The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-04
The Alleged Investigation of the Election
Frauds Results in Failure to Tndict
Any of the Daring Criminals.
Judge Woods Reprimands the Jurors
for Failing to Do Their Duty,
And IntimateS that Some Of Them May Be
Punished for Their Contemplate Conduct
The Safety Committees Intentions

The indignation with which the failure Of the
United States grand jury to indict the tally
sheet forgers was received, yesterday, showed
how widespread is popular conviction that the
act rests solely on Democratic partisans who
were DESTROYS of shielding the criminals. With
. few decent exceptions, Democrats looked upon
Che result as an Endorsement of their party
1nanagers foul plan of robbery. They regarded
might as right, and were of the opinion that
nothlng now could deprive Ayres of the stolen
judgeship But in the midst of this citation
was the counte--irritans in the severe repri-
mand Judge Woods gave the jurors for their
absolute disregard of evidence in not making
even any kind of report except the statement
Of Foreman Ochtree that the jury
had no further business to transact
This ridiculous close of the investigation while
unexpected by any honorable person con-
versant with the facts, yet a fitting
sequel, for since it began there has been
almost open work on the part OF not only local
Democrats, but those of State prominence on
members of their party on the jury. To any
one but blind man the evening meetings of
Foreman Ochiltree and juror Hall, with parti-
sans Of their stripe, had significance in them
Their society was courted by men who ought to
have been Stunned, considering the importance
OF the duty expected of Foreman Ochiltree and
juror Hall. But night after night these two
Jurors threw themselves in the way OF Demo
cratic politicians. At the Bates House an hour
or more would be spent, and to the ordinary OBJ
server it would appear as if Ochiltree's presence
in groups Of men known to be at the bottom of
the scheme to rob Republican Senators of their
seats casual. But later on IN the evening
he would be seen a: the Grand Hotel in company
of like shadiness when it is taken into account
that he was the Democratic foreman Of q grand
jury whose attention had been especially called
to the most outrageous election frauds ever per-
petrated in the State. Not only in the hotels did
he fail to observe the decency of his position, but
again aud again he would leave the room, it is
said, when the grand jury was in session, to an
gwer summons from the outside. ''If everything
Is fair and square in our proceedings" remarked
one of Ochltree's colleagues ''how is it that
while we are supposed to be carrying on a secret
Investigation, our foreman is frequently called
from the rooml'
ITO meet Democratic politicians"
81 have reason to think So You yourself have
seen an instance of it,"
''Yes, but / did n OF see the man who wanted
aim"
II did. ard he is one whose name has been
frequently mentioned in connection with these
election frauds. tits remarkable, too that there
should be such an agreement between the testi-
shOny of certain persons This could not occur
without information from the iury,roon. am
afraid OF the result There are three or four
Democrats on the jury who show desire to act
fairly, but partisan feeling moves the rest, and
dread the influence it will have those who,
/ think, would vote for indictments il let alone"
This may be regarded as in the way of jury
room secrets, but 1t was not given willingly, ard
only through feeling that the questionable
acts of fow of his Democratic colleagues justi-
fed the overstepping of what might be deemed
jury-room secrets But in keeping with this is
the evidence of juror Hal. in..reply to question
as to when the jury would adjourn. 81 can't
say" he said. "The more we go into the case
the more clews there are to follow and the
more important becomes the evidence
1.-THE investigation is becoming nteresting2"
Eyes The way it looks it might keep us
here until Christmas, but am tired of it, and
want to go home and attend to private bust
ness" This conversation occurred on Wednes-
day, and closed with an ntimation from Juror
Hall that indictments could be expected within
a day or two. His desire to get through was
not all fresh. It manifested itself among the
Democrats OF the jury before the examination
was three days old.
II do not know what the political complexion
Of the jury Isl" said Foreman Ochiltree last
Monday evening, ''and do not think any poll
has been made. ! am q Democrat but do not
think that will prevent me from investigating
these frauds fairly. AS jurors we came from all
parts of the State. and we have no interest in
your local politics. If the facts such as to
give anything like case, matter who they
are, you may rest assured indictments will be
returned
"You have the testimony narrowed down to
dangerous point for some body"
1t Is rather interesting, but we have taken
no vote yet, and do not know when he willa
In the early days of the investigation questions
were submitted to Judge Woods by Juror that
plainly indicated that some persons in the Jury
room wanted TO call in witnesses by whom II
was expected TO establish line of defense for
the Democratic inspectors of the forgery and TO
whose guilt the testimony already taken had
given strong support On solicitation Foreman
Ochiltree had something to say about this Incl
dent. Yes the questions were submitted bv
some juror. | had nothing TO do with them and
they did not come from the jury as a whole
''Was DOT the Judge also asked concerning the
power or the jury to indict one of its own wit
.aesses for perjuryp
i believe so. | don't know who asked the
question 1t was at the very outset that poll
sics crept into the grand jury room. and there is
evidence 90 sustain the charge that when facts
became dangerously warm for the perpetrators
or the crime there was generally protest
against the admission of such statements. 1t is
asserted that the questions were of a general
character, and were framed to avoid any discov-
cry OF facts that would serve to make case.
But in spite Of the efforts of Democratic jurors
TO sqaelch the details of the history of crime
particularly those relating to the personality of
the criminals. the facts came out little bv little.
just as juror Hall expressed IL, "Clew led to
clew," until the comparison Of the altered tallv
sheets with their duplicates added the last link
in the unbreakable chain of damning evidence
1t was admitted through implication and 9TH
erwise, by leading members of the jury Repub-
hcan and Democratic. that indictments oueh, TO
be returned. In this belief tho jury met Thurs
day to consider the evidence and to reach if pos