But assuming that all difficulties
are composed between America and
England, it has been announced the
proposal then is to call in France
Italy and Japan and get them to
agree with us on a common pro
gram. This is going to be more
difficult than Anglo-American
agreement, hard as the latter may
prove.
France and Italy were willing in
1924 to fall into line when it came
to cutting down the number of bat
tleships and battle cruisers, but
when it comes to reducing and
limiting the number of lighter
cruisers and submarines, both the
Latin nations are prepared to buck
Even while eyeing each other with
veiled hostility and distrust, the;'
will unite on this.
Formulas Dribble Widely
The formula worked out at the
famous Washington naval confer
ence was:
America and England—s.
Japan—3.
France and Italy—l.7s.
According to the French thesis,
the formula should be:
England—lo. 9.
France—4.6.
United States—3.7.
Japan—l.3.
Italy—l.
France and Italy accepted parity
between them at Washington. It is
doubtful whether either will be will
ing to do so again. Even if Italy
expressed a willingness to do so,
France would object.
Leading papers in France have
pointed out that Italy can keep all
her vessels in one sea—the Medi
terranean. But important as this
sea is to France as a passage to her
great granaries in north Africa, they
say France also has to keep vessels
In the Atlantic and in the English
channel. Wherefore they need a
bigger navy than Italy.
Their yearly outlay for the pur
pose of appearing in perfect phy
sical condition averages more than
$2,000. Alice White, for example,
just has completed a six weeks’
course of massages at $lO a treat
ment—s36o.
Sylvia Ulbeck, most famous
masseure of Hollywood, has a
waiting list that reads like a
“Who's Who in Filmdom” —Norma
Shearer, Mae Murray, Ina Claire,
Colleen Moore, Ruth Chatterton,
Norma Talmadge, Gloria Swanson,
Sue Carol, Marie Dressier, IJedda
■ ' “ -
In one recent order, the United States added as many airplanes to
its naval forces as all those in the British navy, but the latter nation
has vast superiority in fast merchant vessels that could quickly be con
verted into auxiliary cruisers in time of war. Illustrative of this, the
two pictures above show the U. S. S. Lexington (above), one of the
mighty airplane carriers in our navy, and the Aquitania (below), one
of the queens of the British merchant marine.
M’NUTT ADDRESSES
STATE KIWANIANS
Sweet Theft
Turns Sour
By Times Special
VINCENNES, Ind., Sept. 25.
—A broken automobile proved
the undoing of Richard Lavell
ette, 19, a farmhand, and he
was fined $25 and sentenced to
the state farm for thirty days
when he admitted stealing six
gallons of sorghum molasses
from the Roy Johnson molasses
factory. On the way home with
the loot, Lavailette’s automo
bile broke down. He obtained
the aid of a neighbor in re
pairing the auto, who in turn
informed officers of the sticky
cargo in the car.
STATE DOCTORS
OPEN CONCLAVE
Indiana Medical Society
Meets in Evansville.
Bv Times Special
EVANSVILLE, Ind., Sept. 25.
The eightieth annual convention of
the Indiana State Medical Associa
tion opened here today with 1,000
physicians in attendance. The
women's auxiliary of the organiza
tion is also in session. The conven
tion will close Friday.
Members of the Evansville and
Vanderburg county medical socie
ties and of their women’s auxiliaries
are serving as hosts and hostesses
to the visitors.
The opening program included. a
visit to the state hospital for the
insane and a boat ride on the Ohio
river. The visitors at the hospital
were guests of Dr. C. E. Laughlin,
medical superintendent.
The thirty-fifth annual confer
ence of the Indiana State Hes Ith
Officers’ Association was held Tues
day in advance of the medical ses
sion, several who attended it re
maining over for the other conven
tion.
Dr. Walter W. Lee, assistant sec
retary of the state board of health,
addressed the health officers on
“The Control of Diphtheria.” A
discussion of the subject was led by
Dr. William F. King, head of the
state board.
BOARDPROMOTESSIX
POLICE AND FIREMEN
Eight New Men Are Named to Two
Departments at Meeting.
Six promotions ordered in the po
lice and fire departments at a board
of safety meeting Tuesday became
effective today.
Promotions in the fire department
were: James Warrenburg, lieuten
ant, to captain; Ben Lieberman, a
private, promoted to lieutenant;
Edward J. Webber, chauffeur, made
a lieutenant: Alfred R. Engessor, a
private, promoted to chauffeur..
In the police department, William
Hill and Irvin Landers, were pro
moted from second to first-grade
patrolmen.
Eight appointments of new men to
the two departments were made.
Warren A. McClure and Oscar
Queisser, patrolmen, resigned. Fire
Chief Harry E. Voshell was granted
a ten-day leave.
Hopper and a host of others, all
waiting for a daily or weekly treat
ment.
There is also the disillusioning
fact that all the screen ladies are
not as beautiful as the camera
makes them. They constantly
must be on guard to reduce or
disguise defects. There is one
who wears a temporary brace
nightly so that her crooked teeth
may appear straight on her days
before the camera. Another has
a scar on her left cheek and must
Second Section
Entered as Second-Class Matter
at Postoffice, Indianapolis
Legion Commander on
Program of Convention
Today,
Bv Times Special
TERRE HAUTE, Ind., Sept. 25.
Paul V. McNutt of Bloomington,
national commander of the Ameri
can Legion, and Floyd A. Allen, De
troit, assistant to the president of
General Motors Corporation, were
among speakers today at the twelfth
annual convention of Indiana Ki
wanis clubs.
Mayor Ora B. Davis of Terre
Haute was the first of a group of
welcoming speakers this morning.
Others were Harry E. Dickey, local
Exchange Club president; S. H.
Thomas, Lions Club president; W.
D. Asbury, Rotary Club president,
and Mrs. B. B. White, Department
Club president. The response was
given by J. T. Arbuckle, Rushville,
past president of the state Kiwanis
organization.
Several reports are also on today’s
program, including one of a special
committe recommending changes in
administrative policy. Presidents,
secretaries and district trustees each
held luncheon sessions.
It was decided at a committee
Tuesday to hold the dedication of
the Kiwanis wing to the Riley Me
morial hospital at Indianapolis late
in November, the exact date de
pending on when the building will
be fully completed and the con
venience of Horace W. McDavid, De
catur, 111., international president.
In a golf tournament with 100
players, a foursome from Hammond
won with a total score of 353; Co
lumbus, with 354, was second, and
Greensburg, with 356, was third.
JURORS UNDECIDED
Still Ponder Murder Case of
Mrs. Pantages.
By United Press
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25.—The
jury of seven men and five women
attempting to determine whether
Mrs. Lois Pantages is guilty of mur
der, and should be sent to San
Quentin prison as a result of the
death in an automobile crash of
Juro Rokomuto, resumed its delib
erations today.
The case was given the jury after
James P. Costello, deputy district
attorney, closed for the state with a
renewal of the charge that Mrs.
Pantages was intoxicated and driv
ing wildly when her car struck that
of Rokumoto.
WIGGINS BEGINS TERM
Boxer Accepts 60-Day Sentence and
$5Ol In Fines.
Homer Elliott, special criminal
court judge, today sentenced Charles
F. (Chuck) Wiggins, Indianapolis
pugilist, to sixty days in the county
jail and assessed fines totaling $5Ol,
as an outgrowth of Wiggins’ recent
fistic encounter with two police and
a. fireman. Wiggins faced nine
charges.
Wiggins pleaded guilty to the
charges Tuesday and, through his
attorney, said he would depend on
mercy of the court. He was re
manded to the custody of Sheriff
George L. Winkler and began serv
ing his sentence today.
be constantly alert to keep it hid
den from the lens.
A third wears heavy rubber
braces at night to keep her ab
nomally thick ankles as shapely
as possible. Still another has a
slight cast in one eye and is un
der a strain every moment at work
in her effort to look straight
ahead. And so it goes. Those
who envy the picture stars their
beauty might think again, if they
were faced with the problem of
paying the same price for it.
CITY WOMAN’S
NAME ENTCRS
LAKE CO. QUIZ
Affidavit of Glenn Harris,
Attested by Jessie Levy,
Mentioned in Probe,
BURNS* REPORT SIFTED
Democratic Chief Denies He
Withheld Sleuth’s
Document,
Pij Times Sveciol
SOUTH BEND, Ind.. Sept. 25.
—lndications that Oliver M.
Loomis, United States district at
torney in charge of the investiga
tion of alleged frauds in Lake
county in the 1928 election, may
be superseded by A. John Pratt,
assistant United States attorney
general, was made today when
Loomis announced that the Wash
ington man would arrive Thurs
day morning.
Accompanying Pratt will be
Oliver Pagin, indictment expert
of the attorney-general's office.
They probably will have in their
possession the Burns detective
agency report on the alleged vot
ing of floaters in Lake county and
the activities of “Bomber” Me
loy, who was released from the
county prison to take charge of
the fraudulent voters.
BY BEN STERN
Time, Staff Correspondent
SOUTH BEND. Ind., Sept. 25.
Charges of laxity of the Democratic
state committee in surrendering a
report of Burns’ operatives’ investi
gations of the November election in
Lake county, and introduction of
the names of Miss Jessie Levy, In
dianapolis, state law librarian and
Coffin henchman, and J. Glenn Har
ris, Gary attorney and dictator of
the house of representatives, were
highlights of the federal grand jury
investigation here today.
The grand jury is probing politi
cal corruption in Lake county under
direction of United States District
Attorney Oliver Loomis.
The government alleges that it
was only last Monday that the
Burns operatives’ report was re
ceived.
The Harris-Levy combination was
brought in when it was alleged that
Harris made an affidavit, attested
by Miss Levy, without appearing to
be sworn.
This testimony was used to refute
that of a federal prisoner against
Louis Goodman, multimillionaire
Gary merchant, charged with inter
state shipment of stolen furniture.
Peters Denies Allegation
R. Earl Peters, Democratic state
chairman, who is attending the
state committee meeting at the
Claypool, denied today that he or
his committeemen ever had a re
port from the Burns operatives In
Lake county.
He pointed out that United States
District Attorney Loomis was fa
miliar with this fact and sees in
the move of dragging in the Demo
crats an alibi for the collapse of the
probe, which he predicts will be tn
the near future.
“At the time the Burns operatives
came into Indiana, neither my as
sociations nor I were as sanguine
as to believe that within a few days
prior to the election even operatives
of this great agency could penetrate
the barriers erected through count
less years of manipulation and pro
cure direct evidence of the gross
frauds that we believe had been and
were perpetrated,” Peters declard.
Hoped to Block Repetition.
“In bringing Burns operatives into
Indiana, our fondest hope was to
create a psychological condition
that, in some degree at least, might
prevent a repetition of what we sin
cerely believe to be gigantic election
frauds of the past.
“At no time, before or after the
election, did the Democratic state
committee, or any authorized rep
resentative thereof, either request or
receive a written report of the oper
ations of these investigations.
“The detectives were not employed
by the Democratic state committee
of Indiana, nor did they receive
compensation from that committee
for their services.
“The district attorney’s office was
supplied with the name of the per
son in charge of the operatives in
Indiana and was given all informa
tion relative to the grand Jury In
quiry.
Blame Not On Democrats
"If, with all the facilities of the
department of justice at his com
mand, the district attorney recent
ly has only succeeded in procuring
a report from the Bums Detective
Agency of its operations in Indiana,
the responsibility for that delay
belongs elsewhere than with the
Democratic state committee of In
diana.”
Miss Jessie Levy and J. Glenn Har
ris, both of whom were at the state
house today, declared that Loomis
knew all the facts regarding the
Harris-Levy affidavit and nothing
regarding political corruption in
Lake county is Involved in the
affair.
Harris said he made the affidavit
while at the Claypool here and
called Miss Levy to attest It. She
was at home and he sent the affi
davit out to her house by messenger
and she affixed her seal after iden
tifying the signature and calling
him by phone.
Miss Levy stated that Loomis is
familar with this situation and she
saw no reason for dragging It Into
the present probe.