Greed in the Governor’s Mansion: Governor McCray Indicted for $225,000 Heist

On a chilly winter morning in December 1923, a sense of unease settled over the state capital of Indiana as the Marion County grand jury handed down eight indictments against Governor James P. McCray. The charges, a whopping 192 in total, accused the governor of embezzlement, larceny, false pretense, fraud, and false statement in connection with a financial settlement. The grand jury’s decision marked the culmination of an investigation sparked by the First National Bank of Marion, led by its attorney, Gus S. Condo, in early October. The bank’s concerns were not unfounded, as Governor McCray had allegedly been struggling to make ends meet, with a pressing financial obligation that had left him in dire straits.