St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-24
The DOODLE BUSINESS
The Grand Jury Thinks 1t
Useless to Consider the
Matter Further.
The Question Arises, "Is This
Another Administration
Whitewash?"
Talk About pressure" and the
EaPnestness Of the Prose-
eution Doubted.
Views Of People Who Look
At It From Different
StandpOintS.

The grand jury has adjourned for
good. and it is given out authoritatively
that no more indictments for bOodling
have been found against city officials.
The matter of Doodle was taken up yes
terday when the jury met and discussed
at some length. but it was finally de-
cided that it would be useless to find
any indictments. There was a good
deal of evidence before the jury going
to show that there had been crooked
ness of no small extent in the present
administration of the city government,
but it was not of nature to insure con-
victiOn, and in consideration Of the out
come of the McGowan case it was not
deemed advisable to saddle upon the
county an expensive litigation with
out its success being a certainty.
At least one alderman, who fire.
Quently bears a prominent part
in the proceedings of the c0un-
ell, was, it is reported, all
but indicted. There was evidence
enough against him to make his final
Indictment a fOregOne CONCLUSION. In
fact. it is almost a certainty that true
bill was really made out and atteWard
destroyed because of a lack OF cOrrob-
orative testimony. The witness whose
evidence bore strongly upon this alder
man had not, however, told the same
story before the council investigating
committee which he did before the
grand Jury, and that, of course,
weakened his evidence somewhat.
He had told the special council commit
tee that he knew of no crOOkedneSS, but
he went before the grand jury ana re-
lated instances of aldermanic bribery OF
which he knew personally. Unf0rtu-
nateIy his evidence could not be sutfl-
GENTLY corrObOrated to make 1t unIm-
peachable.
OTHER DOODLE CASES.
On the failure of the grand jury to
find any more indictments for official
misdemeanOrS, the question natur-
ally arises, what will be done
with the two indictments for
dabbling in bribery which still stand?
Haney's case proper will not come up
at this term of court. One phase OF 1t
will be brought out, however, within a
very few days, when the demurrer to
the Indictment against Haney and its
argument occupy the attention OF the
courts. Haney's attorneys will demur
to the Indictment on the ground that 1t
does not state public Otfense. 1t Will
be argued that, even If Haney
did solicit money to be paid to
him. and by him to be used
in bribing aldermen, he did not
offend against the law nor break sim
gle statute in fore in the state of Min
nesota. County Attorney JamisOn will,
of course, contest the demurrer, and
he feels confident that the demurrer
will be Overruled. He believes that he
has a strong case against Haney, and
that he will secure a conviction.
BRUESHABER'S TRIAL.
Then there is the indictment which
stands against Aid. Fred Brueshaber.
What will be done with that? Brue-
shaber's case is set for few days
hence. but. as has been before stated. it
will be continued over the term. So
tar as the public knows, Brueshaber
was indicted on practically the same
evidence as was MeGowan. That
being the case. it is difficult to
see how he can be convicted.
But the county attorney has said that he
has much stronger case against Brue-
shaber than he had against his colleague
in the council, and that he is confident
of securing a verdict OF guilty OF the
crime of agreeing to accept bride, as
charged in the indictment. 1t has also
been said that the county attorney has
discovered new and sensational evil
dence which he thinks might go far to-
ward convicting the First Ward alder
man. the further examination of which
he wishes to secure time for by allowing
Brueshaber's case to be continued.
If this be the correct theory in regard
to the matter, the reason for the cOntin-
uance and for the delay in dismissing
the case is satisfactory; but there are
those persons in the city who have an
other theory.
WAS THERE "PREssURE?''
When the three indictments for bood-
ling were returned by the grand jury
last April, it was pretty generally I'M
derstOOd that tremendous pressure
would be brought to bear to
thwart the pushing of these cases.
AS the general public well knows.
one case, that of McGOWan,W was brought
to trial and resulted in an acquittal.
Now, was MCGOWAN, he being Demo-
crat. put forward as ScapecOat, or was
his trial merely blind and the verdict
the result of the aforementioned 'press-
ure?" The number of persons who in
cline to the latter view are not few
Their opinion is, moreover, warranted
by several facts in connection with the
conduct of that case. Any one who fol-
lowed that case closely is apt to think
that the prosecution of the MCGOWAN
case was conducted rather loosely
not as if there were saw
agely determined effort to convict.
The attention which would be naturally
expected to be shown was hardly given
to the selection of the jury which sat
upon the case. Men were allowed to
serve on that jury who, by acQuaint-
auce or association. might be expected
to look with a lenient eye upon the
cause of the defendant Then the
| prosecution did not ask to have the
Jury locked up, safeguard always
| thrown around the trial of a case of
such Importance. The prosecuting
attorneys were fond of Temarking
all through the case that McGowan
stood charged with one of the greatest
of crimes. yet no special care was eX-
| pended in the trial. That whole jury
might have been purchased bodily, al
though it is not charged nor even sug-
| gested. 1t might have been accom-
| plished as far as preventive measures
| were concerned.
]
prosecution of McGowan was not care
fully conducted say this: That par
ticular alderman was brought to
trial to quiet public clam0r. Hi
prosecution was loosely conducted in
order to insure his acquittal. This was
all the result of pressure, and that pres
sure was brought to bear in order that
the eyes of the public might be filled
with the dust, while the matter Of the
exposure of Official cr0okedness could
be given an opportunity to sink into
oblivion.
Although the persons holding these
opinions may possibly be the victims of
erroneous ideas, and perhaps are. the
fact remains that there is a large body
of citizens in Minneapolis who do moi
believe that these charges of boodling
have been sifted to the bottom, as they
should have been. and either proved OF
disproved beyond the possibility of a
doubt.
A Big Contract.
A contract has just been closed be-
tween the Robinson & Moen Car com
pany. of Minneapolis, and the Hinckley