The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-01
THE BOARD WILL BE BROKEN
Every Indication that Mr.. Commits
siOner Morrison Will Be Removed.
He Makes Full Explanation of the Charges
AgainS Him-A Conspiracy to Down
Superintendent Lang.

Commissioner Morrison was completed yester-
day at noon. When Mr.. Morrison, accompanied
by his attorney, Addison c. Harris, appeared at
the Auditors Office, where the State officers held
their meeting; the testimony, which was taken
during the secret session on the day previous,
was submitted to him for examination, and
Governor Gray explained that the reason for
making the preliminary inquiry was that the
charges had been flied by persons who were not
themselves Witnesses of the alleged trans
gressions. 1t was for the purpose of deter
mining whether or not there was sufficient
evidence to warrant a formal investigation, he
said, that the statements of witnesses had been
taken privately and that the testimony had been
withheld from the public because the board did
not desire to prejudice Mr.. Morrison's case. 1t
was decided, with the consent of Mr.. Morrison,
that the investigation should be open to the
public.
THE CHARGES AND THE TESTIMONY.
AS Governor Porter would probably say, there
was more of "the light Of day shining through
the executive Office yesterday than there has
been at any time since the Inauguration of Gov
ernor Gray, and the air of secresy which has
pervaded the place to the awe Of timid and bash
full reporters dispelled as if a cyclone of
candor and courtesy had swept through
the building. The members of the
press, thanks to Governor Gray were
pc rmitted to examine the charges and the entire
testimony elected in the examination of wit
nesses so the full and exact facts can be fur
nishe6 the public in relation to the investigation.
The charges, which are signed by James
Thomnson and Sipoop CroaIIbol1 ac sfated in
yesterdays Journal, make two specifications in
the allegations of misconduct by Morrison. "As
citizens of the city of Indianapolis"
the complaint reads, ut becomes
our duty to bring to your attention
to the fact that Frank ". Morrison, a member
of the Board of metropolitan Police for this city,
has been guilty Of conduct unbecoming his
official character, which fact we do hereby
charge. We aver and are ready to furnish proof
that he has frequently, since his appointment as
commissioner, visited in this city places where
intoxicating liquors are, business, kept for
sale notably the Zoo Tneater and it's attachments,
and there between the hours of II at night and
S in the morning, bought and partaken, as bev-
erage, of Intoxicating liquors, and has also at
such places and between such hours, partaken
of such liquors when bought by Others We
further specifically charge that during the late
night and early morning of June 18th and 18th,
last, he did. together with j. Fl. Martin John
B. Smith, Ernest Kitz, Charles r. Gilmore,
himself a saloon keeper, and Others accompany
band Of musicians connected with the Zoo The
alter, went on serenaGing tour. and while on such
tour did, among other places visit the restau-
rant and public saloon known as Junes, and
did then in the company of said party,
about o'clock i'll the morning, order and drink
of Intoxicating liquors more than once, the said
hrU md for fQ
same at least once during such visit. We
charge this as being done not only in defiance of
law but also in violation Of the orders Of the
Board of metropolitan Police, of which he is a
member, and which the police force of said city
were instructed by said board specially to en-
force. In support of the above charges we
name witnesses the above-named parties,
citizens of Indianapolis, who, unwilling wit
nesses though they may be, cannot but substan-
tiate the charge We hold ourselves in readi-
mess to name still other witnesses if it shall be
deemed necessary"
The testimony is quite voluminous but it re-
lstes almost wholly to the two offenses alleged in
the charges. John Fl. Martin, who testified that it
was" a well known fact that you get drink
at Junes at any time" stated that he had seen
Mr.. Morrison take drink there at the time
specified. and the testimony of John B.
Smith was to the same effect Charles
T. Gilmore, also substantiated the statements.
and in the cross examination it developed that
he had furnished the information upon which
the charges were based, to the Liberal League,
the attorney of which, Judge John NJ. Scott, had
prepared the copy signed by Thompson and
Smallholz Although all the information had
been given by Gilmore, it could not be learned
why he had not signed the charges, instead of
Thompson and Smallholz who had no personal
knowledge of the alleged misconduct.
The bartender at the Zoo testified that Mr..
Morrison was there on the evening Of June l9,
when drinks were ordered at 1l:25 o'clock, and
when he hesitated about getting the liquor Mr..
Morrison told him that it would be all right.
Patrolmen Bruce and HagedOrn appeared at the
head of the stairway and seemed to desire to
say something The waiter told them that the
commissioner had said that lit was all
right to which the patrolmen, protested
that that was no way to do" and left. The
other testimony substantially affirms these
statements. After reading them, Mr.. Morrison
accepted several of them as true, and there was.
in consequence, no second examination Of the
witnesses. Mr.. Morrison says that he thought
his statement would simplify the examination
somewhat, and that there would then be no
necessity for taking further testimony.
Mr.. MoRRIsoN's STATEMENT.
Accepting as true the dates mentioned in the
charges, Mr.. Morrison made the following state
nent: "These charges as l understand, connect
me with two occurrences, one of which hap
pened on the 18th day of June, and the other on
the night of the 18th and 10th. The places of
THESE occurrences are iocated particularly at the
Zoo Theater and at Junes restaurant and, as
understand these charges they allege that
overlooked violations OF the III o'clock law in my
official capacity will take up the first trans
action and then pass to the second. On the night
of the 18th day Of June was at the Zoo Theater
and have nothing to deny in reference to that.
| went to the Zoo Theater that night because
Mr.. Gilmore complained to me that two three
patrolmen-Bruce and Hagedorne, the other l do
| not recall, but these are the two officers
that are on that heat--had been sneakng about
his place, and that while he did not object in the
least to any officer going in there he complained
that these officers had done this in a sneaking
manner, and he took me up il the
garden of the theater and showed me
three windows of building which fronts
on Washington street, and up the entrance
could get to the rear windows and look over into
! the Zoo. went nn in the garden with Ne Gill