The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-10-16
THE CONSPIRACY UNFoLDED.
Some of the Most Prominent People OF
Chicago Said To BE Implicated.

AhltAGO, OCl. l-.-Out VI lllo DOluCSJ
and most corrupt plots ever brought to the
notice of the public was outlined
by State Attorney Longenecker's
right-hand man, Mr.. Mills, this afternoon.
The conspiracy not only includes county
officials, but outsiders of high standing,
and several arrests have already been
made, but more will follow. Not content
with the bribery OF men, an attempt has
been made TO drag even innocent women
into the plot and thus gain the end which
the friends of the defense have been work
ing on for the last five months
Estate Attorney Longenecker desires
me to say" said Mr.. Mills, who was COM
missioned by the state attorney to talk
TO reporters, that this plot has not been
disclosed because it would have defeated
justice had the information we possessed
been made public. We cannot now give
any names or the details, but an outline OF
this conspiracy can now be given to
the public. 1t will be remembered"
continued the attorney, that on last
Wednesday afternoon an honest young
man who is employed as foreman In a
large establishment in this city, was ex-
amined and excused for cause" 1t Is
Mills, the name of the venireman at
tempted to be bribed is George 5. Tachap-
pat. He is the foreman for b. V. Page *
Co., oil merchants.
con Thursday afternoon said Mr..
Mills, ga very prominent citizen of Chi
cago entered the court room and very pri-
vately communicated to the counsel for
the state that his foreman, the venireman
in question, before being called tothe jury
box had been approached by bailiti OF
the court with an offer of 81 900 to vote for
the acquittal OF the defendants. He said this
is not a cock and bull story. and
bring it before you in the interest OF pub
lie Justice He then went away and the
next morning one of the counsel for the
state went down to the factory OF the man
whose foreman had been offered bride,
and the moment he saw the foreman he
recognized him as a man whose honesty
and independence had impressed itself
upon the counsel for the state while he
was sitting in the Jury box. The man
made a full statement and was requested
by the counsel for the state to come to the
state attorneys office and give his state
nent in full. The man, with tears in his
eyes, said, 1T involves friend, but if it
involved myself would uphold the law
and honor The gist of his statement to
the counsel, which he subsequently gave
in detail to the state attorney, is as fol-
lows;
'In obedience to a summons he came to
the courthouse on Tuesday afternoon, sat
in the ante-room, but was not called. He
came again on Wednesday morning ana
stayed in the ante-room again, and about
l0:S0 O'Clock a man came from the court
room into the ante-room, who was an old
friend OF the venireman. The fact also
appears that the wives of the two
men were friends before they were mar
ried. The man who came from the court
room to the venireman. suggested that
hey go out and have cigar, and the two
zen went to a neighboring place and
after having a cigar the man from the
court room said TO the venireman: Do
you want to make some money"
THE venireman innocently answered.
Certainly / do. Very well, you get on
the jury and stick for an acquittal and you
will have $1,000. The contract and ar
rangement can be carried out with your
wife. 1t can be arranged so that she shall
wear a certain colored dress ii the money
is paid to her on certain day. Ii the
money is not paid to her on that certain
Gay she is 10 wear different colored dress
and the contract is TO be of.
"The venireman turned reproachiully
TO his friend and said: i am not that
kind of man. whereupon the bailiff re-
piled, / am working for the court. He
then pointed to buggy standing outside
and remarked, That is my horse and
buggy At the noon adjournment the
venireman went back to his place of bust
ness and subsequently returned to the
courthouse ut O'Clock, after which he
was detained and called TO the jury, where
he remained until 400 o'clock. when he
was excused for cause. He left the court
house intending to return to his place of
business, and on leaving the courthouse
met on the steps leading to the sidewalk
the man who attempted to bride him. The
man turned to him and said: Where
were you this noon time? | looked every
where for YOU. They said we will make
it -, coo, and, damn him, make him do
it,"
ut was too late, however, for the VEN
fireman had been excused for cause, but
lac at once returned to his place of bust
ness, having reproached the man for put
ting such a low estimate upon him, and
reported to his employer, the prominent
citizen, what had taken place, who, the
following day, reported it TO the prosecu-
ton. Pursuant TO appointment, the ven
fireman attended at the state attorneys
office and, having made q full state
ment OF everything that took place, was
requested to step into the ante-room and
the bailiff was summoned. He proved to
be one OF the bailiiis of the criminal court,
who, during the trial or attempt to pro-
cure jury, has been in charge OF one OF
the five prisoners-Coughlin. The bail
III was questioned closely by the
state attorney and his associates,
but protested profound innocence until
the venireman was called from the ante
room. The venireman was requested
to repeat the statement he had made,
which ne did, whereupon the bailiff made
a complete confession, in which he i'm
plieated several prominent persons, also
another bailiH. The attorneys for the
prosecution, together with Chief Hubbard
and others, at once went 10 work on the
case and have disclosed one OF the most
deliberate attempts 10 corrupt a jury and
to defeat the law of Illinois which has yet
| come TO the public attention.
"We have had confessions here this
very day." said Mr.. Mills at subsequent
interview late this afternoon. These
confessions are frou six TO ten IN num-
Der. They are misunderstanding US the
whole miserable conspiracy. They reveal
most damnable organization against the
law OF the land; conspiracy against the
| jurisprudence of this country that will
startle the continent when il
is thoroughly known; a conspiracy