St. Paul daily globe., 1884-04-21
ORDWAY TALKS.
A Free and Easy Chat With the Gov
ernOr of Dakota.
He Explains How His Indictment Was Found
And What He Has Done For the
Territory.
He is Not a Candidate for Reappointnent
But MayasRemainiSome Time Wait
ing for q Successor.

ing for Successor.
telegram in the SUNDAY GLOBE, from
Yankton announced that the United States
grand jury was about closing its work, having
found over twenty indictments, and among
them probably one or two against Gov. Ord
way for alleged corruption in the organiza
tion of new counties.
Gov. Ordway with his wife arrived from
Bismarck yesterday and took rooms at the
Merchants. 4 GLOBE representative called
upon the governor last evening TO ascertain
what he had to say on the subject. After
usual salutations the governors attention
was called 10 the report and he was asked
what response he had to make.
Isuppose they have indicted me, he said,
for matters in connection with the organiza-
ton of Fali and Hyde counties. Those are
the two counties concerning which charges
were made and forwarded to Washington.
The president has examined them and de-
ciared that there is no occasion forany action,
and now they have invoked the machinery
| OF the courts, which is one of the most out
rageous proceedings 1 ever heard OF
Rep.-How are they able to use the courts!
Gov. O.-It is all done through Campbell,
the district attorney. lie was attorney
for the Northwestern road and was
also retained by the people of Yankton
| to prevent the removal Of the capital. He
took the contract to beat the capital COM
mission bill, and has been very mad because
he could not carry out his contract His
fees undoubtedly depended upon his sue
cess. When the bill passed for the uncon-
stitutiOnal convention in South Dakota he
came ID me in bulldozing manner because
Ivetoed it. ! told Campbell had advocated
and was committed to the plan of moving
the capital whenever it could be centrally
located, and buildings secured without ex-
pense Othe territory. I told Mr.. pbell
l would hear him as an attorney for the
propose to be bulldozed. He has been very
bitter towards me ever since.
Rep.-But how comes he to control a
grand jury selected from all over the terri
tory2
Gov. O.-It was done by the most unfair
proceedings. The railroads failed to con-
meet, owing to train being behind time,
and nine members Of the jury were unable
to reach Yankton until the afternoon of the
day when the court convened The court
met in the forenoon, and instead of waiting
for the delayed jurors to arrive a few hours
later, District Attorney Campbell insisted
upon filing the panel at once, from the by
standers. This was done, and not only the
nine but two more Yankton men were
already on the panel. These were residents
of Yankton, who were of course hostile to
me because had signed the capital removal
bill. They were not satisfied with getting
eleven Yanktonites on the jury, but I am
advised the district attorney allowed jurors
to be excused until the number was reduced
to nineteen, out of which Yankton had
eleven. 1 did not suppose even then they
would do anything so outrageous as to pro-
ceed against me without an opportunity for
a hearing I accordingly telegraphed saying
1 wished to appear before the jury with the
records and answer any charges which
might be made. This was refused and 1
telegraphed again offering to give the name
of a person who had approached me with a
corrupt proposal and still third time sent a
telegram asking witness to be summoned,
all of which requests were refused. I then
telegraphed the attorney general at Wash
ington and he telegraphed the district attor-
ney instructing him to make fair
and impartial investigation, and then
L sent the telegram which
1 see you had in Saturdays GLOBE, and re-
ceived the reply you printed L have never
seen or heard of any such use being made of
the courts before, but it is what might have
been expected of man full Of malice. He
was in Louisiana at the time the Democrats
say the Republicans stole the state and he
organized the negroes, and when it came to
fighting left them to care for themselves.
For his services at that time he was given an
Office up here and he deceived me with his
pious pretensions for awhile. He tried to get
me indicted at Fargo, but finding he could
not, gathered up his papers and said he would
find court which would bring in an indict-
ment, and he accordingly went to Yankton,
and they say has succeeded.
Rep.-Do you intend to 60 to Yankton for
hearing now?
Gov. O.-I am going to Sioux Falls and
Vermilion tomorrow to attend meeting of
the regents and shall then go up to Yankton,
but l understand they have called no petit
jury to try the cases, and do not propose to
allow them to come on for month, until the
capital commission case is decided. They
probably want to hold these indictments up
to influence the decision in that case.
Rep.-What case is this you speak of?
Gov. O.-Judge Edgerton decided against
the capital commission bill, and the
case is now coming before the full bench
to affirm or reverse that decision
1 expect the Yankton people wanted
to get me indicted without hearing to affect
this decision; have asked them to produce
single man who would say that l had ever
received a dollar or foot of land for any
official act, but they have not been able to do
so and proceed to indict on hearsay.
But l intend to give them chance to try
to prove their accusations.
Rep-You must have gotten used to being
crit cised
Gov. O.-Yes. I have had great deal OF
free advertising since l have been in Dakota.
If could have secured as
much advertising for patent medi-
cine I should have made my
fortune. understand tney propose 10
pitch into me at the Huron convention. You
see there have been at least 5000 appl-
cants for office from Dakota, and most of
them were, of course, disappointed. As I
have but few appointments to make all of
the disappointed ones became offended with
me. So toe in selecting county seats for
new counties. II there are five towns in the
county OF course four must be disappointed,
and then the four towns will iOin in abusin Or
the governor because the commissioners