The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-15
THE BIG BROADWAY STEAL.
Testimony Elected Yesterday During
the Trial of Alderman Jaehne.
Inspector Byrnes Tells How He Won the Al
derman's Confidence and Reveals Impor-
tant Facts Concerning the Bribery.

in the trial of Alderman Jaehne, charged with
having accepted bride of $4,000 to vote
in favor of granting a franchise to the
Broadway Surface Railway Company for the
running of cars in Broadway from the Battery
to Fourteenth street, was begun to-day. The
first witness was ]. F. Twomey. clerk of the
Board of Aldermen, who testified at great
length concerning the meetings of the board at
which the franchise was considered, and
that at the secret meeting of the board on
Aug 80, 1884, at which the franchise
passed over the Mayors veto. Alderman
Jaehne voted to grant the franchise. The wit
ness also identified the minutes of the meeting
and number of official documents and papers
One or two important resolutions had disap-
peared. They had been given to the chairmen
Of committees, and had not been returned.
Frank Kinnan. journalist. testified to hav-
ing gained access to the corridor adjoining the
council chamber on the morning of the impor-
tant meeting, and to hearing the announcement
by the chairman that the franchise was passed
over the Mayors Veto The council chamber
was locked at the time.
Alderman Charles B. Waite, who presided at
the memorable meeting, and who recently made
voluntary statement concerning the granting
of the franchise to the authorities, and has since
been kepta prisoner in the house of the assistant
district attorney. was tho next witness. His tes--
tmony was not very sensational, and it
missed that the State did not care, at this point,
to call out all TIE facts which he has made
known Waite says he was interested in the
Broadway franchise. and did what he could
to push it on account of his friendship
for James A. Richmond. its president. He then
went on to tell of the call for the early morning
meeting, of which he was notified by telegraph
related the fact of his attendance and Of re-
ceiving from an attorney of the road a certified
copy of the decree dissoiving the injunction
against further proceedings in the franchise
matter. The witness said he was anxious to
have the cable road resolution passed, but
persuaded not to push it, Alderman Jaehne
ard two or three other aldermen told him not to
push 1t. and that he would not lose anything by
it. The defendant told him they had made
money enough out of the Broadway franchise to
take care of him if he did not push it. The wit
ness dropped it. He never had any other con-
versation with the defendant concerning the
Broadway surface road.
JAS NJ. Liddy, who, on Aug 25, procured the
injunction forbiddlng the aldermen to proceed
further in their Broadway matter. was next
called. He testified that he brought suit against
the Broadway surface road for his brother John
III. Liddy On Aug 20 he gave consent to the
discontnuanc6 of it. There was no money paid
to him for the release. hut there was paid $l2,
500 to his brother. John FL. Liddy.
VIM. M. Liddy, another brother, testified that
the money was in 81 900 and 800 bills.
Osborn P. Bright of counsel for the Broadway
surface road, said he received the consent for
dissolution of the injunction from Mr. Alexan-
der, who, he inferred, was also acting for the
Broadway road
Police Inspector Byrnes, who played upon
Jaehne's confidence and got him to make the
damaging admissions which led to his arrest.
was next sworn, and told the story of how he
worked himself into Jaehnes confidence. In
Washington, D. c.. at the time of President
Clevelands inauguration, Jaehne, he said
told him that Billy Moloney, reading
clerk OF the board, had made 900
because he had handled all the money, and was
not man to do it for nothing" In 1885 the
witness had series of talks with Jaehne
which were continued up to the time of his ar
rest In the latter part of October, 1885. they
talked about the Broadway railroad, and the
witness told the defendant that if they. the
aldermen. were not very careful they would all
be sent to prison through Moloney. who was go
ing around bar-rooms talking about the money
he had given them for their votes. The
defendant replied that Moloney wasn't
any worse than some of the members
When elected they had not enough to pay their
election expenses, and at the end OF the year
they were buying real estate, and that every
body knew they could not buy real estate on
their salary. When asked if he had bought any
a fool, and that they could not find out where
his money was. The witness next saw Jaehne
election night, at police headquarters He
was elated over his election, and when the wit
ness said he thought he was not to be
candidate for the board of 1886, replied
that that year had been a very poor
one, that there had been trouble between syndi-
Gates from Philadelphia and this city. and that
no business had been done, but that he expected
it would all be done in 1886. The witness had
aoothap with the defendant q tho
City Hall, couple of days before the aldermen
testified before the Senate committee. Jaehne
said that things were in dreadfully bad shape.
The witness replied that he had told them they
the aldermen-would get into trouble through
their independence, but any way he could
serve them he would be glad to do
so. Jaehne asked him to find out what District
Attorney Martin was doing and whether there
we're going TO be any indictments. The witness
told him that Waite, Fulsraff and Miller had
been promised immunity if they told all they
knew Jaehae visited him at his house, by ap-
pointment, that evening, and in further CONVEX
sation said that the aldermen named knew that
he did business with Moloney. He belonged
to the original combination of thirteen
aldermen formed in the early part of 1884,
which met once at Fulgraff's Office, but after
wards at McLaughins house, when the railroad
matters were talked over At one meeting
there IL was stated that each of the twenty-five
aldermen who were to vote for the Broadway
franchise would receive 600 each for their
votes It was to be paid i n cash. On the day it
was fraly passed, he told Moloney that he need
ed some money, and the latter answered
that no would find it in his box He did find
there an envelope containing one $4,000 bill and
ten 81 900 bills. The aldermen. he says, got
their money in different ways-some at the City
Hail. others in bar-rooms, and all round The
witness suggested that if Jaehne could get some
facts duplicating Waite. Fulleraff and Miller, he
could go to the grand jury and have
them indicted, and thus head them off.
Jaehne thought that a good idea and
connection with Moloney When asked whether
Moloney had left the money he to distribute
in his lJaehne's) safe. one night, the latter ad-
mitted it, saying Moloney came to his store un-
der the influence of liquor, aud he took charge
of the money for him. The following Wednes-