The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-07-01

defeated In procuring full reports by nook
or crook. One of the final and most import
ant meetings was held IN the CLUB room oil
the Sherman House. 1t was the meeting 80
which Mayor Colvin, under advice OF tue
leaders, was to divide the spoils- me Ut
most secrecy was maintained regarding u,
but about noon the Times was placed 10
possession of the inform alton that the meet
ing would be held in the evening. lmmeol-
ately a detachment was dispatched TO
REcoENoITER THE GROUND.
The Sherman House club room is an inner
apartment, on the second floor, afording
absolutely no opportunity for the app'lca
ton of tubes or pipes or any OF the other ap-
pIiances that are usually resorted to for the
transmission OF sound. 1t would have
been useless to have bribed one of the
crowd to take notes, for scarcely any OF
them could write, and, If their memory was
relied upon. even If induced TO babble, the
report would have been without pith or
poiut There was but one thing TO do, and
that seemed impossible. A reporter must
be present at the meeting, but be must De
unseen. After taking in every Granny ana
crack in the room, an eye 1ulI OF resources
rested on the sideboard, supplied with two
drawers at it's base, like a bureau. The
thing was investigated, but 1t was found that
neither OF the drawers were high enough
TO admit the corporeal presence of even
After various shifts, way was found by
taking out the upper drawer entirely, thus
leaving the whole interior al open space,
and furnishing room for person to sit up
right inside the 10 wer drawer. This, how
ever, LETT an ugly gap where the upper
drawer should be, which would be sure TO
attract attention and reveal the presence Of
the intruder. After various eXpedients a
table cloth was procured, laid upon the mar
bic slab OF the sideboard, and disposed of in
han ha1 nuvr he
side to the floor, thus completely covering
the aperture from view. Thus arranged the
Bohemlans bided their time till evening,
and then the smallest was put in the hiding
place. Poor fellow his lot was, indeed, q
hard one, as for seven long hours he was
forced to sit in his contracted prison, not
daring to breathe even in the ordinary way,
while a cough or a sneeze would have led
him out by the ear, instanter. The mem
bers of the conclave, assured that no repOr
torial ear could get within 20 rods OF earshot,
INDUCED itself to its bent, and the 4
MOST INWARD SECRETS WERE REVEALED
Candidates were actually discussed on their
merits. and Mayor Colvin must look back
to the time with peculiar feelings, when he
pronounced Mike Hickey unfit for the place
he now occupies, and, in the teeth of his
declaration, subsequently appointed him.
A single instance will illustrate how the
TOe6IlDE was l1ncu Al. tAiucIlu6u LOLu IN4Oy
was present, and desiring to communicate
something particularly private to fellow
cabalist, drew him mysteriously aside, but
as it happened, right up TO the sideboard,
aud leaning upon it, within a few inches Of
| the reporters ear, behind the table cloth,
| unfolded his tale. Picture his astonish-
ment when ne read a verbatim report OF bis
| whispered remarks in the Times the next
| morning. He has ever since has his opinion
of the man to whom he unfolded his refiec-
tons, believing that he was the party who
| '.gave him away and now, for the first
| Ame, the alderman will learn how it hap
| Dened that he was so covertly reported. He
was wont to say that "there were things in
that report that only two men knew about,
and one of them was himself" Hence he
| took il for granted that be could not be mis-
taken in ascribin the leak of that meeting
TO the party OF whom he made conhdant on
| that occasion. This revelation should teach
| him that there are more ways of killing
dog than by choking him with but
| ter, and that appearances and circumstan-
tial evidence are sometimes very deceitful.
Some years sgo there were rumors affecting
| the integrity OF the heads Of the police force,
| aud the Council appointed a committee To
investigate the matter. John Comiskey was
the prime mover, and among the members
of the committee were ex-Ald. Cox, De-
Wolfe, and Wicker. It was a sort OF star
| chamber affair, and reporters were
vigorously excluded, but while
number of meetings we're held, each
one was reported verbatim in the Times.
| When il became known that the investiga-
tors would meet in the committee room OF
| the Common Council, in the rear OF the CITY
| clerks office in the old court house. meas
ures were immediately taken TO get within
ear shot. After careful reconnaissance, IL
was found that
a sTovE-PIPE HOLE
about twelve feet above the floor, COM
municated with the Circuit Court room, and
the janitors and deputy sheriffs were con-
suited. They were found accommodating,
and shortly after dark several shorthand
reporters were introduced 30 the court room,
a scaffolding was improvised, and before the
committee made their appearance in the adj
Joining apartment, the scrioes were snugly
seated with their ears close to the hole, As
the DSm bers of the committee were per-
sonaliy known to them, they could easily
distinguish them by their voices when they
spoke, and as each witness appeared ae
was, of course, announced by name, and
thus, to all inteuts and purposes, the re-
porters were enabled to do their work quite
as we'll as If they had been seated al the
table in the midst of the inquirers. The
committee felt certain that they had out
witSed the reporters, but they were sadly
deceived on persuing the Times on the fol-
lowing morning. On the following evening
they made careful inspection OF the prem
3 ises, but never "tumbled to" that stoge-pipe
hole. However, their stupidity was IN a
, measure excusable, since everything that
could be, was done to draw their suspicion
, In other directions. Thus, while the short
, hand men were in their place
before the committee convened,
other reporters haunted the corridors ana
, ante-rOoms, making themselves officious, rs
3 if determined to secure admission or intor-
nation from that quarter, aud as soon as
the committee was called 10 order they al
ways made it point to send in formal re-
, quest tor admission, which was, as matter
, OF course, refused. Then, when the com
: mittee we're at work on the inside, tney
would busy themselves with feints on the
D outside, erecting ladders TO the windows
/. | ho hooa hal q eff of 0r